Matisyahu

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For the 2nd century Jewish high priest of the Maccabees, see Mattathias.
Matisyahu
Matisyahu signing autographs at the May 2006 Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington
Matisyahu signing autographs at the May 2006 Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, Washington
Background information
Birth name Matthew Paul Miller
Also known as Matisyahu, MC Truth
Born June 30, 1979
Flag of United States West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
Genre(s) Reggae
Rock
Hip Hop
Ska
Instrument(s) Vocals
Beatboxing
Years active 2001–present
Label(s) JDub, Or Music, Epic
Website http://www.matismusic.com/
http://www.matisyahuworld.com/

Matisyahu is the Hebrew and stage name of Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979, West Chester, Pennsylvania), an American Jewish reggae musician.

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. As such, Matisyahu stands out for wearing the traditional clothing of Hasidic Jews and not performing on the Sabbath. Since 2004, he has released three 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.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Matisyahu was born in West Chester, PA and 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. At 16, Matisyahu took part in a semester-long program that offers students first-hand exploration of Jewish heritage at 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 through Chabad of Washington Square. He is now a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Matisyahu finished high school at a wilderness program in Bend, Oregon.[2] Following this seminal event, Matisyahu began playing with the Jewish band Pey Dalid.[3]

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,[4] 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.

Matisyahu is married to Tahlia Miller, the couple have a son, Laivy.[5]

[edit] Career

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 produced by Alon Cohen for 12 Tribe Sound. At the time a relatively unknown musician, he did not rise to prominence until Bonnaroo 2005 when he talked Trey Anastasio of the band Phish, into letting him play a set, this would prove to be the event that launched his career.[6]

His next album, Live at Stubb's, released in 2005, was a live concert recorded in Austin, Texas. This concert, and Youth, his third 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; including a number of stops in Israel. In late 2006, Matisyahu released his fourth album, No Place to Be, a remix album featuring rerecordings 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 new album - Youth - produced by Bill Laswell were released on March 7, 2006 and on March 16, Youth was Billboard magazine's #1 "Digital Album". In 2006, Matisyahu appeared once again at Bonnaroo, this time performing a solo set in front of an estimated crowd of over 80,000 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 at this point in time. [7]

In April 2007 it was confirmed that Matisyahu, along with another band yet to be announced, would open for 311 on their Summer Unity Tour 2007. The tour will run from late June to Late August and will feature shows all across the country.

[edit] Messianism

Matisyahu is sympathetic to the beliefs of Chabad messianism. Regarding whether or not Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Messiah (despite his death) he has been quoted as saying: “He was definitely one of the candidates, if there are any candidates. I believe and I see how it could be.”[8] On another occasion he has been recorded singing the Yechi. [9]

[edit] Artistic style

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."[10] 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.[11]

In an interview with Chabad.org, a popular Jewish Web site, Matisyahu states 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." This fact is clearly evident in the lyrics of his songs. [12]

[edit] Origin of his name

According to Matisyahu, while he was given a bris and a Hebrew name, his parents soon forgot the name and began calling him 'Matisyahu' as the Hebraic version of the English name Matthew (his secular name). When his parents later found his naming certificate, they discovered that his actual Hebrew name was Feivish Hershel. However, he was advised by his Rabbis to continue using the Hebrew name with which he had grown up. [13]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Album Cover Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US RIAA Certification
November 1, 2004 Shake Off the Dust...Arise JDub Records Did not chart
April 19, 2005 Live at Stubb's (live) JDub/Or Music/Epic #30 Platinum
March 7, 2006 Youth JDub/Or Music/Epic #4 Platinum
March 7, 2006 Youth Dub JDub/Or Music/Epic Not yet charted
December 26, 2006 No Place to Be (CD/DVD) Sony Music #149

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock UK Singles Chart US Adult Top 40 Hot Digital Songs Pop 100
2006 "King Without a Crown" 28 7 - 13 27 Live At Stubbs/Youth
2006 "Youth" - 19 - - - Youth
2006 "Jerusalem (Out Of The Darkness Comes Light)"
new version with Sly & Robbie		 - - - - - Jerusalem Single

