Matisyahu Releases New CD – “Youth”, NY Post Raves
In today’s New York Post the front page of its music section gave Matisyahu’s new CD “Youth” a 4 star rating (out of 4). To read the article, click the Extended Article.
The newspaper Clipping. To view it click the Extended Article.
Click Here to watch the “Youth” Music Video: Quick Time Format, Real Media Player Format
Click On The Image Of The Newspaper To See The Whole Article!
huh
doesnt the cd come out the 7th?
YL
I think that it is more than a small minority of people who feel that what he is doing is not so great…. dont get me wrong, i definatley feel that there is alot of good in what he does, just from that fact that he draws thousands of people that otherwise would never go to chabad houses all over, however when you have Ohelei Torah Buchrim running down the halls screaming "knock him down" something negative has to be admitted. Also if you say it is Jewish music then it shouldnt be played on shabbos (and clearly the radio stations do), and if you say it is not jewish music then it shouldnt be listened to.
It is an interesting double edged sword
just some food for thought
Aaron
It’s so easy to be judgmental. So many people take the path of least resistance and judge others. If you don’t like his music then the solution would be not to listen to it. If you do like it, good for you.
mom
could you please post the entire article?
rebainu av bais din
The Rebbe has a question printed in Sharei Halcha Uminhag about using not jewish tunes and putting jewish words into them and basicly says that bimokom safek Lihachmir
pro politics!
people that knock his are just jealous! this guy will be huge!! Of course its against yidishkeit to do this and the rebbe would never had allowed him. However, this dude is a genious and I wish everyone the same success that he has!
sdsf
http://www.nypost.com/enter… full article
Eli
full article NY Post
March 5, 2006 — Matisyahu’s Hasidic hip-hop flow
Life has held some strange twists for 26-year-old Matisyahu, once known as Matthew Miller of White Plains. He’s been a wayward, drug-abusing Phish fanatic, a devout member of a Chabad Hasidic sect living in a Crown Heights yeshiva and, most recently, a rapper whose blend of reggae, hip-hop and Jewish mysticism has become an unlikely sensation.
His 2005 CD, "Live at Stubbs," has sold 300,000 copies, making him the first brim-hatted Lubavitcher to hit Billboard’s Top 200. He follows it up Tuesday with "Youth," his major-label debut. He spoke to The Post from a tour stop in Denver.
Have you been home in Brooklyn much over the last two years?
Not enough. We did about 250 shows last year.
Do people there follow your career?
Yeah, I’ve become a little bit of a hometown celebrity. I get a lot of attention.
Are people supportive?
I’d say most people are. There’s a minority that’s not.
How do they show disapproval?
Occasionally I hear something. I’ll give you an example: I was in a community where there’s a strong presence of Chabad, and the head rabbi said he wanted to meet with me, so I made the time after my show. And he asked me, like, who gave me permission to do what I’m doing? Seemingly what I’m doing is against Jewish law, so who was it that told me I’m allowed to do it?
How is rapping against Jewish law?
There’s a law in Judaism that says basically that Jews are supposed to do Jewish things. They’re not supposed to get caught up in the fads and the styles of the times, the idea being that we’re connected to something that is eternal, and everything else comes and goes.
What did you say to him?
I went back to my rabbi in Crown Heights. And what he said is, "You should have told him, where’s your permission not to do it, when you have such a talent and such a responsibility to Jewish people, and to the world at large?"
In your tradition music serves a higher purpose, to celebrate God. But as you get famous, you become part of a culture that celebrates the artist. Does that feel like a conflict?
No, not really. I was studying with a rabbi last night, and we were learning about the story of Joseph. He was different from his brothers, who were shepherds, and he was sold into slavery, and he ends up in Egypt, where he ends up having a very strong influence on the country. There’s a Kabbalistic idea about Joseph that he serves God better in Egypt than he would as a shepherd.
