DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The tattoos masking Iranian rapper Tataloo’s face stand out in opposition to the grey jail uniform the 37-year-old now wears as he awaits execution, his personal rise and fall tracing the chaos of the last decade of Iranian politics.
Tataloo, whose full title is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a demise sentence after being convicted on fees of “insulting Islamic sanctities.” It is a far cry from when he as soon as supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate.
Tataloo’s music grew to become common among the many Islamic Republic’s youth, because it challenged Iran’s theocracy at a time when opposition to the nation’s authorities was splintered and largely leaderless.
The rapper’s lyrics grew to become more and more political after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the next wave of nationwide protests. He additionally appeared in music movies which criticized the authorities.
“Once you present your face in a music video, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m right here, and I don’t care about your restrictions,’” mentioned Ali Hamedani, a former BBC journalist who interviewed the rapper in 2005. “That was courageous.”
The Iranian Supreme Courtroom final month upheld his demise sentence.
“This ruling has now been confirmed and is prepared for execution,” judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir instructed reporters at a press convention final month.
Activists have decried his looming execution and expressed concern for his security after he reportedly tried to kill himself in jail.
Tataloo started his music profession in 2003 as a part of an underground style of Iranian music that mixes Western kinds of rap, rhythm-and-blues and rock with Farsi lyrics. His first album, launched in 2011, polarized audiences, although he by no means performed publicly in Iran, the place its Ministry of Tradition and Islamic Steerage controls all live shows.
Tataloo appeared in a 2015 music video backing Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and Tehran’s nuclear program, which lengthy has been focused by the West over fears it might permit the Islamic Republic to develop an atomic bomb. Whereas he by no means mentioned the motivation behind this, it appeared that the rapper had hoped to win favor with the theocracy or maybe have a journey ban in opposition to him lifted.
Within the video for “Power Hasteei,” or “Nuclear Power,” Tataloo sings an influence ballad in entrance of rifle-wielding guardsmen and later aboard the Iranian frigate Damavand within the Caspian Sea. The ship later sank throughout a storm in 2018.
“That is our absolute proper: To have an armed Persian Gulf,” Tataloo sang.
Tataloo even issued an endorsement for hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi in 2017. That yr, the 2 sat for a televised look as a part of Raisi’s failed presidential marketing campaign in opposition to the relative average Hassan Rouhani. Raisi later won the presidency in 2021, however was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024.
In 2018, Tataloo — who confronted authorized issues in Iran — was allowed to depart the nation for Turkey, the place many Persian singers and performers stage profitable live shows.
Tataloo hosted stay video periods as he rose to fame on social media, the place he grew to become well-known for his tattoos masking his face and physique. Amongst them are an Iranian flag and a picture of his mom subsequent to a key and coronary heart.
Instagram deactivated his account in 2020 after he known as for underage women to affix his “group” for intercourse. He additionally acknowledged taking medication.
“Regardless of being a controversial rapper, Tataloo has fairly the fanbase in Iran, generally known as ‘Tatalities,’” mentioned Holly Dagres, a senior fellow on the Washington Institute for Close to-East Coverage. “Through the years, they’ve flooded social media with messages of solidarity for him and even campaigned for the rapper’s launch previously when he was detained on separate fees.”
Tataloo’s rebellious music struck a chord with disenfranchised younger individuals in Iran as they struggled to seek out work, get married and begin their grownup lives. He additionally more and more challenged Iran’s theocracy in his lyrics, significantly after the demise of Amini following her arrest over allegedly not carrying the hijab to the liking of authorities.
His collaboration “Enghelab Solh” — “Peace Revolution” in Farsi — known as out Iran’s 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 rapped.
However the music stopped for Tataloo in late 2023. He was deported from Turkey after his passport had expired, and was instantly taken into custody upon arrival to Iran.
Tehran’s Legal Courtroom initially handed Tataloo a five-year sentence for blasphemy. Iran’s Supreme Courtroom threw out the choice and despatched his case to a different court docket, which sentenced him to demise in January. The rapper already confronted ten years in jail for a string of separate convictions, together with selling prostitution and ethical corruption.
“Tataloo is at severe threat of execution,” Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of advocacy group Iran Human Rights, mentioned in a press release. “The worldwide neighborhood, artists and the general public should act to cease his execution.”
Tataloo earlier expressed regret at a trial.
“I’ve definitely made errors, and lots of of my actions have been mistaken,” he mentioned, based on the state-owned Jam-e Jam every day newspaper. “I apologize for the errors I made.”
Tataloo married whereas on demise row, his uncle mentioned. Final month, Tataloo reportedly tried to kill himself, however survived.
His demise sentence comes at a politically fraught second for Iran because the nation is at it is “most remoted,” mentioned Abbas Milani, an Iran professional at Stanford College.
The Islamic Republic is “desperately making an attempt to see whether or not it will possibly arrive at a take care of the U.S. on its nuclear program and have the sanctions lifted,” he mentioned. Drawing the ire of Tataloo’s followers is “one headache they don’t want,” he added.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story consists of dialogue of suicide. In case you or somebody you recognize wants assist, the nationwide suicide and disaster lifeline within the U.S. is offered by calling or texting 988. There may be additionally an internet chat at 988lifeline.org.
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Related Press writers Jon Gambrell in Vienna and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.