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Iranian Rap Videos
Popular Music is heavily criticised by the Frankfurt School of thought with one of its famous theorists Theodor Adorno regarding it as being produced by monopoly organisations who brainwash individuals into thinking that popular music provides them with pseudo-individualisation.
I have selected Iranian Rap music to critique Adorno's theory in relation to the way in which modern contemporary society understands mass and popular culture. The Iranian revolution had its roots in Marxism however in modern society a post modern approach will prevail as Iranian youth bring much needed social change through a progressive revolution. They will use popular music genres such as Rap music to send their messages for change.
In order to make it simpler to discuss Iranian Rap in relation to the theories I have created two categories for them; Firstly ideological Rappers who have a solid emphasis on the political sphere in their lyrics and often directly criticise governmental actions while at the same time encouraging a youth led revolution. Secondly the hedonistic Rappers who are more ignorant and self-indulgent and who often are derived from upper class social backgrounds. In their lyrics they often fantasise about the amount of illegal activities they can get away with, such as glorification of drugs and a free sexual society.
Iran has a conservative Islamic stance on social issues as a result Iranian Rap is not considered mainstream (Alavi, N 2005). This is despite the fact that the genre is listened to by millions of fans throughout the underground scene (The Guardian 2002).
If Iranian Rappers were viewed from a Western perspective and according to Marxist standards, they would be considered part of mass culture because sex for marketing consumer products works. However on the other hand, in Iran premarital sex is taboo and illegal, as a result the music is not sold on the market and because their music is not mass produced it can not be part of the culture industry.
The Frankfurt school claims that "modern culture production results in standardized products. For marketing purposes each standard product is given a little sense of individuality, but the culture industry produces vacuity banality and conformity" (Blacks Academy 2007). How can Iranian Rap be considered standardized and banal when it is produced by the consumer market? If their work is trying to create conformity why do the authorities care to prosecute these Rappers? (Six Musicians Arrested 2007) Iranian Rap may be "corrupting, manipulative and destructive of individual consciousness" (Blacks Academy 2007).
However in Iran's case this is something that strengthens the genre as Iranian society is ruled by power dogmatic mullahs who want to assert German doctrine of the 19th century on people. Further their preference and push for "high culture" within the Iranian community is a consequence of their powerful position of controlling exactly what is consumed. Clearly there needs to be a post modern and feminist revolution that drives out these mullahs ability to govern the masses. The high culture that these mullahs impose consists of traditional folk and classical music coupled with the fact that they constantly remind Iranian youth of the revolutions roots by way of forcing the people to "sing revolutionary songs and things that are beyond this world" (Bolour, 2006)
The culture industry in this case is the music imposed on the youth by the Islamic Republic; they are the ones exploiting the "ego weakness of the powerless members of contemporary society" (Feixa, C 2006). They are attempting to make the audience become "dependant, passive and servile" (Feixa, C 2006). On the contrary what Iranian Rap is trying to achieve is to break these hegemonic boundaries in an attempt to open the eyes of the public to their own lack of creative freedom. Interestingly the Frankfurt School theory is working in reverse in Iran.
The powerful are the ones who are in control of what is considered high culture and is mass produced by the Ministry of Culture in Iran. The less powerful individuals are the ones who are using popular mediums to fight for a quiet revolution; these are the masses that refuse to consume the productions of the monopoly Government.
The Iranian revolution followed on the Marxist-Leninism doctrine that overthrew the Shah who had a vision for industrialization and operated within a strict class system (Moaveni, A 2005).
However the end result has not brought the promises of the revolutionaries but rather as Marx described has brought a revolution "veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation" (Blacks Academy 2007) of the Iranian public. So what the Iranian youth are trying to achieve is to reverse this power struggle in their music, voice their unhappiness and ask for change.
Adorno's theory would certainly have a case in America as popular music is currently acting "as 'social cement' brainwashing the people into accepting limited impoverished and unhappy lives ... popular music giving them a temporary release from this awareness, and consequently preventing people from reaching a revolutionary consciousness in which they would strive to overthrow capitalism and work for individualism, freedom and happiness" (Blacks Academy 2007).
In contrast the Iranians are aware of and unhappy about the existing issues and the youth are using Rap music to express themselves (sexually and politically), create awareness and feel happy about their individualisation.
Once upon a time in 1979 the Iranian youth rushed into demonstrations and gave up their lives for freedom and change, millions sacrificed their lives in the Iran-Iraq war and many political prisoners got killed and tortured in Evin Prison without even a court case, under the banner of 'a revolutionary consciousness' and these acts of "fighting for individualism, freedom and happiness" as Adorno and Marx like to reinforce has haunted the Iranian society for 25 years and more years to come. Shah was a capitalist and these mullahs are mad. Iran will never have another [1] overnight revolution.
