Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American musician born in Beirut who now lives in Los Angeles. He is a vocalist of System of a Down, a name which was inspired by a poem written by f

Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American musician born in Beirut who now lives in Los Angeles. He is a vocalist of System of a Down, a name which was inspired by a poem written by fellow band member Daron Malakian titled "Victims of a Down". Serj also teaches the D.A.R.E. program for young children. In addition to his current singing duties with System of a Down, Serj has started his own record label, Serjical Strike, in an effort to release music otherwise ignored by the mainstream. The first act on this new label is a side-project dubbed "Serart" featuring Serj himself and famed world-musician Arto Tuncboyaciyan. His first poetry book, Cool Gardens, was published by MTV Books and features artwork by fellow Angeleno, Sako Shahinian.

An outspoken musician, Serj has spoken out against violence and injustice abroad. On September 13, 2001, shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Serj penned an essay, which he posted on the official System of a Down website, titled . Promptly removed by Sony, the essay was seen by many, still shaken by the attack, as justification for the terrorists' actions, though this wasn't what Serj was trying to put across.