Zed bazi

Zedbazi is a Persian/Iranian Rap group based in London, England, and Paris, France, currently consisting of members Mehrad Hidden, Saman Wilson and Sohrab MJ (Master-Joint), Alireza JJ, Sijal, Nassim, And Arash Dara a unknown singer which was involved in tracks such as "Hame Koskeshan".
Their songs usually talk about controversial issues faced in Iran such as sex and drugs while residing in Tehran. Mehrad Hidden and Saman Wilson first met whilst they were in High School in Iran, and later befriended Sohrab MJ in a party. Later in 2007 the group recruited Siavash Sijal, and Alireza JJ as official members of ZedBazi after a few collaborations with the duo from Paris, according to an interview Alireza JJ did with www.Rapfa.com.
The are also credited with starting a new movement in Iranian Music, A movement that goes against the traditional Iranian popular music. In their latest song "Iroonie L.A" (The Los Angeles-Iranian), the group lyrically attacks the Iranian music industry in Los Angeles, and "diss" artists such as Kaman and Hooman, Shahram Solati, Sepideh, Shahram Kashani and Shahbal Shabpareh. According to www.Rapfa.com and (the two biggest Persian rap sites), After releasing 6 singles in 2009 the group has furthered the gap as the most popular Hip-Hop group in Iran. In a poll taken from more than 400000 viewers of , the group had 27 percent of the vote among the top 12 artists in Iran. Rappers Yas and Sassy Mankan had the second and third most votes, Yas with 17 and Sassy Mankan with 12 percent. In an interview with Yashar-Rapfa Alireza JJ confirmed that Saman Wilson will make a comeback in the groups first album. Saman Wilson who is the founder of ZedBazi was arrested in Tehran in 2007 and this event caused the group to go on hiatus for 2 years. After a period where the group had announced their retirement according to , in January 2009 They finally released a song called "Zendegie mane" (Its my life) without Saman Wilson and produced by Mehrad Hidden. The song is about the being a Iranian celebrity that is rebelling against the norm, with lyrics such as "Its my life do not tell me what is wrong and what is right" and "The reason that we are still here is our ignorant population". After "Zendegie mane", The group released probably their most popular song called "Zamin Saafeh", this song was produced by Ali reza JJ (The Producer of The Summer is Short "Tabestoon Kootaheh"), the song was an immidiate success and the group started their second phase; this time without Saman Wilson. Notable fact: Saman Wilson has not been featured in their past 6 singles.
An over night success
ZedBazi was the first music group in Iran that used Explicit lyrics in their music. Graphic descriptions of sexual encounters, the consumption of narcotics and violence, were not familiar topics to Iranian listeners. Therefore the group became the most talked about group among teenagers in Tehran that had only heard this type of expression from American Rappers. Another reason for ZedBazi's fame was that back in 2004 when the Saman Wilson made a cover of Eminems without me, there no well known rappers in Iran, and if there were, they did not used "bad language" in their songs. Saman Wilson's "Ajili Diss" became a talked about song among young people in Iran, and soon after He and Mehrad Hidden released another cover; this time it was 50 Cents In da club, even though these tracks were by all means remakes, the group gained popularity in and outside of Iran.
The lack of collaborations
As a Hip Hop group, ZedBazi is considered to be the most exclusive in Iran. Even though they were one of the first Hip Hop groups, in the country they only have one collaboration, which was with Hichkas in the song "vase har Irani", in which Saman Wilson and Hichkas made back in 2005 (Note: Mehrad Hidden sang one verse in the Remix of Erfan's Khatte man, however because it was a Remix, it does not represent an original collaboration). However some have said this snobbish attitude towards other artists is because, all the members of the group come from "Upper Class" Tehran as oppose to many other rappers that come from middle-class families.
Beefs and controversies
In 2004 the group (Wilson, MJ, Hidden) was involved in a short-term beef with "Fight Club"; "Fight Club" had dissed ZedBazi in a remake of 50 Cents Candy Shop, and Saman Wilson responded in his now famous "Diss Back" with lines such as "sabke harf zadanetoon male lalehzare faghat axe mano koja didi albom khaterate nanat?!!" . "Fight Club" did respond again with the help of Reza Pishro (3pac) however the song was poorly received, therefore ZedBazi did not respond again (Note: "Fight Club" did not make another song after that). After collaborating with hichkas in 2005, Hichkas later released a track called "Manam Hamintor" (Same here), in which he makes numerous refrences to Sijal and Alireza JJ's song "Soosooli" and in which they talk about the joys of having millionaire fathers to support them (Note: it is a mock-song of them selves), and even though Hichkas never mentions any names the group and Hichkas' group Samet 021 became involved in a silent beef. This beef intensifies when Reza Pishro releases a new diss for ZedBazi in 2007, However ZedBazi never responded.