Adorno prefers to describe the process as the consumers falling in the trap of "pseudo-individualisation" but if this creates consciousness and empowers the masses to mobilise, who is to say that this is false. Marx wants the masses to stand up for their rights, isn't that what revolution is about? Wouldn't Herbert Marcuse, who coined the phrase, 'make love, not war,' during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations be happier that these youth are not creating social change through suicide missions and violence?
Adorno believes that popular music acts as a friend in an unfriendly world (Blacks Academy 2007). This is true. For this reason if the youth start to believe the lyrics and take action the music can bring about positive change for Iranian society because there will be a large group that are united by one music. Adorno says "the music is able to substitute for what the listeners are really denied true freedom of choice, and the ability to effect real change in their environment" (Blacks Academy 2007).
This is not necessarily correct because it is arguable that Persian Rap is not 'substituting' their freedom, but they are using it to express their anger and disapprovement of the government. It may not be able to create change alone however it certainly has made an impact on the youth's mindsets by way of allowing them to live normal lives and be able to think outside of what the authorities have imposed on them.
Iranian Rappers can not get permits for their music, they are underground artists who get their music publicised online and often downloaded for free. Their music is reaching a big margin of the Iranian market (Iran Focus 2006) who can relate to the lyrics that do not conform to the standardised dominant culture imposed by the Mullahs.
This therefore brings us to the roots of Rap and what it really represents. It was in the 1980s that Rap became visible and massively popular among the black Americans (Feixa, C 2006). The 1980s were a period of decline in living conditions and expectations for blacks under conservative administrations who shifted the wealth from the poor to the rich (Feixa, C 2006). During this period the standard of living and employment opportunities for African-Americans declined (Feixa, C 2006). Black music made use of media culture to disseminate its meanings and express their views to bring change.
Now the Iranian Rap artists are using the same medium to contest similar issues with the aim of articulating different values and politics in an effort to bring freedom of expression through their lyrics. In Iran youth have been defined by the dominant culture yet Iranian youth themselves have constructed their own cultural world. Almost half of the seventy million population of Iran are under 29 (Iran Focus 2006). A solid portion of these people are from the upper and middle-classes whose primary concern is the consumption of Western culture.
American popular culture has (to some extent) infiltrated and fused with Iranians through satellite television where one can access the latest music videos and purchase the latest advertised fashion items from expensive boutiques in Tehran. Many of them are uninterested in politics and are hedonistic consumers of mass culture (Feixa, C 2006). In this case it would be common from a Frankfurt School theorist to say that Iranian Rap does not have its own roots, and it is simply copycatted from the West. Adorno would say that Persian Rap has very little home grown substance, as it creates "petty individualism" directing the youth towards social fad (Blacks Academy 2007).
I have selected Iranian Rap music to critique Adorno's theory in relation to the way in which modern contemporary society understands mass and popular culture. The Iranian revolution had its roots in Marxism however in modern society a post modern approach will prevail as Iranian youth bring much needed social change through a progressive revolution. They will use popular music genres such as Rap music to send their messages for change.
In order to make it simpler to discuss Iranian Rap in relation to the theories I have created two categories for them; Firstly ideological Rappers who have a solid emphasis on the political sphere in their lyrics and often directly criticise governmental actions while at the same time encouraging a youth led revolution. Secondly the hedonistic Rappers who are more ignorant and self-indulgent and who often are derived from upper class social backgrounds. In their lyrics they often fantasise about the amount of illegal activities they can get away with, such as glorification of drugs and a free sexual society.
Iran has a conservative Islamic stance on social issues as a result Iranian Rap is not considered mainstream (Alavi, N 2005). This is despite the fact that the genre is listened to by millions of fans throughout the underground scene (The Guardian 2002).
If Iranian Rappers were viewed from a Western perspective and according to Marxist standards, they would be considered part of mass culture because sex for marketing consumer products works. However on the other hand, in Iran premarital sex is taboo and illegal, as a result the music is not sold on the market and because their music is not mass produced it can not be part of the culture industry.
The Frankfurt school claims that "modern culture production results in standardized products. For marketing purposes each standard product is given a little sense of individuality, but the culture industry produces vacuity banality and conformity" (Blacks Academy 2007). How can Iranian Rap be considered standardized and banal when it is produced by the consumer market? If their work is trying to create conformity why do the authorities care to prosecute these Rappers? (Six Musicians Arrested 2007) Iranian Rap may be "corrupting, manipulative and destructive of individual consciousness" (Blacks Academy 2007).
However in Iran's case this is something that strengthens the genre as Iranian society is ruled by power dogmatic mullahs who want to assert German doctrine of the 19th century on people. Further their preference and push for "high culture" within the Iranian community is a consequence of their powerful position of controlling exactly what is consumed. Clearly there needs to be a post modern and feminist revolution that drives out these mullahs ability to govern the masses. The high culture that these mullahs impose consists of traditional folk and classical music coupled with the fact that they constantly remind Iranian youth of the revolutions roots by way of forcing the people to "sing revolutionary songs and things that are beyond this world" (Bolour, 2006)
The culture industry in this case is the music imposed on the youth by the Islamic Republic; they are the ones exploiting the "ego weakness of the powerless members of contemporary society" (Feixa, C 2006). They are attempting to make the audience become "dependant, passive and servile" (Feixa, C 2006). On the contrary what Iranian Rap is trying to achieve is to break these hegemonic boundaries in an attempt to open the eyes of the public to their own lack of creative freedom. Interestingly the Frankfurt School theory is working in reverse in Iran.