He goes into the most unholy place in the history of man, and he ends up serving God even stronger in that place. And I feel a very strong connection to Joseph in that way. Like, I probably serve God a lot better doing what I’m doing than I did when I was sitting in yeshiva for two years.
To what extent do you feel like people are picking up on the spiritual message in your music?
I think to a major extent. But even if only one out of every thousand people who listened to my record was getting it, it would still be worth it to me.
The new record is supposed to break big. Do you feel any weight from the expectations?
There definitely is stress involved – there are a lot of people who want a lot from you. But I don’t worry about what other people want. I want to sell a lot of records for myself, you know? I want to have opportunities to work with the people I want to work with and be able to continuously have fans, and all that.
Do you ever worry that people think your mix of spirituality and hip-hop is a gimmick?
All along the way there have been people who expect it to be a joke. It seems on a certain level like it could be, so I don’t blame them. But at the same time, this is my life, you know? So I don’t consider my life a gimmick or a joke.
Aaron
For those of you holier then thou types. Did you know that Avraham Fried took the tune and beat of his song "Yidden" from a russian Gentile song? The gentile song is about a Mongol Worrior by the name of Ghengis Khan. The song is in German but for those yiddish speakers I am sure you will get some of the lyrics. You can watch the video at the following URL:
http://video.google.com/vid…
YL
I am not jealous by any means and in my previous comment I acknowledge the good that he does do…. however I think that the potential for bad must also be acknowledged… In regards to the comment before about what the Rebbe wants from his Chassidim, it is hard to say what the Rebbe would want because we are not the Rebbe but I have trouble believeing that the Rebbe would have gone out and bought Matisyahu’s new CD… I would also like to say that in no way was anything that I posted judgemental, that is often someones first defense in dismissing constructive criticism, would I like for my children to be listeneing to his music I dont think so but just like everything out there today each person needs to make their own decision based on what they think they should do and what they think that the Rebbe would want them to do….
reb simcha zissel
pro politics!. Please try to refrain from saying what the Rebbe would say or wouldn’t say you are in no way a position of making such proclomations, you are just coming across as someone who knows nothing about the Rebbe or the Rebbe’s teachings
pop
if he makes up his own tunes what makes them not jewish
Nichoach?
Using a non-Jewish tune and changing the words is different to what he is doing. He composes NEW songs, and that makes a big difference. I’m sure everyone will agree that what he does is great and helps spread Yiddishkeit in ways previously unimaginable. For someone to have the guts and say "The Rebbe would deffinately not have allowed it" is shocking. How could you be so certain? The Rebbe urged us to use all tools, even things like TV, which the Rebbe FORBADE us to have, to spread Chassidus.
Of course "Oholei Torah" Bochurim, i.e Lubavitchers, should not listen to his music, it’s goyish a STYLE which is "Grob". Though I personally think that "Oholei Torah" is not Matisyahu’s target market, and the fact that they listen to it is wrong, the fact they read newspapers is wrong etc etc. Chances are if you were to ask Matisyahu if a Bochur should listen to his music, he’d say no. Though I can’t say as I have never asked!
The complaint about playing the music on Shabbos, that simply doesn’t fly. The line that is present on all Jewish cd’s "Please do not play on Shabbos" if I’m not mistaken comes from Avraham Fried, who was told to do so by the Rebbe. So yes, Matisyahu should write that on his cd’s (I don’t know if he does) but if someone, or a radio station decides to play it on Shabbos, that is THEIR choice and not Matisyajhus problem. The same way it is not the Rebbe’s problem if a non-religios Jew watches a video of the Rebbe on Shabbos!
I personally can’t stand his music and don’t listen to it, but I am a HUGE fan the same way I am a fan of all the Rebbe’s shluchim.
