»Matisyahu
Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae and rock sounds, Matisyahu is most recognizable for being a member of Chabad-Lubavitch, a chassidic group of Judaism, but has recently left Chabad-Lubavitch and is now a mainstream Chassid, looking into the Karlin Hasidic sect. As such, Matisyahu stands out for wearing the traditional clothing of Hasidic Jews and not performing on the Sabbath. Since 2004, he has released two studio albums as well as one live album, two remix CDs and one DVD featuring a live concert, and a number of interviews. Through his short career, Matisyahu has teamed up with some of the biggest names in reggae production including Bill Laswell and duo Sly & Robbie
Since his debut, Matisyahu has received positive reviews from both rock and reggae outlets. Most recently, he was named Top Reggae Artist of 2006 by Billboard.
Matisyahu was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania; his family eventually settled in White Plains, New York. He was brought up a Reconstructionist Jew and sometimes performed under the alias MC Truth for MC Mystic's Soulfari band. He spent some time as a young man as a self-professed "deadhead," taking hallucinogens and following the rock band Phish on tour.
At 16, Matisyahu took part in a semester-long program that offers students first-hand exploration of Jewish heritage at the Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon, Israel. His experiences there significantly affected his feelings towards Judaism eventually leading to his decision to adopt Orthodox Judaism, becoming a Baal Teshuva around 2001. Initially he found his way to the Carlebach Shul on the West Side of Manhattan. Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach pioneered contemporary Jewish music as well as counter culture Judaism. Shlomo hung out in Greenwich Village in the late fifties and the early sixties and established the first alternative Jewish Center, The House of Love and Prayer, in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in 1966. Matisyahu then found his way to Chabad of Washington Square. Matisyahu finished high school at a wilderness program in Bend, Oregon. Following this seminal event, Matisyahu began playing with the Jewish band Pey Dalid.
From 2001 through most of his early career until July 2007, Matisyahu was a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. However, as of 17 July 2007, Matisyahu told the Miami New Times in an interview that he no longer "necessarily" identifies with the Lubavitch movement. In the interview, he stated that "...the more I'm learning about other types of Jews, I don't want to exclude myself. I felt boxed in." Additionally in the autumn of 2007 while on a family vacation spent primarily in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighborhood he has expressed interest in another Hasidic sect, that of Karlin. As of November 2007 he has confirmed a preference to pray at the Karliner synagogue in Boro Park where the custom is to ecstatically scream prayers; however he continues to reside in Crown Heights because of his wife's affinity for the community.
Soon after his adoption of hasidism, Matisyahu began studying Torah at Hadar Hatorah, a yeshiva for returnees to Judaism where he wrote and recorded his first album. He counts Bob Marley, Phish, God Street Wine and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach among his musical inspirations and gives credit to Rabbi Simon Jacobson's book Toward a Meaningful Life for the lyrical inspiration to Youth's title track. As part of his faith, Matisyahu does not perform in concert on Friday nights in observance of the Jewish Sabbath. A notable exception to this rule occurred in early 2007 when he played a show in Fairbanks, Alaska on Friday night. The sun did not set until 02:00 local time, which means the Sabbath would not begin until that time; this was the only time he performed on a Friday night.
Matisyahu is married to Tahlia; the couple has two sons. He also has a younger sister named Julie.
In 2004, Matisyahu, after having signed with JDub Records, a not-for-profit record label that promotes Jewish musicians, released his first album, Shake Off the Dust...Arise. At the time a relatively unknown musician, he did not rise to prominence until Bonnaroo 2005, when Trey Anastasio of the band Phish invited him a guest spot on his set. This would prove to be the event that launched his career.
His live album, Live at Stubb's, released in 2005, was recorded at a concert in Austin, Texas. This concert album, and Youth, his second studio album, both received critical and popular acclaim. Each album marks significant changes in Matisyahu's style, most markedly between Stubb's and Youth, when more rock music influences are evident. Since his second two albums became popular, Shake off the Dust has steadily risen in demand, fetching prices upwards of $30USD on online auction sites such as Ebay.
