MATISYAHU
Youth
CD |
Tracklisting: |
2-LP |
| 01 | Fire Of Heaven / Altar Of Earth | a01 |
| 02 | Youth | a02 |
| 03 | Time Of Your Song | a03 |
| 04 | Dispatch The Troops | b01 |
| 05 | Indestructible | b02 |
| 06 | What I'm Fighting For | b03 |
| 07 | Jerusalem | c01 |
| 08 | WP | c02 |
| 09 | Shalom/Salaam | c03 |
| 10 | Late Night In Zion | c04 |
| 11 | Unique Is My Dove | d01 |
| 12 | Ancient Lullaby | d02 |
| 13 | King Without A Crown | d03 |
|
REVIEW IN ENGLISH: SOURCE: ROOTS MUSIC Reggae & Dancehall AUTHOR: Teacha Dan 
Matisyahu was born Matthew Miller, a pretty normal white middle class kid from Jewish origins in Pennsylvania in 1979. He moved with his parents to New York where he grew up and where tried to escape his mundane existence. After soul searching on the road following Phish for a year and a existentialist visit to Israel he found his G_D and so himself. Because this is all so much fun to write and read about and because his appearance as an Hassidic Jew performing reggae, hip hop and beatbox raises eyebrows the media has been all over him and his music. But Matisyahu's story, however interesting it is, is not all that should be highlighted. His music is an inventive and highly energetic mixture of reggae, hip hop, rock and rnb. Reggae/dancehall is the main but not the predominant thing. Although Matisyahu's vocabulary (rewind, dub wise, fire!) and vocal delivery are definitely influenced by Jamaican patois he feels just as easy on the other genres present on the album. His Jewish background raises some of the same themes that Rasta's speak of like e.g. Zion and his Majesty, although another omnipotent ruler is being referred to. Even spoiled and intelligent music lovers cannot dispense of Matisyahu as a gimmick, for his music is simply too demanding. Every track whether it is reggae or something else, up-tempo or cooled down, rapped, djayed or sang, sounds typically Matisyahu. All but three tunes on Youth were produced and mixed by Bill Laswell and it seems that Mr. Laswell apart from truly understanding his own craft also got really close to understanding Matisyahu and so was able to give the music surplus value. Streetwise New York hip hop mixed with reggae, rock, rnb, punk, and other street styles could very well become the new definition of urban music. No bling bling or fast cars but conscious themes and upbeat music. Lounging with an opinion and an attitude, jumping and dancing and reacting to words with meaning. It's again time to think and form your own opinions. Two singles (Youth and the great King Without A Crown) have been taken from the album so far and both have luckily received extensive rotation on MTV and on radio shows, thus raising reggae awareness through a highly recognizable figure with a tight riddim section. New gimmicks will make or break careers in Jamaica but still I wonder how Matisyahu will be dealt with. Because he does not use familiar riddims I do not think his music will be played on Jamaican frequencies often. In the west he seems to dominate the airwaves and rightly so. (Teacha Dan, May 2006) |
