The Jamaican-Jewish connection
CVK
Speaking of blackface and cultural appropriation, 
there’s a fascinating article on Slate.com about Hasidic Jewish reggae vocalist Matisyahu. Slate’s music critic Jody Rosen first eviscerates him for putting on figurative blackface but then asks, is it really such a big deal since Jamaicans has taken freely from Jewish culture as well? Honestly I never heard of the guy until I read this story, so I have no comment. Does anyone want to weigh in on this phenomenon?
The truth is, Matisyahu isn’t really a novelty—his is the oldest act in the show-business book. Minstrelsy dates back to the very beginnings of American popular music, and Jews have been particularly zealous and successful practitioners of the art. From Irving Berlin’s blackface ragtime numbers to Al Jolson’s mammy songs—from jazz clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow, who passed as black, to Bob Dylan, who channeled the cadences of black bluesmen, to the Beastie Boys—successive generations of Jewish musicians have used the blackface mask to negotiate Jewish identity and have made some great art in the process…
And there are more layers to Matisyahu’s act. Musically speaking, Jewish reggae is not such a far-fetched idea; as many critics have pointed out, the plaintive minor-key melodies for which Jewish liturgical music (and Hasidic folksongs) are renowned are also staples of reggae. What’s more, Matisyahu’s appropriation of Jamaican music is really no more brazen than Rastafarians’ appropriation of Jewish religious tropes. If a Caribbean islander can plunder Jewish scripture and call himself a lost tribesman of Israel, why can’t a Jew sing a song to a one-drop beat in a phony patois? Lubavitcher Hasidim even have their very own Hallie Selassie-like demigod, the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who many Lubavitchers regard as Moshiach himself.
P.Moore wrote:
Hmmm…
Slate seems to view him as “[sounding] no less silly than Vanilla Ice did impersonating a gangsta.” I listened to a few of the tracks, but I don’t know what a “real” Caribbean accent is, so I can’t say. To add, I know absolutely nothing about the dynamics between Jewish culture and Caribbean culture. Indeed, I never was exposed to a heavy Jewish population until working in the Catskills two years ago for a summer gig. In any event, Matisyahu’s back-story doesn’t leave a good taste in my mouth. There’s a very fine line one walks when attempting to be pop and “keeping it real”. Let’s see where this guy falls.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 1:00 pm ¶
Ben wrote:
I saw Matisyahu at a smallish concert back in 2003; he was billed as a “Hasidic Jewish beatboxer” and did about 10 minutes of creditable beatboxing and what I assume was Jewish chanting. Imagine my surprise when his MTV video splashed across my screen two years later!
I’m neither Jamaican nor Jewish, but I am a musician, so I see this as a testament to music’s ability to transcend ethnic boundaries. You don’t have to be a certain type of person to make a certain type of music, and the ascendence of conspicuous “exception” artists like Matisyahu (Jewish/reggae), Eminem, (White/rap) and Cowboy Troy (Black/country) shows that America is actually figuring that out.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 1:03 pm ¶
Kaonashi wrote:
Ouch.
I don’ t think neither he nor Caribbeans music in general deserves to be ripped like that. That whole article just reeks of nasty.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 1:03 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
he is really hot…all over itunes countdowns…on XM, etc
i think they are being so unfair…he likes the genre…sings religious songs to the reggae riff…aren’t we past that point where we can’t mix it up…can lenny kravitz sing rock and be legit (of course) or can halls and oates sing soul and not get blasted…there types of music that people link and it speaks to them…hey, I love johnny clegg…if it weren’t for him and the zulu sound, we wouldn’t have had one of the first interracial bands in south africa…the review is cruel, heavyhanded, and the reviewer is looking for a fight…two cents from a sista
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 1:41 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
I’ve heard the whole album…
1. it’s a schtick like any other in show business, and it’s not as if he’s walking out in rasta gear w/ dreads. THAT would be offensive/stereotypical/patronizing.
2. I agree w/ Ben & mctv: you dont’ have to BE something to DO something. Music is universal.
3. Speaking of… the reason reggae lends itself so well to what he is saying is likely because the rhythm and tones lend itself well to the structure of psalms and are even very similar to sung psalms and prayers, at least in the Catholic tradition (based on Gregorian chant, lots of one-note-up-one-note-down and so on). Also sounds similar to what little I’ve heard of sung Jewish prayer and Islamic calls to prayer (as well as secular music). Some of his lyrics are lifted straight out of familiar psalms.
