Matisyahu
Hassidic Harmony
2008-11-18
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Over the epochs of time, rabbinic faith has rarely been synonymous with fashionable and contemporary music. That is, until Matthew Paul Miller, AKA Matisyahu, broke ground in 2004 with the reggae-fied release of Shake Off the Dust. Since that point, the Brooklyn-based MC has scuttled up a worldwide fan base, carving a cozy little niche in otherwise unfamiliar territory. A busy man, Matisyahu awaits the release of his much anticipated third studio album come January, and is currently in the midst of a national tour (which will culminate back in Brooklyn, kicking off the 3rd Annual Festival of Lights). Synthesis spoke with the man behind the beard as he awaited a gig in Austin, Texas.
How’s the scene out in Austin treating you?
Oh it’s good, except I just got one of those notices, you know when they stick something on your car? No ticket, but I got a notice that my motor home has been parked for more than 48 hours and I’ve been here for like 45 minutes.
You released Shattered as an EP in October, and now you’ve got the new full-length, Light, coming out in January. Did you write and record the two simultaneously?
Yeah, exactly. It was really, I guess, one thing. I knew the record company wasn’t going to put out [Light] just yet and so I wanted to get my fans some music because it’s been like three years.
Were you coming from a particular place thematically or spiritually during the writing process?
Well, the name of the EP is Shattered, the name of the album is Light, and basically, it’s sort of the theme for a lot of spiritual practices. A person has to come to a place within themselves where they kind of shatter or breakaway from all of their preconceived notions about themselves and God and the world. And from that place, a light, or something, emerges from there. You know what I mean?
I understand you worked a bit with Sly and Robbie in the production process.
It wasn’t a tremendous amount. This record, I feel, in a lot of ways, is my first record. In the past, a lot of people had their hands on in different ways. Shake Off the Dust was sort of the producer wanting to make a classic reggae [album]. Live at Stubbs then—that was a real thing because it was live—but was basically one night. And then the Youth record I kind of wanted to let everyone in the band have a chance to express themselves. And then after that, I changed…I was like, “I’m gonna make the record I wanna make.” I brought together a lot of different pieces—Sly and Robbie was one of those. There’s different producers, different writers, different sounds, a lot of different elements of my taste coming together.
With your participation in the politically motivated film Call Response, do you see yourself taking additional political strides as the years go on?
It’s possible, but political…not so much. I guess I feel a bit more global, maybe spiritual, more consciousness. When it comes down to it, I’m so unsure about any politician or any political group, it’s really hard for me to tell people who they should vote for. In general, I feel you really gotta be an expert on that kind of stuff, and obviously we see how important it is with everything that happened with our last president.
Do you ever feel that your image as a Hassidic Jew is just as large as the music itself?
Yeah, I do. That was sort of my thing. Before I became religious, I would go into a club and perform, and people would be like, “That’s coming out of this guy?” That was part of the shock value. And it’s more than just shock value; it’s like proving a point almost. We’re living in a completely different age, where if you’re a sensitive person, and you’re inspired, you can do whatever you want to do. There’s no rules about what kind of music you can make, or what kind of books you want to write or what kind of art you want to create. In a lot of ways, there is this element of my Judaism, which plays a huge role for a lot of people. For example, there’s Jews out there that are totally unaffiliated, that go to Israel for the first time and they have my song, “Jerusalem,” playing in their headphones. That kind of means a lot to me, that Jewish kids that should have some kind of actual music that they fully relate to.
I recently spent some time out in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and was blown away by the hipster scene in many regards. Spending as much time in Brooklyn as you do, what’s your take on the gentrification of neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Greenpoint and the likes?
