Matisyahu and More on Apostolic Music
Posted by: David Bunch
Readers are continuing to weigh in on the State of Apostolic Music piece. If you have a comment or a thought, feel free to share it with us!
Late last week, while blogging about Apostolic Music and continuing to mull it all over, I ran across an interesting artist online. Matisyahu is an Orthodox Jew who has built a successful career as a rap artist (his sound is also flavored by rock and reggae). His latest record, Youth, debuted at #4 on the Billboard top 200. He also ranks high on the iTunes download list. (Check out Stuart Kent's reference to Matisyahu in the February edition of A Month in My Life).
Here's what struck me about Matisyahu. He is boldy living his values (he has the full beard, long black coat, and in one of the live videos on his website you can catch a peek of his prayer shawl under his coat), yet has successfully brought his music to the culture. It is even more fascinating that his music happens to be a genre that is dominated by the cultural opposite of an Orthodox Jew. In one of his songs, Jerusalem, he raps word straight out of the Bible:
Jerusalem
If I forget you
Let my right hand
Forget what it's supposed to do
Other songs explore God-themes and spirituality.
So the question is, how did this young man come at the masses with his bold and relevant sound, yet remain so unwaveringly true to who he is? And the more relevant question to our discussion is, how can Apostolics do this?
A friend of mine and I were talking about this yesterday at church and he said that Matisyahu is a "cultural phenomenon", someone and something that is not likely to be replicated. But I wonder, why not? Why can't we as Apostolics bring a relevant sound that speaks to spiritual matters while holding firmly to who we are?
Perhaps it's just a matter of time until the right person hits upon the right musical flavor. Perhaps it's a matter of a long time until we as a movement will accept such a person.
I want to hear from you! What do you think has to happen for an Apostolic artist to do what Matisyahu has done? And can such an artist do it with so bold a sound?
Readers are continuing to weigh in on the State of Apostolic Music piece. If you have a comment or a thought, feel free to share it with us!
Late last week, while blogging about Apostolic Music and continuing to mull it all over, I ran across an interesting artist online. Matisyahu is an Orthodox Jew who has built a successful career as a rap artist (his sound is also flavored by rock and reggae). His latest record, Youth, debuted at #4 on the Billboard top 200. He also ranks high on the iTunes download list. (Check out Stuart Kent's reference to Matisyahu in the February edition of A Month in My Life).
Here's what struck me about Matisyahu. He is boldy living his values (he has the full beard, long black coat, and in one of the live videos on his website you can catch a peek of his prayer shawl under his coat), yet has successfully brought his music to the culture. It is even more fascinating that his music happens to be a genre that is dominated by the cultural opposite of an Orthodox Jew. In one of his songs, Jerusalem, he raps word straight out of the Bible:
Jerusalem
If I forget you
Let my right hand
Forget what it's supposed to do
Other songs explore God-themes and spirituality.
So the question is, how did this young man come at the masses with his bold and relevant sound, yet remain so unwaveringly true to who he is? And the more relevant question to our discussion is, how can Apostolics do this?
A friend of mine and I were talking about this yesterday at church and he said that Matisyahu is a "cultural phenomenon", someone and something that is not likely to be replicated. But I wonder, why not? Why can't we as Apostolics bring a relevant sound that speaks to spiritual matters while holding firmly to who we are?
Perhaps it's just a matter of time until the right person hits upon the right musical flavor. Perhaps it's a matter of a long time until we as a movement will accept such a person.
I want to hear from you! What do you think has to happen for an Apostolic artist to do what Matisyahu has done? And can such an artist do it with so bold a sound?
We're mentioned in the blog! We are famous now, or at least one of us is. Or is the whole two become one thing tying us together in reference?
Posted by
Stephanie and Beau |
Mon May 29, 11:16:00 PM 2006
Seeing as how Matisyahu is currently residing in my car's CD player (well his latest CD is) I would have to argue that he is most definitely Reggae and not Rap. Sort of like Bob Marley in a yamarkule. His back story is fascinating.
Posted by
Denelle |
Wed May 31, 12:22:00 PM 2006