Tattooed Iranian Rap Star: Iran’s Supreme Court found famous pop singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known by his stage name Tataloo, guilty of blasphemy, including insulting the Prophet Mohammed, and sentenced him to death. Authorities had previously sentenced him to five years in prison on similar charges. However, a prosecutor opposed that ruling and pushed to reopen the case. After reviewing it, the court reversed the earlier verdict and imposed the death penalty in January this year.

Who Is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo?

1. He was born in Tehran, Iran, on September 21, 1987. He began working as a carpenter at the age of 14 while pursuing his education because of his family’s financial situation. Between the ages of 16 and 18, he worked at a grocery shop while in high school. He chose to pursue a career in music after finishing his education because it was his passion.

2. His career as an underground musician began in 2003 with the release of his first track. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he recorded the song “I’m Also One of Those Eleven Players” for the Iranian National Football Team. He is renowned for fusing rap, pop, and R&B uniquely.

3. Then, during Iran’s nuclear discussions in Vienna in July 2015, he produced the pro-Iranian nuclear song Energy Hastei. The song video was produced on board the Iranian Navy ship Damavand. The song was the most popular Google search in Persian. In Iran, this song sparked controversy right away, primarily from Iranian Reformists who likened it to songs by Mohammadreza Shajarian that supported the 2009 Iranian uprisings.

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4. Iranian authorities detained him in 2016, allegedly because he endorsed songs and a lifestyle that they considered contrary to Islamic law. In 2018, he relocated to Turkey, where he produced albums and organized large-scale events. In 2020, he drew public attention once again when he stated that children under the age of sixteen should be allowed to marry.

5. He released his debut album, Zire Hamkaf, in 2021. Since then, he has released twenty-one albums. He became the first Iranian artist to collaborate with Universal Music Group. In 2023, Turkish authorities sentenced him to 10 years in prison for promoting prostitution and later handed him over to Iran. Iranian officials also accused him of transmitting pornographic material and spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic. In January, the court convicted him of blasphemy and sentenced him to death in May.

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