Throughout 2005 and 2006, Matisyahu toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe; and made a number of stops in Israel, including a performance as the supporting act for Sting (musician) in June 2005. In late 2006, Matisyahu released No Place to Be, a remix album featuring re-recordings and remixes of songs from all three of his earlier albums, as well as a cover of "Message in a Bottle" by The Police.
The live version of the song King Without a Crown, broke into the Modern Rock Top 10 in 2006. The accompanying video and album, Youth, produced by Bill Laswell, were released on March 7, 2006. On March 16, Youth was Billboard magazine's number-one Digital Album. In 2006, Matisyahu appeared once again at Bonnaroo, this time performing a solo set in front of an estimated crowd of over 10,000 people.
In Spring 2006, right before the release of Youth, Matisyahu cut ties with his managers at JDub Records, which resulted in some controversy due to Matisyahu's role in the founding of the label. Contrary to popular belief, JDub managed his act, but was not his record label.
In January 2007, Matisyahu performed in an impromptu concert at the Park City Film Music Festival in Park City, Utah, while in Park City for the Slamdance Film Festival. Matisyahu's music is part of the winning documentary film "Unsettled" which won at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival.
In April 2007 it was confirmed that Matisyahu, along with Los Angeles based jam band Particle and British ska band The English Beat, would open for 311 on their Summer Unity Tour 2007. The tour ran from late June to late August and included shows all across the country.
In June 2007, Matisyahu played at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he received a triple encore. His opening bands follow in order of appearance were Madina Lake, Plain White T's and Yellowcard.
As of July 2007, Matisyahu has begun writing new songs for his next album, entitled Escape, that should be released sometime in 2008.
The music, developed partly with his backing band Roots Tonic has a unique sound, mixing reggae, traditional rap, and guitar solos typical of rock music. He sometimes performs with Kenny Muhammad, a Muslim beatboxer. Matisyahu's major label debut album was produced by avant-garde musician and producer Bill Laswell, with minor contribution by pop producers Jimmy Douglass and the Ill Factor.
Most of his songs are almost entirely in English with just a few words of Hebrew and Yiddish sprinkled in. His reggae vocal style is along the lines of traditional Rasta Roots stylings mixed with dub sound. The easiest comparison would be similar to the conscious and cultural sides of Buju Banton, Sizzla, Capleton, or Junior Kelly, but with the upbeat message of Luciano, Bushman and Everton Blender, and vocal dexterity of Barrington Levy. The production of the tracks draws from King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Mikey Dread, and Linval Thompson. Similarities to the Foundation Sound of the late 1970s and 1980s would be accurate, and comparisons to Morgan Heritage likewise, would not be wrong.
However, he mixes in contemporary stylings of rap and beatboxing, similar to Sublime, as well as the traditional Hazzan style of Jewish cantors and Hasidic nigunim. The generally critical New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh notes that "His sound owes a lot to early dancehall reggae stars like Barrington Levy and Eek-a-Mouse."
The Chicago Tribune's Kevin Pang has described a Matisyahu performance as "soul-shaking brand of dancehall reggae, a show that captures both the jam band vibe of Phish and the ska -punk of Sublime." Reviewers generally agree that Matisyahu may disappoint reggae purists, but acknowledge the unique blend of musical traditions that Matisyahu harnesses generally please the people who see his performances. Matisyahu's style has been compared to Jew da Maccabi, an Orthodox Jew from Florida who includes religious lyrics within a musical style derived from hip-hop. Matisyahu's style has also been compared to Jordan Chaviv, an Orthodox Jew from Canada whose lyrics are also inspired by Jewish teachings.
Matisyahu has stated that "All of my songs are influenced and inspired by the teachings that inspire me. I want my music to have meaning, to be able to touch people and make them think. Chasidism teaches that music is 'the quill of the soul.' Music taps into a very deep place and speaks to us in a way that regular words can't."