[edit] Music videos

Matisyahu has made music videos for three of his songs;

  1. "King Without a Crown" (Youth version)
  2. "Youth"
  3. "Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light)"

The first two music videos, both released with Youth and using the album version of their respective songs have a number of similarities, while the video for Jerusalem marks a significant departure from Matisyahu's previous work. King Without a Crown and Youth both take place outdoors, seemingly in New York City (although Youth contains some scenes from a concert) and feature Matisyahu almost always on his own, contrasted in cut scenes with another anonymous character(s). In Youth, Matisyahu seems to be addressing a number of "youth" (through the Fourth wall). It is interesting to note that in the videos for both Youth and Jerusalem, efforts clearly have been made to showcase multiculturalism.

The video for Jerusalem is a marked departure from the previous videos. The version of the song to which the video is set is not the album version, but the version released later as a single. In addition, this is Matisyahu's first album set indoors. It relies heavily on symbolism drawing from events such as the Holocaust, the American civil rights movement, and Matisyahu's own life. The video focuses on 'light' as a symbol, eventually culminating in a mosaic of the Western Wall made out of the images seen throughout the video.

[edit] Guest appearances

  • So Called - The So Called Seder: A HipHop Haggadah, Jewish rapper, JDUB Records, 2005 [14]
Track "3rd Cup: Yahu" (also featuring Trevor Dunn)
Tracks "Roots In Stereo" and "Strength Of My Life"
  • Ta-Shma - Come Listen, Jewish rap group, JMG, 2006[16]
Track "Rachamana"
  • Childhood - C-rayz Walz ft. Kosha Dillz

[edit] Covers

[edit] TV and Radio appearances

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Nominations

[edit] Won

  • 2006 Esquire's Esky Music Awards - Most Lovable Oddball in The magazine called him "the most intriguing reggae artist in the world."[21]

[edit] Trivia

  • In early 2006, Matisyahu was invited by Madonna (who is a follower of the Kabbalah Centre) to her Passover Seder. Matisyahu commented that; "I'll have to check it out with, like, multiple people, to make sure it's kosher." [22]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Sean Paul, Matisyahu reggae's top acts in '06" Todd Martens for Reuters.
  2. ^ Jewish MC rocks the mike and keeps it kosher Joan Anderman, 20 June 2004.
  3. ^ Matisya-Who? by Brian Blum at Shabbat Shalom; June 15, 2006
  4. ^ [1] Rolling Stone. New CDs: Matisyahu, Juvenile, by Peter Relic. 6 March 2006
  5. ^ AIM Celebrity Interview
  6. ^ Matisyahu: Hasidic Hot Stepper Rolling Stone Magazine, Evan Serpick. Feb 24, 2006
  7. ^ Hasidic Reggae Singer Surprises His Managers. 14 March 2006, Ben Sisario, The New York Times.
  8. ^ Interview with Matisyahu, Jew School
  9. ^ Recording of Matisyahu singing the messianist Yechi invocation.
  10. ^ http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/arts/music/08mati.html
  11. ^ Jew Da Maccabi, Leslie Bunder. "Something Jewish" Dec. 19, 2005.
  12. ^ Matisyahu's Passover Chabad.org, April 2006
  13. ^ M on M - Hasidic Reggae Superstar Kosher Spirit Magazine, Fall 2005 issue.
  14. ^ Amazon listing for Album, Track 9. Released Jun 21, 2005.
  15. ^ Amazon listing for Album, Tracks 1 and 11. Released Jan. 24, 2006
  16. ^ Amazon listing for Album, Track 2. Released Sept. 19, 2006.
  17. ^ Amazon.com Track Listing
  18. ^ Internet Archive Setlist Live at The Funkbox on 2004-10-21
  19. ^ Internet Archive Setlist Live at 2004 Jewish-American Festival on 2004-09-05
  20. ^ Grammy Awards Nominee List
  21. ^ The 2006 Esky Music Awards April 2006, Volume 145, Issue 4.
  22. ^ Matisyahu: Hasidic Hot Stepper. Evan Serpick, Feb. 24, 2006.

[edit] External links

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