4. Makes me nostalic of Baal Shem Tov, a local interracial Jewish group that did street performances in Philadelphia. Everyone in the band was born or a convert to Judaism, and the music combined traditional prayers and folk songs with funk and jazz. Most of the songs were in Hebrew (so I didn’t understand them), but they sounded great.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 3:22 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
“can lenny kravitz sing rock and be legit
mtevc:
While I agree with your post in principle, I have a minor nitpick with that. America seems all too willing to forget that Rock N’ Roll was originated by black folk, so Lenny’s well within his (or “their”) bounds as a rock artist.
Yet, does he get any respect? No. Kravitz gets treated like little more than a novelty act in rock, and rather than openly admit their dislike for him is due to his color, critics often claim he’s ripping off the only other black rock artist they remember: Jimi Hendrix (despite the fact that their sounds are nothing alike).
As far as Matisyahu goes, while I agree that he should be allowed to perform whatever musical artform he believes in, I think it’s only fair to ask if he really does believe in it. It’s like the whole Timberlake thing: many people misunderstood my stance on his whole R&B thing. It wasn’t about him being white; it was about him pretty-much blackfacing it up for record sales.
Is Matisyahu doing the same? I have no idea, as I haven’t paid much attention to him. But, just like with Eminem, the Beatles, and Elvis before them, one has to ask why the mainstream waits til’ a white artist takes on a traditionally black artform before granting it legitimacy?
Rock ‘N’ Roll was originally “the devil’s music, designed to lower us to the level of the nigger,” but it slowly became okay as Elvis rose to megasuperultra-stardom. Similarly, Hip-Hop got very little mainstream acceptance until Eminem appeared on the scene. While the man was indeed a talented artist, he pretty-much made the same album thrice. Yet, he’s being written into the history books as The Greatest Thing EVER to Happen to Rap EVER… EVER!!
EVER!!!
So forgive me if I’m a little wary of Matisyahu.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 10:10 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
By the way, Carmen & Jen…
Is there anything you can do about this whole “entire post showing up as a link” thing? It makes browsing a little difficult.
Posted 16 Mar 2006 at 10:14 pm ¶
ML wrote:
Merq, I agree with your point about people forgetting the African-American origin of rock, but Kravitz is of Bahamian and Jewish descent, neither of which ethnicity I think as associated with American rock and roll. And I think the lack of crtical respect for Kravitz comes from his lack of good material and his pop leanings ( I also agree that the comparisons to Hendrix are idiotic). He has been very successful commercially and I don’t think there is a critical consensus among record buying public.
On Elvis and Eminem, your point I agree with. The Beatles don’t really fit; they were years after rock was already mainstreamed and legitimate with white people, thanks largely to Elvis (and Buddy Holly and Ricky Nelson, etc.).
Bob Marley was hugely successful and still is, for most people not heavy into Reggae, the first and last name in Reggae. I highly doubt Matisyahu is going to become more successful than Marley or give Jamaican music more mainstream acceptance than Marley has. Unlike your other examples, Matisyahu is part of a tiny religious/cultural minority in this country that doesn’t lend itself to crossover status.
I think what is more interesting is how much of the interest in him is about his mish-mash of cultures and novelty factor. I wonder if he could inspire more white reggae bands (white ska bands have been around for awhile, though never being much of a commercial force beyond No Doubt). Though, if any one could have done it, it would have been The Police and Sting. There hasn’t been a huge rush of white rappers after Eminem’s success. Is it eventually going to happen?
Anyway, I agree with everyone that music is bigger than ethnicity and is open for anyone to use and explore, hopefully with respect given to the originators of any given style.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 12:31 am ¶
Daniel wrote:
Music genre’s have always been and will always be misleading. Just as with race, human’s have an obsession with organizing different types of music into neat, orderly groups that have less to do with music and more to do with comfort zones and marketing. I had to laugh about Lenny Kravitz “getting no respect.” I wish that I did not get respect in the same way that he did not! He has a wide range of music and he has gotten very wealthy because if his talent. If some dim-witted reviewer compares him to Jimi Hendrix, it is most likely due to the 70-esque style that Mr. Kravitz exudes. Since Jimi helped define (if not entirely encompassed) 70’s Rock and Roll, you will often see 70’s style Rockers compared to him. I agree that Lenny’s music is nothing like Jimi’s and I don’t think any performer would want to be compared to Jimi since he was and is so incredible that any comparison would be unfavorable to a current artist. There have always been people of many races performing music generally associated with a specific race. Some you hear about and some you don’t, usually based on talent and/or marketing. Remember that marketing always attempts to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Nobody should be surprised, upset or bitter when crappy music sells or gets attention. Eminem is a perfect example of this. Even mentioning his name in the same paragraph with Jimi Hendrix is both laughable and a testament to the brilliant folks who marketed his three unimaginative, obnoxious and atrocious albums.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 8:53 am ¶
Daniel wrote:
Please disregard the two apostrophes at the beginning of my last post!
