persian rap: the good, the bad, the ugly

21 recent favorites. i don’t understand all of the lyrics, so let that be fair warning lest your non-adult surfing the internet decides to look these up and download mp3s.

ghogha – shahre gomshode
erfan – bia bia
tm – khoshhalam
khashayar – doostam
entegham – rumi
quf ft. bidad – saghi
tm ft. farinaz – aziz jun
awesome qasim – agga afghanisty desta bala
sasy mankan ft. alishmas and amir – gooshvareh
black cats – jooneh khodet
ghogha – aroosak kooki
entegham – sound of iran
yas & sara naieni – zehi eshgh
mehrdad – jangale 6 & 8
tm – niloofar
shah meezy ft. j sha – what i wanna do
black cats – los angeles
hich kas – oun manam (googoosh rmx)
dj raminem – 32 piche shole microphone
zed bazi – mehmooni
daad – deltangi

modern takes on traditional persian music

these songs are either contemporary versions of folk/traditional songs, new takes on persian music as a genre (ie parva, soli, zia’s funk-ish songs), or, in one case, persian artists covering themselves (googoosh).

bijan mortazavi – shiraaz
parva – mosam e gol
black cats – popfather
ahmadshah noori – amena
shakila – noor khoda
reshid behbudov – reyhan
soli – miravi
zia – garaj
rebeca – do panjereh
morteza – traditional songs (medley)
marjan – kavire del
zoya sabet – ghoghaye setaregan
googoosh – sixteen dandelions
pouran – m. mammad jaan
shakila – bidade zaman
gloria rohani – bia berim sabzezar
cover artist – baba karam (dj fred)
sholi – hejrat
bahador kharazmi – gole sang
middle earth ensemble – siminbari
sima bina – joomeh-narenji
zia – helelyosa
pari zanganeh – mastom mastom
leila forouhar – jolene
monir vakili and friends – gole gandom

my study mix

colin meloy – “we both go down together” (live)
don peterson – “here is the outline”
shabnami surayo – “didori tu (tau tora didam)”
shakila – “tak derakhti va bidade zaman” (live)
ben folds feat. regina spektor – “you don’t know me”
melike – “tesaduf”
dismemberment plan – “crush”
metronomy – “toxic” (britney spears cover)
beatles vs. asian dub foundation – “untitled” (paperback writer)
mason jennings – “lemon grove avenue”
mirah with the black cat orchestra – “what keeps mankind alive?”
the neptunes – “vanessa marquez / good girl”
beirut – “mount wroclai (idle days)”
belle & sebastian – “waiting for the moon to rise”
camera obscura – “a sister’s social agony”
death cab for cutie – “we looked like giants”
rose melberg – “mr. spaceman”
the shins – “phantom limb” (YES! proprioception! cortical somatosensory miscellany!)
don peterson – “hooray for NMR spectroscopy”
flight of the conchords – “ladies of the world”