Kianush

Kianush (born Kianush Rashedi) is an Iranian-German rapper from Münster, Germany. Born in Tehran, he grew up in a socially disadvantaged district of Münster and had his first contact with rap through a youth center's street-sound project. He was later discovered by Essen rapper PA Sports, appearing in one of Aggro TV's «Halt die Fresse» videos in 2011.

Before his breakthrough, Kianush spent time in prison between 2011 and 2013 for robbery-related offenses and was released on three years' probation, after which he distanced himself from criminal activity. His debut release was the collaborative album «Desperadoz» with PA Sports, issued on PA Sports' label Life Is Pain, which charted at number 14 in Germany. His solo debut «Szenario» followed in 2016, also reaching number 14 on the German charts, and his second solo album «Instinkt» came out in 2017.

Kianush's music sits within German-language gangsta and street rap, characterized by autobiographical storytelling drawn from his difficult upbringing and time in prison, delivered over hard-hitting trap-influenced production. Tracks such as «CASINO ROYAL», «KRIMINELL» and «Rollin» reflect this narrative style, and his close early association with PA Sports and the Life Is Pain label was central to his emergence in the German rap scene.