Soroush Lashkari (Persian: سروش لشکری; born 9 May 1985), known professionally as Hichkas (Persian: هیچکس), is an Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Credited with popularizing Persian hip hop to the Iranian people and other Persian-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Hichkas's national success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken the barriers that were in place by the Islamic regime for the acceptance of rappers in popular music. Hichkas is considered as one of the pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Father of Persian Rap" (Persian: پدر رپ فارسی) by his fans. He became a representation of the Iranian underclass and reflected the angst of the young Iranians. He has been influential for many artists of various genres and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of the Iranian hip hop.
Hichkas as is also the founder of the label 021 (alongside Shayan and Yashar) which is considered the first Persian hip hop group. After that, he founded the labels Samet (alongside Reza Pishro and Reveal), and Moltafet (alongside Ali Quf, Ashkan Fadaei, and Dariush). Hichkas's songs are themed around social and cultural issues in Iran and his lyrical ability and influence pervade the hip hop and rap genre, placing him at the forefront of contemporary Iranian music, inspiring a new generation of Iranian songwriters and artists. Hichkas's first album ‘'Jangale Asfalt’ (Persian: جنگل آسفالت; The Asphalt-paved Jungle) was the first Iranian hip hop album released in 2005. Hichkas's early releases combined traditional Persian instruments and urban beats to create a hybrid genre, a combination of east and west.
In addition to performance, Hichkas's work further spans into art direction, production and artist development, working closely with up and coming artists and providing mentoring and coaching, and consistently being the inspiration behind many Iranian artists in urban arts. He has appeared as guest speaker in many universities including Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Calgary University and discussing Iranian poetry, Iranian underground music scene, and the effect of internet on music publishing in Iran.
Hichkas has collaborated with a number of International hip hop artists including the American hip hop artist Kool G Rap. His highly anticipated second album Mojaz (Persian: مجاز; permissible) was released on March 31st, 2020 after 8 years of its initial announcement.