Matisyahu Rocks the Reggae Beats

I usually sit in smug judgement of VH1's Best Week Ever: "Seen it. Heard it. Yeah, I know about that. Big deal." I mean, I live on the internets. Plus, thanks to the brother-in-law, I know people who work on TV shows and stuff. I hear about things, yo. Well, not today. Today they featured an act that set me on fire. His name is Matisyahu, he is a Hasidic Jew, and he sings some funky fresh reggae, raps and rocks a killer beatbox. It's amazing.

Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his ability to so honestly convey such a delicate, topic as faith/spirituality. It is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to respect his artistry and message. It's in that fleeting moment when our skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming sound of faith.

So check it out:

  • Here's an empeethree sample.
  • Heavy Radio is obnoxious, but features a full preview of his latest album.
  • Matis killed on Jimmy Kimmel's show.
  • MentalBlog has a ton of links to other videos, etc.
  • If you like what you see/hear, you can buy the disc at Amazon. (Sample clips)
  • Or you can do like I did and get both of Matisyahu's CDs direct for JDub Records. (More samples)
  • My favorite thing ever is in this article (PDF):

    Any plans for other collaborations? I have a lot of ideas. I did this performance with this guy Kenny Mohammed [sic], he’s a beatboxer, and a pretty famous guy. He’s a Muslim guy. I have a thing I would like to put together: a Rasta, an Arabic dude and myself. And do a project, even a song, like a more pop-y kind of song, something like that.

    Kenny Muhammad (aka the Human Orchestra) is the beatboxer you may have seen making the rounds on the intarweb performing in front of an actual orchestra (the NY Philharmonic, it turns out).

Update: There are tons of live recordings at the Internet Archive. Get to downloading!