Monday, May 10, 2004
Rasta Rabbi - a Chassidishe reggae musician on the scene
Wednesday, the Chabad Jewish Student Organization will present Matisyahu Miller, the self-proclaimed Hasidic reggae superstar who will perform his Chassidic reggae. "Lyrically, he works from the context of being a Hasidic Jew, but in a lot of ways, it's traditional dancehall reggae," JDub records executive director Aaron Bisman said. "It's really unique." Matisyahu's blend of Orthodox Jewish beliefs and reggae beats isn't as much of a stretch as some might think. "A lot of the themes in reggae music are common to Judaism," he said. "Both Rastafarianism and Judaism are concerned with looking for a world of good for all people." The artist himself agreed. "The lyrics in reggae are mostly based on the Old Testament," Matisyahu said. "They took a lot from the Psalms and King David. They speak of the lion of Judah." He went on to explain that artists like him help explain the connection between beliefs. "You could hear a Rastafarian singing a reggae song and not think anything of it," Matisyahu said, "But if you hear a Hasidic Jew singing it, you'll probably think of it differently. Before, you wouldn't think it was Jewish." For any musical 'shailos' contact R' Matisyahu Miller, The Reggae Rebbe. Well maybe I was wrong, there might be hope for my Chassidic rap career, 'peace out'.
Wednesday, the Chabad Jewish Student Organization will present Matisyahu Miller, the self-proclaimed Hasidic reggae superstar who will perform his Chassidic reggae. "Lyrically, he works from the context of being a Hasidic Jew, but in a lot of ways, it's traditional dancehall reggae," JDub records executive director Aaron Bisman said. "It's really unique." Matisyahu's blend of Orthodox Jewish beliefs and reggae beats isn't as much of a stretch as some might think. "A lot of the themes in reggae music are common to Judaism," he said. "Both Rastafarianism and Judaism are concerned with looking for a world of good for all people." The artist himself agreed. "The lyrics in reggae are mostly based on the Old Testament," Matisyahu said. "They took a lot from the Psalms and King David. They speak of the lion of Judah." He went on to explain that artists like him help explain the connection between beliefs. "You could hear a Rastafarian singing a reggae song and not think anything of it," Matisyahu said, "But if you hear a Hasidic Jew singing it, you'll probably think of it differently. Before, you wouldn't think it was Jewish." For any musical 'shailos' contact R' Matisyahu Miller, The Reggae Rebbe. Well maybe I was wrong, there might be hope for my Chassidic rap career, 'peace out'.
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