He is a member of the Lubavitch Hasidic Community in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York; a community made famous by its leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Matisyahu was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania and his family eventually settled in White Plains, New York, he was brought up a Reconstructionist Jew, and for some time during those years he played by the alias "MC Truth" for MC Mystic's Soulfari band, however he turned to Orthodox Judaism around 2001 and began playing with the Jewish band Pey Dalid. Matisyahu learned intensively in Hadar Hatorah, a yeshiva for returnees to Orthodox Judaism, and he wrote and recorded his first album while still a student there. He counts among his musical inspirations Bob Marley, Phish, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, while giving credit to Simon Jacobson's book Toward A Meaningful Life, for the lyrical inspiration to the title song of his new album, Youth. His band has a unique sound, mixing reggae, traditional rap, and guitar solos typical of rock music. His fans are of different walks of life, religions, and ethnicities. He sometimes performs with Kenny Muhammad, a Muslim beatboxer. He also provides vocals on the songs "Roots in Stereo" and "Strength of My Life" for the 2006 album Testify by P.O.D., a predominantly Christian group.
His reggae vocal style is along the lines of traditional Rasta Roots stylings mixed with dub sound. The easiest comparison would be similar to the conscious and cultural sides of Buju Banton, Sizzla, Capleton, or Junior Kelly, but with the upbeat message of Luciano, Bushman and Everton Blender, and vocal dexterity of Barrington Levy. The production of the tracks draws from King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Mikey Dread, and Linval Thompson. Similarities to the Foundation Sound of the late 1970s and 1980s would be accurate, and comparisons to Morgan Heritage likewise, would not be wrong. However, he mixes in contemporary stylings of rap and beatboxing, similar to Sublime, as well as the traditional Hazzan style of Jewish cantors and Hasidic nigunim. The otherwise critical New York Times' Kelefa Sanneh has compared him to "early dancehall reggae stars like Barrington Levy and Eek-a-Mouse." The Chicago Tribune's Kevin Pang has described a Matisyahu performance as "soul-shaking brand of dancehall reggae, a show that captures both the jam band vibe of Phish and the ska-punk of Sublime." Reviewers generally agree that Matisyahu may disappoint reggae purists, but acknowledge the unique blend of musical traditions that Matisyahu harnesses generally please the people who see his performances.
Most of his songs are almost entirely in English with just a few words of Hebrew and Yiddish sprinkled in. Matisyahu is also known for not performing in concert on Friday nights or Saturdays, as working on Shabbat is forbidden for Jews.
--Wikipedia
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