Music Review-Matisyahu

I guarantee you have never heard anything like this before. The reggae beats combined with the sometimes confusing lyrics that include a man chanting Hebrew gibberish is none other than Matisyahu. With his roots and talent in hip-hop and beat-boxing, his love and passion for reggae, and his Hasidic Jewish lifestyle, nobody knows who or what Matisyahu is about. Growing up in a Jewish family, but rejecting everything Jewish, Matisyahu was a full fledged hippie by the age of fourteen. His junior year in high school, looking for answers in his life, he took a trip to the wilderness in Colorado, then to Jerusalem. He had found a purpose in Jerusalem, God in his life; however, he failed to act on any of his newfound beliefs when he returned home. Shortly after his return, he dropped out of high school and began life as a groupie for the band Phish. Here he solidified his love for "hip hop, reggae, and psychadelic rock." Bob Marley and Phish are the two largest influences on Matisyahu's music, and he has been an inspiration to all those who are afraid to break the barriers and stereotypes in the music world. His greatest influence is on the Jewish community, living proof that religious beliefs do not affect self expression.

Matisyahu does not fit comfortably into any musical genre, but most consider him to be a reggae artist before anything else. His most popular song, "King Without A Crown" has primarily a reggae feel with  upbeat, simple measures of music. All of his lyrics relay a common reggae theme of positivity and hope for all people, only Matisyahu incorporates Jewish beliefs and Hebrew chants in nearly all of his songs. The speed and flow of his lyrics often times are most closely related to hip-hop. Don't be fooled by the beard, curly sideburns, yarmulke, or full body, traditional Hasidic Jewish coat; Matisyahu can fire off lyrics as quickly and smoothly as any rapper.  He explains "King Without A Crown" is the journey he went on in search of his rock; the same journey all people must go on and never fully know if they are doing the right things. He says all people live a basic, moral life, but they don't know why until they find a reason, a foundation for their beliefs. Everybody is shaky at their core, nobody is sure of anything when they are thrown out into the mix of life, this is what Matisyahu means with his words, "King without a crown/ You keep falling down."

Matisyahus' words paint the perfect picture on the canvass of laid back, funky, urban beats that force people of all ages, races, and places to get into every ear-catching song. He subtly and intricately converts each of his listeners to Orthodox Judaism by expressing great happiness and satisfaction in God. I often find myself rattling off rhymes about things I've never heard of, sometimes in Hebrew, expressing my jubilance in the Jewish lifestyle. Beyond the obvious Jewish overtones lie lyrics of encouragement for any and all struggling in their lives. "King Without A Crown" includes lyrics of perseverance and guidance to never give in..."I'll stand on my own two feet/ Won't be brought down on one knee/ I'll fight with all of my might to get these demons to flee..." Matisyahu creates his music and lyrics out of pure passion. He is not an artist who has a vital message to the world nor does he try to transform the philosophies of his listeners. He loves the things he sings about and the music comes from within himself. Take it or leave it, Matisyahu's message of personal creativity within a strict religious cult is so attractive because it is so nonchalant. Listeners flock to him because he exudes uniqueness.  

The ultimate message preached by Matisyahu is not the Jewish guidance or positive reinforcement, but individuality. I appreciate his music because he is doing something so out of the ordinary, so completely wacky, yet he masters it. Most of us are all made of different parts and Matisyahu is the musical epitome of the parts creating an awesome whole. More than anything he does musically, I respect his persona. His personality speaks to me louder than any of his words because everything is so effortless. Never has Hasidic Judaism been so cool. The message he conveys is unintentional, but powerful. If more people lived like Matisyahu, we would see an unmatched amount of creativity in this world. Criticism comes from everything Matisyahu is and everything he is not. His hip-hop is ridiculous and fake people say, his reggae style is forced, and of course the Hasidic community has disagreed with his openness. However, all things considered, none of his critics could possibly deny his crossover ability.

Matisyahu defies the rules of the musical genre and stereotypes in a tasteful way. He is an influence for the world in terms of his ability to be more than one thing, one classification. He is a harmless rebel armed with rapid fire Torah verses and an obnoxious amount of facial hair. He is the oddball that everybody embraces. There is something for everyone within his aura. Like or dislike his music, respect for him should be automatic. Very rarely does an artist come along who can combine all aspects of his or her's life while maintaining such a deep passion for their music. Matisyahu includes everything in his music while crafting a mixture of beats and lyrics to perfection.