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 8:55 am ¶
John wrote:
Merq:
“Lenny Kravitz… getting no respect”- What? Lenny is a respected artist in the music industry.
(Have legit music critics compared his MUSIC to Hendrix?)
I think listeners/critics, who are aware of the quality that Lenny’s capable of (”Mama Said”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way”), are pretty vocal in criticizing the times he goes through the motions- relying on style (retro fashion rock imagery) over substance.
And the gossip rags love to write about his womanizing, dating 17 year olds…
As for the hip hop rant:
Hip-hop, West Coast Hip-Hop to be specific, WAS the mainstream for many years…
I think there were some people who dismissed Hip-Hop (for reasons that had nothing to do w/ pesonal music taste) because they didn’t like looking at young black people. After Eminem (not a fan, btw), they’ve reluctantly developed a sense of humor/tolerance for Hip-Hop because like Rock, it’s a part of American pop culture.
PS- Respect? It’s wrong that Little Richard is not given the respect he deserves for actually creating rock & roll.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 11:30 am ¶
John wrote:
I’d like to add…
I listen to Jeff Sarge (”Reggae Schoolroom” DJ extraordinaire) Sunday mornings. On one particular show, Jeff Sarge decided to spin some Klezmer. Sarge talked about traditional Jewish music and why it’s a good counterpoint to reggae. This was years before Matisyahu was known.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 12:00 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
ML
And I think the lack of crtical respect for Kravitz comes from his lack of good material and his pop leanings.
Well, to each his own. I definitely agree that he’s had his share of hits & misses. But my problem with the majority of critics is that they refuse to even consider him as a viable rock artist, and call him a faux-Jimi before really hearing him out.
Kravitz is of Bahamian and Jewish descent, neither of which ethnicity I think as associated with American rock and roll.
And Maxwell’s Puerto Rican, so he’s not exactly a direct heir to the R&B legacy. But has he ever had to defend his right to perforom soul music?
Oh, and my Beatles reference was more an illustration of the whole “Greatest Artist Ever” rhetoric than an example of how white artists legitimize certain artforms.
Bob Marley will forever be the biggest name in Reggae, I’m willing to bet. But with the scores of ultra-talented Reggae (and I don’t mean Dancehall) artists out there, why did America wait for Matisyahu before showing the genre real commercial love?
Matisyahu is part of a tiny religious/cultural minority in this country that doesn’t lend itself to crossover status.
I think you’re romanticizing the industry a little too much. And to quote MTEVC:
he is really hot…all over itunes countdowns…on XM, etc
NOTHING is beyond the reach of crossover appeal.
Daniel:
I wish that I did not get respect in the same way that he did not! He has a wide range of music and he has gotten very wealthy because if his talent.
Do you REALLY think that, dude? That’s like believing that every rapper actually owns the houses, cars, and jewellry they flaunt in their videos. Kravitz sells poorly, and the critics deserve half the blame. He’s only getting a little wealthier now because he’s willing to make certain commercial deals like the Target thing (cringeworthy, in my opinion) and Absolut (fantastic).
John:
I think listeners/critics, who are aware of the quality that Lenny’s capable of (”Mama Said”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way”), are pretty vocal in criticizing the times he goes through the motions- relying on style (retro fashion rock imagery) over substance.
VERY well put. But I think a lot of that also has to do with him violating their rules of what a young (one-drop) black man “should” look/sound/dress like. It’s like, “who does he think he’s fooling with that image?”
It’s kinda pathetic, really. But yeah, I definitely understand your point, and I agree that he has his moments when he really is going through the motions.
Hip-hop, West Coast Hip-Hop to be specific, WAS the mainstream for many years…
You really do seem to have forgotten what the climate of America was. Hip-Hop, unlike the moneymaking teddy bear it is now, was this dangerous, somewhat alluring (for said danger factor, and undeniable “street cred”) fringe culture that thrived in a very separate niche.
Do you remember the whole “Bob Dole wants to ban Rap” thing? Do you think that would even be a viable question now? Do you remember how Will Smith was pretty-much the only rap artist you’d ever see at the Grammys?
Do you remember how, despite how huge ‘Pac and Biggie (the two most commercially successful, non-Will-Smith artists) couldn’t score more than one #1 single in their lifetimes? (Actually, “Hypnotize,” Big’s first #1, was fueled by news of his death.)
So no, John. Hip-Hop definitely was not the mainstream back then.
