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Clayton Keir received his Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. He learned Persian by studying at the Middle East Institute, Georgetown University, and abroad in Tajikistan, where he recorded a Persian rap CD in the Winter of 2009. Clayton also taught Persian at the Middle East Institutein the Spring of 2010. He also wishes to thank Minoo Razaviand Leila Milani for their assistance.
In February 2010, Stockholm, Sweden hosted the Persian Hip Hop Festival: Voices of Change. Persian rappers came from around the world to call for changes in Iran through their rap music. Prior to her performance, one of Iran’s female rappers, Ghogha (Rebel), said to the audience:
I come from a place where music is a crime. New ideas are crimes. They execute young people for having new ideas. We have come together here to remember the children of Iran.[1]