Pop or Underground?
A question that is often posed by ZedBazi's fans is why does the group intend to stay underground? Because even with their fame and popularity the group has not yet released a Music video, and there are only a few professional pictures that are available for fans online. Even though ZedBazi is one of the most popular groups in Iran, they intend to stay hidden from the public eye: they agree to very few interviews, collaborations with other artists and even refuse to have an official website, or facebook page. And all the web sites and pages are made by their fans, therefore information on those sites cannot be verified.
Members/ Styles
Saman Wilson: He is known as the father gangsta rap in Iran. He has a laid-back style of rapping, he often uses wordplay in his rap. He also alongside Sohrab MJ introduced Multi-syllable rhyming to Persian Music. His lyrics often contain strong language and shots at other rappers.
Sohrab MJ: He is considered to be one of the best rhymers in Iranian Hip-Hop. He has the most dynamic style in the group, in terms of flow and rhymes. He often uses dark humor to convey his point. His rapping style has influenced a lot of rappers in Iran, such as Yas, Erfan, Hossein Tohi and Bahram. "Har vaght mano mibinan zood ba ye soot vaymistan/ engar man daavaram oonha footbalistan".
Mehrad Hidden: He is the main singer of the group. In addition to rapping, he usually sings the hooks in ZedBazi's songs. He grew up singing rock songs, and still releases 2 or 3 songs each year as Mehrad Hidden. He also serves as one of the groups producers along side Alireza JJ. He plays the guitar, the drums, and the piano. His rapping style often gets overshadowed by His demanding voice; Mehrad Hidden's voice is one of the most well known voices in Iranian Hip-Hop.
Siavash Sijal: He is known for his fearless lyrics, out of the 5 rappers his style is the most descriptive. He often tells a story or sets the mood of the song by describing the situation. His rhyme "Hes mikonim sexy shodim" in (The summer is short, "Tabestoon Kootaheh") and "Tehran shode dige New Yorkam" or "Laabat toppolo daaghan, emshab baram fogholadan" are one of Persian Raps most famous phrases. His signature is his raspy voice and sometimes melodic voice.
Ali Reza JJ: He is probably the most controversial member of ZedBazi. He often takes shots at other artists and sometimes even his own fans. His flow is often slower than the other members, but he makes up for it by having controversial and politically-charged lyrics:"chejoori rafte on lahjeye aalie Amricayi/ too oon kaleye Khalie Ariayi?", "Ellate davamemoon/ Mellate Javademoon". He also serves as a producer in the group alongside Mehrad Hidden.
Nassim: She is the only girl who has ever worked with ZedBazi officially. She is the vocalist that is often used by Alireza JJ in his music(Tabestoon Kootaheh, Guitar Koli, Zamin Saafeh). Her unique performance in "Tabestoon Kootaheh" made her popular among Iranians. She has only been featured in 4 of the songs of ZedBazi and it is Unknown whether or not she is an official member of the group.

Future Plans
Currently the group is fairly active, releasing a new track called "Coocooli Koo", and according Mehrad Hidden and Alireza JJ, they are working on their debut album which is set to hit the stores in May 2010. Notable fact: the Zed album was first mentioned in 2007, and "Tabestoon Kootaheh" was set as the first single of the Zed album according to . Unconfirmed rumors also refer to the groups association with new artists such as A2 and Bahram.
Tracks
1. Mehmooni
2. Amade Bash
3. Ajili Diss
4. Diss Fincher
5. Ahangamoon Khodas
6. Kal Kal
7. Party
8. Berim Fazaa
9. Aroosak
10. Male Ham Boodim
11. Az Khazar Ta Khalije Fars
12. Bi Hess
13. Vase Har Irani
14. Khatteh Man (Remix)
15. Guitare Koli
16. Tabestoon Kootahe
17. Shahre Tarik
18. Zendegiye Mane
19. Chonke Divoonatam (New)
20. Zamin Saafeh
21. Kooche
22. Iroonie L.A
23. Coocooli Koo
24. Daro Baz Kon (JJ, Sijal, Hidden, Produced by: Hidden)
25. Daastaane Maa (JJ, Hidden, Nassim, Produced by: Alireza JJ)
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