From Dreadlocks to Sideburns:
Matisyahu Unplugged
by Gabriel Oppenheim
PDF Version | Print Version
Whirlwind of praise from below to above
Take flight in the sky got wings like a dove,
Soaring to shamayim where the angels call in love,
And the glory of Hashem fits like a glove.
—“Got No Water”
Matthew Miller was born about twenty-five miles from this campus, in West Chester, Pa., in 1979. Twenty-something years later, somewhere in the mountains of Colorado or Oregon or Israel, depending on the article you read, Matisyahu emerged. He had been a wild child—burning down chemistry labs, growing dreadlocks, ditching school for Phish—but no more. Now he wanted to spread God’s word—or at least, a Chabad-Lubavitch conception of it. He started rapping Shlomo Carlebach’s messages in Marley’s tones. The rest, as they say, is Hasidic reggae history.
In the last few years, Matisyahu has appeared on “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” and “Larry King Live.” The New Yorker has written about him. The New York Times has written two articles about him. Even the pseudo-soft-core magazine FHM named him a must-see summer event. This February, he will perform in nineteen cities over twenty-seven days. Everywhere from Eugene, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia. But on the eve of a concert in New York last year, Matisyahu took a minute to talk to Gabriel Oppenheim.
What’s in the mug?
It’s a thermos of tea. I always carry a thermos of tea around with me.
When did you first become interested in music?
I got into music when I was younger. I grew up listening to Bob Marley, Phish, Outkast, and Nas. I don’t listen to that so much now. When I hear music now, it is with the band when we are traveling. I listen to what they’ve got playing. Besides, I don’t have so much time to listen to music.
Do you not listen to those artists now for religious reasons also?
Music can be a very deep thing. It touches the soul. A person wants to be very careful—especially a Hasid who believes in guarding the soul—because the things you hear have an impact on your soul.
Is there any artist whose music currently strikes you as innovative or unique?
The guys in my band.
How large is your band?
Usually, I play with a trio—one bass, drum, and guitar—but sometimes, with five people.
What is your favorite song?
When I was growing up, there was “Harry Hood” by Phish. What was that song I used to like by...by Outkast? Oh, “Ms. Jackson.”
What are your professional goals?
I want to go all the way. I don’t know how’d I define that. I guess selling millions of records.
Do you think that by performing on Jimmy Kimmel—which can be a very lewd show—you might implicitly condone the show’s content?
Hopefully, what I have to say is going to impact people positively. Do I condone those shows? No, it doesn’t mean that. Some people in these crowds are up for grabs. But if I talk about Shabbos, I can reach into an on-fire house maybe and pull some people out of the fire. Obviously, I would never do anything that’s directly against halakha.
What is the worst venue you’ve ever played?
I did a show in Fargo, N.D. the night before Halloween. I go to sit down on the couch in the back room before the show—I like to learn a little Hasidus before I take the stage—and there are like 20 Playboys on the couch. Because it was the night before Halloween, they thought I was in costume. I performed and spoke and the whole energy in the place shifted. You could feel the klipah, the negative energy, is very strong there, but you can pull the good out. In these times, the good and bad is together, and you have to pull the good out. That’s one of the biggest missions of Judaism.
How long have you been married?
Two years.
You tour a ton. Do you manage to sleep?
I always get seven hours of sleep a night.
You did not grow up religious. When did you become involved with Chabad?
I went to Yeshiva Hadarat Torah in Israel when I was 22. I was already religious. It seemed to me that Lubavitch mixed with my ideas about what was important—my ideas from even before I was religious. It seemed to me like they were really about trying to get closer to Hashem [God].
Are you against the free downloading of music?
I’m very much against it because that’s how artists make their money. Nothing’s for free.
Where can people go to buy your music then?
My website is www.hasidicreggae.com. Currently, you can buy discs there, and t-shirts, too.
Do you sell out your venues?
Yeah. I just sold out B.B. King’s last Dec. 25.
In most articles about you, other crossover artists—like Palestinian rappers, for instance—are mentioned. Do you feel as if you have musical competition?
No, I don’t. I always have to keep my head on straight.
You travel to obscure places during your tours. How do you find minyanim and keep kosher?
I stay at Chabad Houses.
Gabriel Oppenheim is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. He wrote an editorial page column for The Daily Pennsylvanian in the fall of 2005.