May he continue on his great journey and may we see Moshiach NOW!
ad mossai
A major Chilul Hashem. It amazes me how one can say so much good about him and what he does and than at the same time say that "of course it is against Yidishkeit to do this and the Rebbe would never have allowed him…" What world are you living in? If you think you can continually fool people, you are fooling yourselves, you should hear the commentaries I hear from those who say what they really think about it all… Either you show the real thing or don’t reform it and call it authentic… Show them real Yidishkeit, that is what their Neshomos want and need! Did any one ever ask a Rov what Halocho says about it all? Anyone this days decides what is Lubavitch and on their own represent what they have no right or authority to… Bring Yidishkeit out there and not Goiyshkeit into our lives… All the attention that he is getting in Lubavitch…. what message do you think it gives our youth??? Anyone wants to take the responsibility of the effect this is having on the future of Lubavitch??? Hashem Yerachem on this generation that does not have the opportunity of experiencing what the real chassidishe Lubavitch life and world is all about….
Tzedek
We should all really stop fooling ourselves.
Is the guy good?Yes.
Is he at the top of the charts?yes.
But throwing a few jewish words into some reggae music played by who knows who and composed through the influence of Bob Marley,is not what we should be bragging about.
Let him entertain the Goyim.
tracht gut
We now have a 1.boxer
2.a rock star
3. a world class fashion designer
hafotzas hamayonas
Dissapointed
Mattisyahu’s first Cd was much more "Jewish".
The songs were clearly about Torah and Mitzvos and Jewish History.(Moses,Joseph…Moshiach.etc.)
But it seems like since Sony took over it started sliding downhill towards impressing the media.What’s the idea of him jumping into a mixed crowd??(See new "Youth" video.)
It’s sad.
We had someone with a great talent,that we were willing to be represented by.
We lost him.
diyuk
Yidden MBD
curious
who’s the world class fashion designer?
The Final Word
Double click on the picture above.
Read the article.
Now ask yourself: When was the last time you saw a vort chassidus in the New York Post?
Touche.
reb simcha zissel
Aaron. Please don’t use this site as a podium for being motzei shem rah b’rabim. "Yidden" is a Mordechai Ben David
song. Avraham Fried in 25 years of singing/producing/composing Jewish music has never converted a "Goyish" song to one of his own.
A viewer.
To YL:
Music = Medicine
To a person who is sick the medicine will cure him (the not-yet-frum crowd). To the healthy person who takes the medicine, it’s very dangerous to his health (the frum crowd).
To Aaron:
If I’m not mistaken, that is an MBD song, not Avraham Fried’s.
anonymous 3
to Aaron:
you wrote:
"For those of you holier then thou types. Did you know that Avraham Fried took the tune and beat of his song "Yidden" from a russian Gentile song?"
that was actualy MBD not Avraham Fried.
thinking
i would like to remind everyone there was a person who was mikarev lots of jews by the name of r shlomo carlbach and for some reason the Rebbe was not fond of his using his "gifts". i am almost positive that the same would be here please leave our Rebbe and chasidus out of this.
There are bochurim in yeshivos that i know personally that are going to night clubs r"l to hear his concert. On who’s achrayos is this?! the maskilim tried to go against us and the rabeim fought with all their might here comes someone who says yeshiva wasn’t as important as being this what i am today nothing against him personally i.e. his personal yidishkeit but i don’t think he realizes what he is doing and saying. Hoping for good news in the future and may we give the Rebbe nachas. This is in short think about it im not trying to musar im trying to show the facts and perhaps maybe he should find a way before it gets to late to be able to do what Hashem and the rebbe truly want.
Bob Dylan
Matisyahu is a blessing! The Grand Lubavitcher Rebbie declared how important it is for the world to see a Jewish person in beard, tzitzis etc., while involved in his livlihood.
People see a religious Jew who is popular and successful, YET he remains true to his faith — KEEPS Shabbos, does NOT touch women, dresses accordingly, NO drugs or alcohol. The "world" loves him. This is a GREAT sanctification of the Creator! And you can bet he is changing people’s lives DAILY, and spreading HaShem-keit thru-out the world! You go Matis! A moral messianic superstar! We wish you tremendous material and spiritual success!
