Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP)-the tattoos overlaying the face of the Iranian rapper Tataloo are distinguished in opposition to the uniform of the grey jail that now wears the 37-year-old whereas ready for the execution, his personal ascent and the autumn The chaos of the last decade of Iranian politics.
Tataloo, whose full title is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a dying sentence after being sentenced on fees of “insulting the Islamic sanctuals”. It may be very completely different since as soon as he supported an Iranian presidential candidate.
Tataloo’s music turned common between the youth of the Islamic Republic, since Iranian theocracy challenged at a time when the opposition to the nation’s authorities was thrown and largely with out a chief.
The rapper’s texts have change into an increasing number of political after The death of 2022 by Mahsa Amini and the next wave of protests at nationwide degree. It additionally appeared in music movies that criticized the authorities.
“When you present your face in a music video, you’re saying:” Hey, I’m right here and I do not care about your restrictions, “mentioned Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005.” It was brave “.
The Iranian Supreme Court final month confirmed his dying sentence.
“This sentence has now been confirmed and is prepared for execution,” mentioned the spokesman for the Asghar Jahangir judiciary for journalists in a press convention final month.
The activists have denounced his looming execution and expressed concern about his security after, in response to what reported, he tried to kill himself in jail.
From a music video on a warship in exile
Tataloo started his musical profession in 2003 within the context of an underground style of Iranian music that mixes western types of rap, rhythm and blue and rock with doing. His first album, launched in 2011, polarized the general public, though he has by no means publicly performed in Iran, the place his Ministry of Culture and the Islamic information controls all concert events.
Tataloo appeared in a 2015 music video that helps the paramilitary revolutionary guard of Iran and Tehran’s nuclear program, which has lengthy been focused by the West for the fears that would enable the Islamic Republic to develop an atomic bomb. While he by no means mentioned the motivation on the base of this, it appeared that the rapper had hoped to win the favor with theocracy or maybe to have a ban on journey in opposition to him.
In the video of “Energy Hasteei” or “Nuclear Energy”, Tataloo sings a ballad of energy in entrance of guards that brandishes the rifle after which aboard the Iranian frigate Damavand within the Caspian Sea. The ship later sank throughout a storm in 2018.
“This is our absolute proper: having an armed Persian Gulf,” Tataloo sang.
Tataloo even issued an approval for Liner Jewim Raisi in 2017. That 12 months, the 2 sat for a tv apparition as a part of the failed presidential marketing campaign of Raisi in opposition to the relative reasonable Hassan Rouhani. Raisi later won the presidency in 2021but it surely was killed in a helicopter accident in 2024.
Hunger in Türkiye, jail in Iran
In 2018, Tataloo – who confronted authorized issues in Iran – was allowed to depart the nation for Turkey, the place many Persian singers and artists stage worthwhile concert events.
Tataloo hosted reside video periods whereas he turned well-known on social media, the place he turned well-known for his tattoos that lined his face and physique. Among these there are an Iranian flag and a picture of her mom subsequent to a key and a coronary heart.
Instagram deactivated his account in 2020 after asking minors to hitch his “group” for intercourse. He additionally acknowledged the taking of medicine.
“Despite being a controversial rapper, Tataloo quite has the premise of followers in Iran, referred to as” tatarity “, mentioned Holly Dagres, senior member of the Washington Institute for the politics of the close by East.” Over the years, have flooded social media with messages of solidarity for him and even made a marketing campaign for the discharge of the rapper up to now when he was held with separated accusations. “
Tataloo’s rebellious music hit an settlement with younger individuals with out voting rights in Iran whereas combating to search out work, get married and begin life for adults. Iranian theocracy has additionally more and more challenged in his texts, specifically after Amini’s dying after his arrest to presumably not put on the hijab to sympathy of the authorities.
His collaboration “ENGHELAB SOLH” – “Revolution of Peace” in Fare – known as the Iranian supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by title.
“We don’t need tear gasoline, as a result of there are tears in everybody’s eyes,” he hit.
But the music stopped for Tataloo on the finish of 2023
The dying sentence attracts protests
The Criminal Court of Tehran initially sentenced a 5 -year sentence to Tataloo for blasphemy. The Iran Supreme Court eradicated the choice and despatched his case to a different court docket, who sentenced him to dying in January. The rapper has already confronted ten years in jail for a sequence of separate convictions, together with the promotion of prostitution and ethical corruption.
“Tataloo is at critical danger of execution,” mentioned Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of the Iranian protection group human rights, in a notice. “The worldwide group, the artists and the general public should act to cease its execution.”
Tataloo beforehand expressed regret throughout a trial.
“I definitely made errors and plenty of of my actions have been flawed,” he mentioned, in response to the Jam-E Jam Daily newspaper owned by state. “I apologize for the errors I made.”
Tataloo married whereas he was within the arm of dying, he mentioned his uncle. Last month, in response to experiences, Tataloo tried to kill himself, however survived.
His dying sentence arrives in a politically fraught for Iran because the nation is “extra remoted”, mentioned Abbas Milani, an Iran skilled at Stanford University.
The Islamic Republic is “desperately making an attempt to see if it could possibly attain an settlement with the United States in its nuclear program and lift the penalties,” he mentioned. Drawing the anger of Tataloo followers is “a headache they do not want,” he added.
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Note of the editor – This story contains dialogue on suicide. If you or somebody you realize, it wants assist, National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline within the United States is offered by calling or sending messages 988. There can also be a web-based chat on 988Lifeline.org.
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The writers of the Associated Press Jon Gambrell in Vienna and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this relationship.
