The Persian Language, Farsi, has often been dubbed a most worthy language to serve as a conduit for poetry. Persian literature has a rich history of 2500 years and the most noteworthy of its servants and masters are Hafez, Rumi, Khayaam and Ferdowsi.
Erfan was raised in a family who highly values poetry and literature and from a young age he began to appreciate the literary arts. He was soon engulfed in the many facets of its deep philosophical, political, cultural and religious studies. This exposure eventually led Erfan to embark on his own journey to becoming a modern day Persian poet. Although he had never lost sight of his heritage, and continued to study the greats from the past, he was fascinated by the western art form of Hip-Hop, Rap, Rock and Alternative music. Parallel to Goethe and Emersons inspiration from Rumi and Hafez, Erfan was in awe of the profound and fluid poetry penned by the likes of Tupac Shakur, Mobb Deep, Nas, Mos Def, and Common to name a few....
Unlike the aforementioned, Erfan was about to delve into an art form which was at the time quite unfamiliar to the Iranian community, yet he knew that if properly executed, his writings coupled with progressively produced beats would in fact be well received by the extremely young demographics in his home country (70% of Iranians in Iran are under the age of 30) as well as the Iranian Diaspora. Years of writing and thought-filled notebooks in hand, he interested his childhood friend, Amir (A-Plus) in working on a debut album which would become the first professionally produced full length album of its genre in the Iranian music industry.
In 2007, at the age of 23, Erfan released his debut album, titled Az Khaaneh Taa Goor which featured collaborations with artists such as Khashayar and Afra. Erfan had proved to be in touch with his generation- He offered a blunt and honest perspective on issues ranging from the everyday life of a transplanted immigrant to the suppressive régime under which his people are socially, economically, and religiously imprisoned. His fan base quickly rose to millions as his songs such as Khatteh Man, Jaddeh, & Hadaf had Nadareh along with videos were being circulated online and heard on radio stations worldwide. Erfan, Khashayar and Afra were soon being booked for dates, which led them to performances in the U.S., Canada, England, Sweden, etc. Upon their arrival in Europe, they were interviewed and highlighted on BBC and joined other prominent artists such as Zedbazi, Reveal, and most recently, Mohsen Namjoo in tribute to Rumi.
During the most recent uprising in Iran, following the presidential election, millions of Iranians took to the streets as they attempted to peacefully protest the outcome of the election. Unfortunately, the world witnessed as the hard-line regime met the protestors with violence by beating, killing, and imprisonment of thousands of innocent men, women and children. Many artists worldwide, from filmmakers to musicians showed their support for the Iranian people as they marched the streets and demanded freedom and democracy. Western artists such as U2, Madonna, Robert Redford, and countless others featured clips of the unrest in their videos, during their concerts and on their media tours. Iranian artists worldwide wrote, performed and came together with other humanitarians in order to shed light on the grave situation in Iran. Erfan and Khashayar had also been affected long before the unrest and had previously written and recorded the song, Tasmim. During the unrest, they shot the video for the song, which couldnt have been a more relevant track during the struggle. The video has since become one of the most viewed on YouTube and other media outlets on the Internet.
Today, Erfan continues his journey and will be releasing his highly anticipated sophomore album, titled Hamishegi- As of now the first release is set to be "Rahe Man".
Erfan is also the founder and a member of Paydar- a grass-roots company formed to support and enrich the growth of its members, while promoting true Persian Hip-Hop, Rap and R&B. Paydar boasts a talented cast of song writers, producers, designers and marketing talent.
The following are Paydar members: Erfan, Khashayar, Afra, A-Plus, Milad, Sarkesh, Behzad Leito, Dean, Sogand, E-Man, & Navid Spleen.
Erfans passion, drive and resilience marks him as the one to take the music industry to a new level. Destination unknownStay tuned!