I spent a better part of today, as I spend most, awash in wealth of media information from the net, broadcast and print media learning of and studying the events of the day in the world around me. Through the course of my daily battery of reports, I would casually evaluate each in the recess of my mind in consideration of subject matter for my daily blog submission. My New Year’s resolution (which I have yet to keep) is to submit a blog entry each day to NewYorkReview.Org.
So, in the last 18 hours here in Gotham, the ever present conversation over Iraq continues as the Democratic Senate and Congress enjoy their first day of majority leadership, violence continues in Somalia, Oprah’s leadership academy gives girls in South Africa new hope and the world marches on at its usual pace. But the most significant thing I saw today was a Hasidic Jew rocking the human beat box on the mic after a performance of a dub version of Sting’s message in a bottle. And so, my first blog submission of the year is dedicated to the examination of the socio-political relevance of Matisyahu.
Matisyau has been on the radar for about the last three years now. I think it was late 2005 when the stories about the Orthodox Hip Hop MC began to echo throughout the street of New York. The question was often, is this guy a honest Hip Hop MC or a hyped up gimmick. And honestly, I even wrestled with the question myself for some time. But tonight as I gave the new album a spin, I realized that the answer is neither. Matisyahu is a social phenomenon, an urban anomaly, a geo-politically relevant manifestation of cultural mixing and the only MC other than Lauryn Hill to shout out Jerusalem on wax.
It’s more than ironic that Matisyahu should resurface on scene in the same month that Nas drops “Hip Hop is Dead” (a crazy ill track by the way). For a moment I almost thought that the anthem of Nas’ new album was true. But, hip-hop hasn’t died. Hip-hop has grown. Hip-hop has evolved. But most regrettably, hip-hop has left the hood. By that, I don’t mean to refer to the fact that hip-hop has traded in its shell toes for Prada. I’m speaking about the spirit of hip-hop and how it’s no longer found on the lips of black youth. Hip-hop has migrated and immigrated and can now be found carrying message of revolution of the streets of Cuba, Morocco and Ethiopia. Hip-hop died in the hood and now enjoys a state of heaven as it parties with hoes and enjoys elicit sex on commercial radio airwaves.
I thought hip-hop was gone, but then I heard rumors of hip hop wandering the streets of Algeria and Lebanon. A friend of mine came back from Morocco last year and swore that he heard hip-hop speaking in Darija. All the while I’d been hearing conflicting stories about hip-hop living in New Zealand while others talked about Hip-hop being down with the struggle in South America and Mexico.
But for the last three weeks, I’ve been nodding my head in agreement with Nas. Hip-hop is dead. But tonight I saw Hip-hop. Hip-hop was alive, wearing a black suit and yamaka rocking the human beat box after a dub version of Message in a Bottle. By the way, although Hip-hop wears a yamaka, he still chills in Brooklyn (Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn).
Peep him out at http://www.myspace.com/matisyahu
Comments (3)
matisyahu rocks written by jaime on March 15, 2007
hes the best
you did a very good job... written by rhianna on November 19, 2007
...reporting this! i'm falling in love with Matisyahu... as we speak! Without further adu, i will be copying and pasting a fraction of your article, plus linking it to my myspace page. gotta get the word out on how good you two are. any problems. you can contact me.
Yamaka? written by David on April 14, 2008
I really don't mean to be a jerk. Your structure and grammar are fine. But if you purport to be a writer, you should check your spelling. The most common way to spell it is Yarmulke.
written by jaime on March 15, 2007
hes the best
written by rhianna on November 19, 2007
...reporting this! i'm falling in love with Matisyahu... as we speak! Without further adu, i will be copying and pasting a fraction of your article, plus linking it to my myspace page. gotta get the word out on how good you two are. any problems. you can contact me.
written by David on April 14, 2008
I really don't mean to be a jerk. Your structure and grammar are fine. But if you purport to be a writer, you should check your spelling. The most common way to spell it is Yarmulke.