The powerful are the ones who are in control of what is considered high culture and is mass produced by the Ministry of Culture in Iran. The less powerful individuals are the ones who are using popular mediums to fight for a quiet revolution; these are the masses that refuse to consume the productions of the monopoly Government.
The Iranian revolution followed on the Marxist-Leninism doctrine that overthrew the Shah who had a vision for industrialization and operated within a strict class system (Moaveni, A 2005).
However the end result has not brought the promises of the revolutionaries but rather as Marx described has brought a revolution "veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation" (Blacks Academy 2007) of the Iranian public. So what the Iranian youth are trying to achieve is to reverse this power struggle in their music, voice their unhappiness and ask for change.
Adorno's theory would certainly have a case in America as popular music is currently acting "as 'social cement' brainwashing the people into accepting limited impoverished and unhappy lives ... popular music giving them a temporary release from this awareness, and consequently preventing people from reaching a revolutionary consciousness in which they would strive to overthrow capitalism and work for individualism, freedom and happiness" (Blacks Academy 2007).
In contrast the Iranians are aware of and unhappy about the existing issues and the youth are using Rap music to express themselves (sexually and politically), create awareness and feel happy about their individualisation.
Once upon a time in 1979 the Iranian youth rushed into demonstrations and gave up their lives for freedom and change, millions sacrificed their lives in the Iran-Iraq war and many political prisoners got killed and tortured in Evin Prison without even a court case, under the banner of 'a revolutionary consciousness' and these acts of "fighting for individualism, freedom and happiness" as Adorno and Marx like to reinforce has haunted the Iranian society for 25 years and more years to come. Shah was a capitalist and these mullahs are mad. Iran will never have another [1] overnight revolution.
Adorno prefers to describe the process as the consumers falling in the trap of "pseudo-individualisation" but if this creates consciousness and empowers the masses to mobilise, who is to say that this is false. Marx wants the masses to stand up for their rights, isn't that what revolution is about? Wouldn't Herbert Marcuse, who coined the phrase, 'make love, not war,' during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations be happier that these youth are not creating social change through suicide missions and violence?
Adorno believes that popular music acts as a friend in an unfriendly world (Blacks Academy 2007). This is true. For this reason if the youth start to believe the lyrics and take action the music can bring about positive change for Iranian society because there will be a large group that are united by one music. Adorno says "the music is able to substitute for what the listeners are really denied true freedom of choice, and the ability to effect real change in their environment" (Blacks Academy 2007).
This is not necessarily correct because it is arguable that Persian Rap is not 'substituting' their freedom, but they are using it to express their anger and disapprovement of the government. It may not be able to create change alone however it certainly has made an impact on the youth's mindsets by way of allowing them to live normal lives and be able to think outside of what the authorities have imposed on them.
Iranian Rappers can not get permits for their music, they are underground artists who get their music publicised online and often downloaded for free. Their music is reaching a big margin of the Iranian market (Iran Focus 2006) who can relate to the lyrics that do not conform to the standardised dominant culture imposed by the Mullahs.
This therefore brings us to the roots of Rap and what it really represents. It was in the 1980s that Rap became visible and massively popular among the black Americans (Feixa, C 2006). The 1980s were a period of decline in living conditions and expectations for blacks under conservative administrations who shifted the wealth from the poor to the rich (Feixa, C 2006). During this period the standard of living and employment opportunities for African-Americans declined (Feixa, C 2006). Black music made use of media culture to disseminate its meanings and express their views to bring change.
Now the Iranian Rap artists are using the same medium to contest similar issues with the aim of articulating different values and politics in an effort to bring freedom of expression through their lyrics. In Iran youth have been defined by the dominant culture yet Iranian youth themselves have constructed their own cultural world. Almost half of the seventy million population of Iran are under 29 (Iran Focus 2006). A solid portion of these people are from the upper and middle-classes whose primary concern is the consumption of Western culture.
American popular culture has (to some extent) infiltrated and fused with Iranians through satellite television where one can access the latest music videos and purchase the latest advertised fashion items from expensive boutiques in Tehran. Many of them are uninterested in politics and are hedonistic consumers of mass culture (Feixa, C 2006). In this case it would be common from a Frankfurt School theorist to say that Iranian Rap does not have its own roots, and it is simply copycatted from the West. Adorno would say that Persian Rap has very little home grown substance, as it creates "petty individualism" directing the youth towards social fad (Blacks Academy 2007).
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