On Conan.


I prefer 'Amish Paradise'.

The hippies downtown have played his a couple times in recent weeks during UB the DJ.
I'm definitely not a fan, but I find it to be mostly harmless stuff that doesn't prattle on too long.

Of course, an Orthodox Jew singing dancehall reggae does seem so calculatedly absurd as to merit derision and immediate dismissal. But there are people on this board who defended worse record industry marketing ploys such as t.A.t.u., so I'm in no rush to cast stones at this guy.

Yeah, I don't hate him. I'm just more in surprise that there are people who like him in a non-ironic manner.

Unless there aren't.

No, it's genuine. Which is a smart move on his part.

By aligning himself with the dreadlock set, he's got a steady career for 3 albums at least. If he used hipster set irony as a currency, he's another Darkness or Andrew W.K. after his first album.

Man oh man do my highschoolers love him right about now.

Quite a few went to see him last Wednesday night and were in awe. They also loved the opener, Joseph Israel too (his back up band is the authentic Jamaican reggae shit - find his website and check out the biography page).

Quite a few of his loudest supporters just happen to be Jewish, but then again they remember him from several years ago at a local Jewish Heritage festival, and find it funny that he is being played constantly on the radio and on MTV2.

At least they are getting passionate about something that takes slightly more thought to process and has a few extra layers to (hopefully) reflect upon... but yeah, it seems way too contrived for me at this point. Still tons better than 3-6 Mafia winning an Oscar.

I saw his video last night and it was alright. It didn't make me want to turn it off or anything but at the same time I won't be running out to buy his album.

A question that I asked myself while listening to his music was, if you strip away his attention-getting Orthodox Jew persona does his music hold up underneath it's own weight? I'm leaning towards no but I can say that right now it is far less annoying than lots of other dancehall and the ubiquitous, overplayed Marley.

i'm diggin' him.
i have the first album and the live album....and they're both in constant rotation.

saw him saturday night at the riv. (in chicago) and enjoyed it quite a bit.

i don't think its a gimick.

I'm just curious, but have you read anything detailed on this guy? I read a blurb somewhere, and he came across as pretty geniune and decent. That doesn't mean he isn't clever, but he seemed difficult to dislike. My brother (23) has seen him every time he comes to town and loves him.

I'm sure the guy is honest, but the shit is awful. I guess Snow didn't teach us a lesson the first time.

i only heard him once, but it seemed pretty decent.
reggae is a heavily religious genre so it's not a big leap to have someone from a different religion singing in that style.

oh no you di'n't. you just compared matisyahu to SNOW!?!

INFORMER! Believe it .

i wonder if he smokes tree's

i would bet yes.

he used to spend his time on phish tour.

according to the online rhyming dictionary only five words rhyme with "kosher" and i've never heard of any of them.
which must weigh heavy on matisyahu's mind.

bowsher, doescher, gaucher, loescher, rocher

I SWEAR I almost started a thread on Saturday titled MATISYAHU = SNOW.

Exact same song, minus the hook.

And Onebrownjeff, have you seen "Hustle and Flow"? I don't see how you can say that 3-6 didn't deserve an oscar in that category. The song was extremely important to the movie, and pretty good jam, to boot. I don't think the world needs another "Can you feel the love tonite." If I didn't know your associations, I would begin to suspect that there is a latent feeling in your comment.

What about . . .



Back on subject . . .

Does this guy's Orthodox Judaism really factor into why he's a hit right now? I've heard it, don't think it's bad, and in fact would prefer to hear this over a LOT of other annoying dreck that's out there. I think maybe the Jewish thing is a gimmick that has opened some doors for exposure ("it's a Jew that raps! Ha ha! So different!") but I highly doubt it's the motivating factor in getting most people to listen to him.

I mean, if the Jew-factor is the big deal, then John Zorn's whole Radical Jewish Culture series is going to be huge!

i love how 2 Live Jews made like 9 albums

i rather like him. he converted to orthodox judaism sometimes into his teens or such. he already had an interest in music before he converted and after he did, he had more to rhyme about. i don't doubt his conversion and i don't think he intended it to be a gimmick.

but i don't doubt that his label/publicity people, on the other hand, find it convenient that his act resembles some kind of gimmick. orthodox jews rapping, how cool! he rhymes about God! he's different different different! i've met some of his handlers, some are really really cool, some are not, so i'm sure there's some mixed messaging in there.

I like him, but I don't always like his band... they get a little noodly/jammy for my tastes. I have to be in the mood to listen to him.

my only exposure was his short set at an awards show katie took me to, and he was great. i probably wouldn't listen at home, but color me entertained.

not relly my thing, but it doesn't bother me as much as these guys.

I wonder how many young Jewish kids are mortified to see their parents throwing this on the stereo in an effort to get them to stop listening to Slipknot or whatever.

Noodly/jammy live? 'cause they're sure concise on the new disc. I actually wouldn't mind hearing them stretch out a bit and a little less of the vocals.

I'm digging the advance copy I got, w/ the extra dub disc.

the dub disc is pretty nice