Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter (born 1985)
Soroush Lashkari (; born 9 May 1985), known professionally as Hichkas (, transl. "nobody"), is an Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Credited with popularizing Persian hip hop to the Iranian people and other Persian-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Hichkas's national success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken the barriers that were in place by the Islamic regime for the acceptance of rappers in popular music. Hichkas is considered one of the pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Father of Persian Rap" by his fans. He became a representation of the Iranian underclass and reflected the angst of the young Iranians. He has been influential for many artists of various genres and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of Iranian hip hop.
Hichkas is also the founder of the label 021 (alongside Shayan and Yashar) which is considered the first Persian hip hop group. After that, he founded the labels Saamet (alongside Reza Pishro and Reveal), and Moltafet (alongside Ali Quf, Fadaei, and Dariush). Hichkas's songs are themed around social and cultural issues in Iran and his lyrical ability and influence pervade the hip-hop and rap genre, placing him at the forefront of contemporary Iranian music, inspiring a new generation of Iranian songwriters and artists. Hichkas's first album "Jangale Asfalt" (; The Asphalt-paved Jungle) was the first Iranian hip-hop album released in 2005. Hichkas's early releases combined traditional Persian instruments and urban beats to create a hybrid genre, a combination of East and West.
In addition to performance, Hichkas's work further spans into art direction, production, and artist development, working closely with up and coming artists and providing mentoring and coaching, and consistently being the inspiration behind many Iranian artists in urban arts. He has appeared as a guest speaker at many universities including Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Calgary University and discussing Iranian poetry, the Iranian underground music scene, and the effect of the internet on music publishing in Iran.
Hichkas has collaborated with a number of International hip hop artists including the American hip hop artist Kool G Rap. His highly anticipated second album "Mojaz" (; permissible) was released in March 2020, after 8 years of its initial announcement. Soroush Hichkas created groups called Moltafet, Samet, and 021.
Early life.
Soroush Lashkari was born on May 8, 1984, in Tehran and is the son of a family of five. He lived in Germany until he was two years old and then lived in the Vanak neighborhood of Tehran. He was studying translation at Garmsar University but dropped out of college for personal reasons and in order to pursue Persian hip hop. His father is from the Ziaabad village of Qazvin and has a family relationship with Hossein Lashkari (pilot of Iran's Air Force who was captured in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war). Hichkas currently lives in London after emigrating to Great Britain in the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests. He is married to the British-based Iranian feminist activist Azadeh Akbari.
In his early years, Hichkas was known for founding a supergroup called 021 (the area code for Tehran). Around about 2003, he started his music career work in Vanak participating in Persian free-styling with people who also covered some English language songs in the Rap battle. Hichkas gained attention when he began rapping in Persian about social problems and the younger generation in Iran. Hichkas's early releases combined traditional Iranian instruments and urban beats to create a hybrid genre, a combination of East and West.
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