Well, it’s funny, I remember when I was in college, I had a friend in Williamsburg and it was like going out to the middle of nowhere [laughs]. And now, like you said, it’s totally trendy. I guess my feelings on gentrification are that cities grow, and people need places to live and it’s just what happens. At one point I had a motorcycle I bought from a guy named Slick who owns a repair and used motorcycle shop, Japanese bikes, over in Williamsburg. And you know, he’s been there for years and years and he bought it for very cheap and it’s this old shack with all these cycles sitting out in the street. And he’s been offered millions and millions of dollars for his property and he’s like, “Nah,” just holding on. When you hear stories like that [pauses] I think that’s a pretty cool thing.
How’s the scene out in Austin treating you?
Oh it’s good, except I just got one of those notices, you know when they stick something on your car? No ticket, but I got a notice that my motor home has been parked for more than 48 hours and I’ve been here for like 45 minutes.
You released Shattered as an EP in October, and now you’ve got the new full-length, Light, coming out in January. Did you write and record the two simultaneously?
Yeah, exactly. It was really, I guess, one thing. I knew the record company wasn’t going to put out [Light] just yet and so I wanted to get my fans some music because it’s been like three years.
Were you coming from a particular place thematically or spiritually during the writing process?
Well, the name of the EP is Shattered, the name of the album is Light, and basically, it’s sort of the theme for a lot of spiritual practices. A person has to come to a place within themselves where they kind of shatter or breakaway from all of their preconceived notions about themselves and God and the world. And from that place, a light, or something, emerges from there. You know what I mean?
I understand you worked a bit with Sly and Robbie in the production process.
It wasn’t a tremendous amount. This record, I feel, in a lot of ways, is my first record. In the past, a lot of people had their hands on in different ways. Shake Off the Dust was sort of the producer wanting to make a classic reggae [album]. Live at Stubbs then—that was a real thing because it was live—but was basically one night. And then the Youth record I kind of wanted to let everyone in the band have a chance to express themselves. And then after that, I changed…I was like, “I’m gonna make the record I wanna make.” I brought together a lot of different pieces—Sly and Robbie was one of those. There’s different producers, different writers, different sounds, a lot of different elements of my taste coming together.
With your participation in the politically motivated film Call Response, do you see yourself taking additional political strides as the years go on?
It’s possible, but political…not so much. I guess I feel a bit more global, maybe spiritual, more consciousness. When it comes down to it, I’m so unsure about any politician or any political group, it’s really hard for me to tell people who they should vote for. In general, I feel you really gotta be an expert on that kind of stuff, and obviously we see how important it is with everything that happened with our last president.
Do you ever feel that your image as a Hassidic Jew is just as large as the music itself?
Yeah, I do. That was sort of my thing. Before I became religious, I would go into a club and perform, and people would be like, “That’s coming out of this guy?” That was part of the shock value. And it’s more than just shock value; it’s like proving a point almost. We’re living in a completely different age, where if you’re a sensitive person, and you’re inspired, you can do whatever you want to do. There’s no rules about what kind of music you can make, or what kind of books you want to write or what kind of art you want to create. In a lot of ways, there is this element of my Judaism, which plays a huge role for a lot of people. For example, there’s Jews out there that are totally unaffiliated, that go to Israel for the first time and they have my song, “Jerusalem,” playing in their headphones. That kind of means a lot to me, that Jewish kids that should have some kind of actual music that they fully relate to.
I recently spent some time out in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and was blown away by the hipster scene in many regards. Spending as much time in Brooklyn as you do, what’s your take on the gentrification of neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Greenpoint and the likes?
Well, it’s funny, I remember when I was in college, I had a friend in Williamsburg and it was like going out to the middle of nowhere [laughs]. And now, like you said, it’s totally trendy. I guess my feelings on gentrification are that cities grow, and people need places to live and it’s just what happens. At one point I had a motorcycle I bought from a guy named Slick who owns a repair and used motorcycle shop, Japanese bikes, over in Williamsburg. And you know, he’s been there for years and years and he bought it for very cheap and it’s this old shack with all these cycles sitting out in the street. And he’s been offered millions and millions of dollars for his property and he’s like, “Nah,” just holding on. When you hear stories like that [pauses] I think that’s a pretty cool thing.
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