Hichkas

Soroush Lashkari (Persian: سروش لشکری‎; born May 8, 1984) better known by his stage name Hichkas (Persian: Hiĉkas - هیچکس‎; meaning "No One") is an Iranian rapper, songwriter, poet, lyricist, music producer, record producer, art director from Tehran. Hichkas is considered as one of pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Godfather of Persian Rap". Hichkas as is also the founder of 021, Saamet, and Moltafet. 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 Persian literature and Persian poetry, inspiring a new generation of Iranian songwriters and artists. Hichkas’s first album ‘'Jangale Asfalt’ (The Asphalt-paved Jungle) released in 2005 was seminal in that it was the first hip-hop album (LP) to be released from Iran. His music video from the single "A Bunch of Soldiers" was also the first ever music video released from Iran, in the genre of hip hop and rap, which he released in collaboration with Cultures of Resistance Films. Hichkas’s early releases combined traditional Iranian 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 guest speaker in many universities including Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Calgary University and discussing Iranian poetry, Iranian underground music scene, and the effect of internet on music publishing in Iran. Hichkas is currently working on his highly anticipated second LP Mojaz which he first announced in 2011. It is produced by Mahdyar Aghajani. In late February 2020 he announced that he is dropping the Mojaz LP on March 31st. Hichkas has collaborated with a number of International hip hop artists including the American hip hop artist Kool G Rap.