MATISYAHU RELEASES YOUTH

Hassidic reggae artist Matisyahu has released his latest album, titled ‘Youth’ and thousands of fans came out to support the release with a free show march 9…

Hassidic reggae artist Matisyahu has released his latest album, titled ‘Youth’ and thousands of fans came out to support the release with a free show march 9th in Northridge, ca. With songs that delicately blend reggae, beat box and rap, the religious Matisayahu has been generating a lot of buzz ever since his last release ‘Live at Stubbs’ which brought him quite a bit of attention. We spoke recently with Matisyahu about the balance between being a novelty act and having his music, which gives a message of hope, taken seriously.

Matisyahu, who was born Matthew Miller in Pennsylvania, draws a lot of inspiration from not only other musicians but from his deeply religious beliefs in Judaism as well.

“You know it’s only natural because when you see a religious Jewish person, like a Hasidic person, the last thing you would think is they’re making the kind of music I’m making. I became religious four or five years ago. Before that I was just like a normal kid who listened to all types of music and who loved music. When people hear the music and hear the story it makes sense, but at first it doesn’t make sense and people think yeah, a novelty act. If I saw it four or five years ago at first a Hasidic guy who does reggae and rap and stuff, I also would think it’s a novelty act. So, I don’t blame anyone for that. One of the nice things is the sneak attack when people come to the show and they hear about it and we hit them with music that’s just great music people feel it. And instead of walking away disappointed like most people usually walk away from so many experiences they walk away with the opposite you know like feeling hopef

There’s little doubt Matisyahu will be having a busy year touring in support of ‘Youth’. Already with confirmed stops at Bonnaroo and Coachella Music Festivals, Matisyahu will be bringing his unique blend of infectious music to his ever growing fan base.

“I think while inspiration is drawn from music for sure, for myself, most of my inspiration comes from different things and one of the main places for me is learning Torah, learning from the scriptures and the inner workings of the Torah. Also known, it’s a popular word now, the Kabbalah, which is basically an understanding of the universe and making connections between the things that are in the scriptures and in the torah and what you see on a daily basis?”