Yas

Yas, who raps in Persian, states he was heavily influenced as a young man by Tupac Shakur albums brought back to Iran by his father, as well as the Classical Persian poetry especially Rumi. He is one of the few Persian rapper who do not use any swear words in their song Yas theme songs is the social problems. Yas’ accomplishments paved the way for new rappers to perform in Iran. Though it was illegal for individuals to perform in Iran prior to Yas, today, numerous rappers are letting their voices be heard, and challenging the economic disparity that exists in Iran.

Yas is one of the founders of Persian rap, and in 2013 he became the first Persian rap artist to be allowed to perform in Iran.

Yaser Bakhtiari (Persian: یاسر بختیاری ‎; born 1982 in Talesh), better known by his stage name Yas (یاس ), is an Iranian rapper. Yas is one of the most popular rappers in Iran and Middle East. He is also known for his Faravahar pendant, a symbol of Iranian nationalism and Zoroastrianism, that he wears most of the time. On 21 December 2011 Yas was chosen by the voters as the Artist of the Week in MTV IGGY Entitled Tehran’s Hard-Hitting MC.

In 2011 Yas made a song called "Az Chi Begam" (What Can I Say) which is a protest song for those schoolchildren who suffered from a fire in addition to injustice and misery, like their fellow countrymen. Yas’s voice rises against the negligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in providing substandard facilities, in this case a very old oil burning heater, which caused eight 7-year-old schoolchildren burned in Doroudzan village’s school disaster. Yas wrote and performed this song when popular Korean drama series Jumong kept the majority of Iran’s population preoccupied (or you could use distracted) that they did not notice the fire or the limitations a real Iranian artist has to tolerate. Yas presents the material circumstances of Iran in which production and importation are the monopoly of a small group of people, the ones in power, living in palaces and towers. He suggests that aristocrats maintain the status quo while the majority fall into the abyss of false consciousness through manipulation from selected entertainment productions. However, he selects his position as an artist trying to find a solution to social problems by creating his own art and literature. In 2013 he became the first rapper authorized to perform by the Iranian government. In 2014 Yas decided to cooperate with Tech N9ne. The pair are the first rappers from Iran and the United States to work together musically. Their single was titled "The Sound of Unity" which was released this year along with a Music video.

Yas in 2008 made a song called Hoviate Man[my identity] describing his pride in his Iranian heritage and a mention of the controversial 300 film. The song has become sort of a national anthem for the younger generations especially the Iranian diaspora that are eager to connect to their rich culture and history. His music has set a new standard for Persian rap and has inspired many up and coming rappers to follow his lead and sing of more meaningful and positive messages in their own music and when he is not recording himself, you will find him collaborating with other musicians so that together they can introduce Persian rap to the world. Yas in 2008 made and wrote a song named "Darkam Kon" (Understand me).This song was great and it was welcomed a lot among people who can't find jobs. Yas's music was a protest to the government and for poverty and people who can't find jobs and they are poor.

Yas started his work after the 1997 earthquake in Iran. Devastated by the disaster, it was then, that he wrote his first song "Bam". This was the beginning of his rapping career. He realized that through rap music he had the ability to reach people by telling full stories that he thought was not easy to do through other forms of music which only consisted of a few versus and a chorus. Realizing that through his music, he had the ability to inspire people and reach millions of other young people in Iran. Yas in 2006 made a song called CD Ro Beshkan (Break The Disk) which was written about a well known female actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi in Iran who was the victim of Sex scandal tape that was getting widespread. The scandal ultimately ended her blossoming career. In the song Yas criticizes the people for playing a role in her demise and asked everyone to stop spreading her shame and to get rid of that infamous footage from their computers and cellphones. The song hit a nerve among the Iranian youth and thousands wrote in and confessed that they went ahead and Broke that Disk. The song was listened to and downloaded by millions in Iran alone. His music has crossed the International waters and he is now fast becoming the voice of his generation For Iranians inside and outside of their country.