Here are great links of Matis for your viewing and reading pleasure. Enjoy. BTW, in "Webby’s" video above he is jumping unto men ONLY, and no longer dives into crowds during performances, anyhow.
VIDEOS:
David Baugnon Short – http://www.davidbaugnon.com…
CNN Interview – http://www.davidbaugnon.com…
Kimmel Interview/song (Close my Eyes) – http://www.wimp.com/jewish
Kimmel Interview/song(King without a Crown) – http://tinyurl.com/9r7fm
Paris 1 (Father in the Forest) – http://www.jumu.fr/Chanson1…
Paris 2 (Tzama L’Chol Nafshi -> Got No Water) – http://www.jumu.fr/Chanson1…
Paris 3 (Rastaman) – http://www.jumu.fr/Chanson3…
Paris 4 ("Best Of") – http://www.jumu.fr/bestof.html
E-card – http://www.ormusic.com/ecar…
READING:
http://www.rollingstone.com…
http://www.rollingstone.com…
http://www.rollingstone.com…
http://www.rollingstone.com…
joel
enogh matisyauh is takeing advantage of lubavitch.
stop useing lubavitch for ur music.lets see how far u will get. ur ruing lubavitcher boys and girls
chaim HonikKvetcher
Yea I agree that we have a first class fashion designer and Boxer and reggae singer. Hafotzas Chutzah!!!!
mt
rebainu av bais din wrote:
The Rebbe has a question printed in Sharei Halcha Uminhag about using not jewish tunes and putting jewish words into them and basicly says that bimokom safek Lihachmir
i guess "stav ya petu" and napoleaons march are exceptions to the rule or your misquoting the rebbe
J.B.
Thing for one moment: would Matisiyahu be getting the same ammount of attention and "success" if he wasn’t sporting a hat and a beard. I grew up listening to Reggae and believe me what he’s doing is "cute" but far from all the ado that’s taken place around it. His Lubavitch look is been exploited by money hungry music execs who don’t care about dammaging a 300 years plus enterprise called Chassidism if the price is right. When I became a "mekurav" to the Chabad Chassidus I was genuinely looking for what Jews do, what Jews are, what is Jewish.
Sorry to break this one on you but Reggae is NOT Jewish. The guy is being used and the dammage is being done and we’ll be left to pick up the mess H’ Yerachem
mat fan
amazing clip, how ever loose the sweater
a friend
He made sure when he filmed the video "youth" that it was not a mixed crowd.
to joel
joel wrote:
enogh matisyauh is takeing advantage of lubavitch.
stop useing lubavitch for ur music.lets see how far u will get. ur ruing lubavitcher boys and girls
use your hebrew name some young people will see a "lubavicher" writing a comment like that but not using his jewish name.
Matisyahu FAN
MATISYAHU IS THE MOST AMAZING THING TO EVER HIT LUBAVITCH! THE MISNAGDIM ARE BURNING THAT MATISYAHU DOESNT IDENTIFY WITH THEM CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MANY PPL THEY WOULD GET INTERESTED IN JUDAISM! IT WAS ALL FROM HASHEM THIS IS AMAZING I GIVE MATISYAHU ALL CREDITS YOU ARE THE BEST!
IF MY MOTHER COULD IMAGINE (BEFORE SHE WAS FRUM) SEEING A CHASSIDIC LUBAVITCH MAN SINGING "COOL" MUSIC SHE WOULD HAVE MAYBE LEARNED ABOUT JUDAISM EVEN BEFORE SHE DID! THINK OF ALL THE JEWS OUT THERE WHO NEVER HEARD OF JUDAISM AND ARE TURNING TO CHABAD HOUSES NOW! MATISAHU, KOL HAKAVOD, KUDOS FOR YOUR WORK, ! ! ! ! !
