Turaj

 

TV News:

NBC     CBS     ABC     CBS     CNN

Press:

FCJ      San Francisco Chronicle     Washington Post    



Turaj's father, Kourosh Zaim, was recently imprisoned again in Iran.

In coordination with efforts to publicize his case, Turaj will not be posting music for the time being.




 
 

Upcoming

  • Future Sound Music Fest, at Mighty in SF, November 15th, 11pm, $15
  • Come see Turaj win the 2Racks Rap Contest! At Club 6 in San Fran, October 13th, 10pm to 2am, $10
  • Performing at Rock It Room in San Francisco, Saturday, November 26th from 11pm to 1am
  • Club 6, San Francisco, Saturday, Oct. 15th, going on main stage around 11:30 pm
  • Opening for Richie Rich at Club 6, San Francisco, Friday, August 2nd, about 11pm
  • Emceeing at the Rockit Room, 406 Clement Street, on Saturday, August 20th, 8pm
  • Emceeing at SOMArts Fundraiser for Human Rights in Iran, 934 Brannan Street, on Friday, August 12th, 8pm
  • Speaking at Emergency Rally before United Nations vote, Union Square in Manhattan, March 13th, 3pm E.S.T.
  • Speaking at 4:45pm PST September 23rd. Turaj will be interviewed on KGO News Radio
  • Interview on KUSF 90.3 FM, San Francisco, July 11th, 1:30-2:30pm P.S.T.
  • Performance for United4Iran Rally, Anniversary of Iran Elections, San Francisco, June 12th
  • Turaj

    Bio

    Born in revolution that tore into war… “from Can’t Stop Now”

    Turaj Zaim was born in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, just before the Iranian Revolution. His father's political activism kept getting the family into trouble, and Turaj spent a lot of time moving from place to place. When he got to see his grandmother, she would comfort him by reciting words from the great Persian poets. By the time the Iran-Iraq War hit, Turaj's family was living a life of death threats, tracer bullets coming through the walls, and tanks in the streets. After Saddam Hussein's bombs started dropping, Turaj escaped Iran with his mother and little brother. They made it to the U.S., where his new grandparents would read more poetry to him, this time from American poets Robert Frost and James Whitcomb Riley.

    Descending from a long line of Iranian rebels and dissidents, Turaj is both formally and self-educated in politics. True to his calling, he left school early and took his songs across the West, performing regularly at venues like the Temple Bar Lounge in L.A. and Storyville in San Francisco. He has opened for Cypress Hill, performed with Slim Kid Tre of the Pharcyde, and done shows with San Francisco's Jazz Mafia. He is currently recording new tracks in Oakland, California. Turaj's hard-edged, riveting raps reveal him as a child of revolution, and his incredible sense of rhyme and meter reveal his upbringing on Persian and American poetry. He has been on two cities' national slam poetry teams, opened the Sundance Film Festival with a live hip hop band, and earned critical acclaim for Bad Dreams, an independent project he recorded and released with fellow storyteller-rapper, Reaper (see Contact tab).

    Though still unsigned, Turaj's tracks have been on college radio stations and passed around on several Creative Commons videos. Check out Turaj's latest project, Magination, on Substack.

    Quotes

    from Turaj’s last collaboration album, Bad Dreams

    “… poet-rapper Turaj spends a few weeks crafting haunting lyrics with local storyteller, Reaper. The Iranian-American rapper tackles topics Chingy wouldn’t dream of touching.”

    Bill Frost, City Weekly

    “Turaj’s most recent album “Bad Dreams” has sold out in record stores across Colorado, Oregon, and California, and it looks like it’s just the beginning. Recently, the unconventional rapper opened with a full live band for conscious hip hop legend Spearhead at Club Suede for the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival. Rumor has it that at the festival he was specially invited to tour with another conscious hip hop supergroup, Ozomatli.”

    Sarah Jackson, Daily Utah Chronicle, Park City Music Page

    “Known to enlist everything from violins to African percussion, both live and in the studio, Turaj doesn’t let any strict musical style limit his message.”

    Dan Fletcher, Melting Music Magazine

    “Sick of hearing the same ol’ contrived ‘hood stories from rappers?... Turaj and Reaper have two genuinely compelling tales that fuel some of the best hip hop I’ve heard. Catch Turaj while he’s here, because who knows where he’s going next.”

    Randy Harward, City Weekly

    “Turaj is a badass, and tells it like it is.”

    Annie Burbidge, Listen Magazine

    Contact


                       Copyright 2023