Rap music and the image of this style of music is quite common in Iran, but it still faces an issue, a question that many people, including ordinary people and artists, ask. Why is rap banned in Iran?
Rap music emerged in the United States in the 1960s following discrimination and violence against blacks. In his psychoanalytic theories, Sigmund Freud states: “Exaltation” is one of the mental defense mechanisms in which the individual subconsciously achieves the same goals in a different (non-instinctive) way due to failure to achieve goals that the subconscious mind considers unacceptable. Researcher. Freud considers art and literature to be a kind of “exaltation”. With these interpretations, the nature of this type of music is determined and it is a tool to express problems, and since everything has its own audience and, at the beginning of its emergence, it was with the officials and the police, and the expression of oppression against blacks Have had.
Man’s tools to meet his needs have always been changing, and the tool that has been used in recent decades to express the social and economic problems in the world is rap music, and what better music and art to be our tools, not sticks and weapons. And hot; A tool that can still be used today, but this type of expression of other problems is obsolete and only causes separation and more problems. In the United States, rappers have become very popular in the world and are also involved in politics. For example, Eminem, who also gave a concert in the UAE, called for a boycott of Trump in the 2016 US election because of his racist views.
Rap in Iran has not been licensed as a healthy art for the officials of the Ministry of Culture since the publication of the first works of Persian rap. In his philosophy of psychology, entitled “Theory of Choice,” Dr. William Glasser argues that “creating a prohibition, in the term external control, does not eliminate desire and has the opposite effect.” Naturally, the forbidden fruit has more fans and more effort to get it, so those who rap want to hit hard to show their life and lead to the use of vulgar words and so-called gangster styles. Because they are forbidden to express their ideas and problems in their current form, and this prohibition, according to Freud’s theory mentioned, lies in the place of their work.
But rap grew in other branches and songs about love and also rappers’ songs were made and it is a common thing, but one of the reasons for its prohibition and ugliness in our country is the spread of prostitution due to direct references to drugs, alcohol, relationships. Sex and things like that, and the officials believe that the freedom of this kind of music causes the prevalence of negative things and so-called misleads teenagers and young people. But is drugs a new phenomenon in Iran that rap music wants to promote? Drug and alcohol addiction is unfortunately a common problem in Iran, and the ban on rap is not an interesting excuse for the generation of teenagers and young people not to become corrupt, because the family is responsible for upbringing and trying to point out our weaknesses in raising our children for reasons other than ourselves. The problem is the same as external control, and we can give thousands of examples to refute this argument.
Examining the reasons for the ban on rap, we find that we have basic cultural problems, and by banning, we actually give the ball to the opponent to score. Of course, it is easier for teenagers to listen to the content that constantly mentions alcohol, but families and cultural officials in support of the family should try to arm themselves with educational methods in accordance with the principles of psychology. Raise our children so that they do not give in to any lust, and we do not want to fence everything around to support and keep them on the right path. One of the options that can be very fruitful is to support psychologists in the country and promote it, as well as to cover its costs in insurance, because one of the reasons for not wanting to see a psychologist is the cost, which of course is not high, but Despite the economic problems, it can not be a priority. One of the models of child and adolescent psychology is home visit or “giving counseling at home” in which the psychologist deals with various activities at home with the child and adolescent. A model that can naturally be highly effective, but only a handful of people in Iran work in this style, but with support, the sphere of influence of all branches of psychology, especially child psychology, can be expanded from metropolitan areas to all of Iran. Books and pamphlets can also be prepared and given to parents through education, but this time as parents and children have their own books to read, so parents can study and work to improve their education. This ban and dealing with it has a more negative effect on adolescents because they are at an age when they are no longer separated from their parents and want to explore the world around them and have their own worldview and rap music or even go to rap singing. It is a kind of protest against their restrictions and prohibitions, and the song, most of which is inappropriate for teenagers, intensifies their sense of independence, desire, and violent treatment of those around them.
It should not be forgotten that not all rappers deal with issues such as drugs and have cultural, social and political concerns and can not promote drinking in a socially themed melody. The possibility of working without legal worries and earning money from rap can also reduce vulgar words and topics so that it no longer has external control over the artist and the human mind and consequently human activities become more beautiful and calm and the spread of rap songs that are free of margins. Yes, it finds its way into the heart of the audience and those who continue to deal with marginal issues are removed from the scene. Some of the most famous rappers in Iran have also stated that they do not like obscenity in rap and it would be better to eradicate it. Be one of them in their works and many other factors are involved in the lead. Music and poetry are equal to the history of Iran, and there have been many poets and singers in this land since ancient times who have astonished the world with their art. Appreciating this type of artist can spread the reputation of the original and beautiful Iranian art in the world, as Master Kayhan Kalhor has played a role in making the very successful animated music “Spirit” which was released a few months ago. In this way, at least one of the brain drain cases is reduced and Iranian artists can work in their country instead of going abroad.
Also, the harshness of that song is not a reason for the singer or his fans to be bad or harsh, because they are merely conveying issues. As we see in cinema, an actor often takes on a role model, and there is no reason why his character should be the same. But in several documentaries aired on radio and television, this type of rap was associated with satanism, and in interviews with people who were interested in rap, it was stated that rappers even drink blood at their ceremonies.
The melody of rap works has been used many times in the radio and television, and has led to protests from singers and composers, a one-roof and two-air policy of the radio and television that leaves only the audience confused.
A reminder of something like rap might open minds. In 1983, all topics related to video were banned due to cultural deviations; In a situation where there was no alternative to it, even in an age when there was no news of the Internet and various television networks. But what happened in the end? Video players, which at the time were generally “IWA 101 and 102” and the movies were secretly handed out, were so popular that it has become nostalgic and has been mentioned in the movies. A decision to preserve culture, however, led to creativity in circumventing law enforcement and becoming infected with bad morals.
As for the artists, “Shadmehr Aghili” has stated that the reason for his restriction and prohibition of activity is his English language and the poisonous nature of his works, according to cultural officials, and caused his emigration from the country in 2002. While Shadmehr, in the few years that he worked professionally, published very significant works and the album “Rural” produced in 1999 became the best-selling album after the revolution. His ban came as pop singers became more active and restrictions were lifted after him. According to some singers, he paved the way for others. Today, some of his works are very similar to foreign works, but they are not banned. And according to many people and artists, music has declined a lot over the years.
The rappers showed that their intentions are good and they became stars in the limits and they are accepted by the society. Maybe it’s time for the relevant authorities to think differently about rap, because despite the internet and satellite, the bad decisions that have been made about them, the cultural problems that it has caused, and other problems, the harmfulness of rap music is a bitter joke.