Zoe
My name is Zoe and I am on a Collge campus and Matisyahu performed recently at our college and he was someting I’ve NEVER heard of before and some friends and I actually went to meet the Chabad Rabbi- he’s got to be something like this man that is singi awesome music and being like-JEWISH! ALL JEWS SHOULD BE LIKE MATISYAHU KIND OF PEOPLE ARE! ! ! !
Jackie Mason
Aaron,
For starters Avraham Fried didnt take the tune to "Yidden" from anywhere. "Yidden" is Mordechai Ben Davids song, not Avraham Fried.
bat - music
To all of you who think that music can only be outstanding by having a touch of rap, jazz, rock, disco and regae = are all wrong……… Jewish music should always remain Jewish music. NOt nerdy and slow beep=== classical chassidik songs that our Rebbe would be proud of. Just because some people are impresses with non-Jewish styles doenst make it write to listen to.
bat - music
To all of you who think that music can only be outstanding by having a touch of rap, jazz, rock, disco and regae = are all wrong……… Jewish music should always remain Jewish music. NOt nerdy and slow beep=== classical chassidik songs that our Rebbe would be proud of. Just because some people are impresses with non-Jewish styles doenst make it write to listen to.
Aaron
Ok! I goofed, it was MBD and it was not a Russian song but a German one. But you get the point.
Chosid
To Aaron
Te video link that you have here is NOT an AF song its an MBD song
sam
I love the new song its soooooooooooooo Powerful and Positive!!!!!
Its what the youth out there need including OT youth.
Go for it
Any Lubavitcher who feels resentment towards this man and his work, should instead be inspired to affect the world to the extent that Matisyahu does. If one has a better message/medium = go for it!
Matisyahu’s intentions are positive, he has a Mashpia he asks questions to.
At an interview with one of the top executives at Sony, who is Jewish, Matisyahu first offered to put Teffilin on him, which the executive agreed to do. He also arranged to learn Torah with him on a regular basis.
Matisyahu’s success began, by his own admission, when he resolved to keep Torah and Mitzvas unwaveringly.
Matisyahu is gearing to the secular world (ie not Jewish), and his work shouldn’t be placed out of context. He’s giving positive messages to the non-Jewish world, and singing about making a better world. (Aside from the fact that it attracts many non-religious Jews and giving them Jewish inspiration).
Give credit where it’s due, and remember that we all have the power to change the world.
chany
i wish that to listen to Matysiahu’s song would be our greates sin… we talk like we are big chassidim and even bochurim G’d knows what they do..( not judging..is just a fact…) so halevai and we will listen to this kind of music…made by a chassidish guy.with a purposse… deep words and just a little reagge is not gonna kill…
GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT!!!
first of all it should be made clear that when matisyahu crowd surfed in his new music video IT WAS IN A CROWD OF ONLY MEN!!!!! also whatever he does is consulted with a mashpia!!!
be careful
aaron-
be careful with the goofing around…
u dont want to spread loshon hara thats not true…
Jeanne Manders
Dear Zoe, and all the Zoes there are out in this big world;
You got Chabad on campus? You avoiding it or something? Check it out ! Follow Matisyahu on tour! Go to Chabad, celebrate Purim! If you want Jewish, Chabad is the only "REAL" Jewish! Matisyahu found Chabad as a drugged out to-die-for fan of Phish, and now he’s a respectable man, husband and father, not to mention world-famous and a prominent celebrity now! Follow Chabad and lots of amazing stuff happen !!!
jared
"i wish that to listen to Matysiahu’s song would be our greates sin… we talk like we are big chassidim and even bochurim G’d knows what they do..( not judging..is just a fact…) so halevai and we will listen to this kind of music…made by a chassidish guy.with a purposse… deep words and just a little reagge is not gonna kill…"
Im no expert, but isnt this betting? its like saying my winnings from these poker hands will go to charity.
jy
i think that is 1 of a kind