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Iranian rapper drops bomb with pro-nuke video

An underground Iranian rapper who had previously been in trouble with the law sparks an online backlash after making a pro-government video.

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Iranian singer Amir Tataloo performs his song "Energy Hastei" ("Nuclear Energy") on an Iranian warship in the Persian Gulf, in a music video posted on his Facebook page, July 13, 2015. — youtube.com/Amir Tataloo

Vocativ, an online media company that uses data-mining technology to report stories trending in social media, reported that as the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna headed into the 11th hour, former underground rapper Amir Tataloo and his new song, “Energy Hastei,” which means “Nuclear Energy” in Persian, was the top Google search in Tehran.

Tataloo, whose real name is Amir Hussein Maghsoudloo, is known for his popular flashy blend of pop, rap and R&B. The 32-year-old has more than 1.2 million fans following his official Facebook page. From an aesthetic perspective, Tataloo’s physical appearance has never personified Iran’s revolutionary zeal. Up until a few years ago, his trademark long hair, piercings, exposed chest, cross necklace and tattoos could have set the standard for what Iran’s morality police traditionally considered as “indecent.”

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