I think there were some people who dismissed Hip-Hop (for reasons that had nothing to do w/ pesonal music taste) because they didn’t like looking at young black people.
My point exactly. So when Mr. Mathers (not a fan, either) came up, only then were they even willing to give Hip-Hop music a chance.
PS- Respect? It’s wrong that Little Richard is not given the respect he deserves for actually creating rock & roll.
I don’t know if that’s supposed to reference any part of my post, but I’m going to assume not.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 12:42 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
to Merq : I agree totally with you on Lenny Kravitz…and on the origins of rock, but most don’t see that about Lenny and so he doesn’t get the respect he should. We went to see him in concert…me and my 11 yr old daughter…and I like his music, but wouldn’t say I love it, like she does…and that man put on a show! He was the consummate performer…he did 3 encores…and played for almost 2 hours straight…and he had a fun band…2 guitarists…keyboards…horn section…these older backup singers that he let sing…they were fabulous…everyone left and felt that they had gotten more than their money’s worth…he sang extended and rearranged versions of all his hits and some new things and he was absolutely fabulous…that little richard really was one of the creators of the image thing…i know prince must have channeled him a bit, and added a little masculinity to it …ha!…but back on lenny, i do remember reading an article where he said it was difficult in the industry, with the labels, as they didn’t know how to peg the “brown” rock n’roller…though i must admit i still love fishbone and i love living color …and does anyone remember bad brains! did anyone one see the movie Afropunk????? and i am still a rage against the machine fan…hey john! you are so hip…klezmer music is like wild crazy fun! and by the way that devil’s music was originally called “Race music” by white folks…but if hip hop goes too mainstream it all makes me wonder, cuz as a race, we need to self-monitor…i felt sick when it’s hard being a pimp won the academy award for best song in a movie…no offense…if we keep up that anti-woman, ghetto mentality, then you can keep rap/hip hop…
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 3:32 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
my only problem with “cultural appropriation” is when an appropriator is allowed to access and revenues the originators of the culture are not. Personally, I could care less if a chinese kid appropriates black culture by idolizing the wu-tang clan (you got to love the reciprocal appropriation).
but I do have a problem when Buju Banton, Capelton, Yellow Man, Barrington Levy, etc, have been doing similar styles of music for years and will never be on MTV or written up in so many magazines. There’s been chanting, singing and religous overtones in reggae for years. I’ve heard this guy’s cd and its catchy but nothing ground breaking for that genre. The only thing worth noting is the fact that he’s white and jewish doing reggae.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 3:46 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
BERTIE:
MARRY ME
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 5:49 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
Oh, wow.
I just realized that Bertie may be well be a dude. Dunno why I assumed otherwise. My bad.
Still, the sentiment remains. Words outta my mouth.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 5:53 pm ¶
Daniel wrote:
Thanks for the laugh Merq. I needed it today. Yes, I do believe that Mr. Kravitz has done fairly well for himself financially. As with most musicians he makes more money on tours than in Album sales and his concerts have sold very well. I would still love to be as unrespected as Lenny is in the music biz. As far as who owns what in music videos, I cannot comment as I do not watch them. Next, you’re going to tell me that there are dishonest people running record labels who take advantage of young artists to boost profits. Say it aint so! Have a great weekend.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 5:59 pm ¶
John wrote:
Merq,
I guess there are moments when we agree &…
Lenny’s name carries weight in the rock world and if that’s not “respect”, then what is?
He wasn’t lumped with the 80’s hair bands, the grunge explosion of the early 90’s, or the mall-punks of the late 90’s; Lenny was grouped with the “rock & roll establishment” (e.g. Sheryl Crow) that had mass appeal.
As a kid, Lenny was not respected during/shortly after his “Romeo Blue” phase (and with good reason!). But the old fart music critics eventually viewed him as part of rock & roll’s old guard.
Merq:
“You really do seem to have forgotten what the climate of America was.”
Dude, when the government was trying to silence Hip-Hop it was still EVERYWHERE. Do you remember that it was all over MTV, advertising, fashion…
If an artist was going to get on MTV (Mainstream Television… I mean Music Television) back then, you had to wear a flannel shirt, or be Hip-Hop. At the height of MTV’s new look, the new Hip-Hop and alternative rock artists (that saturated MTV programming) were snubbed by the Grammys. (btw, said Hip-Hop artists boycott the awards show; Will Smith won and accepted.) But Hip-Hop was still mainstream back then, Merq.
Even now, people like Bill O’Reilly try to shut down Hip-Hop (in between settling multimillion dollar sexual harassment suits out of court) and billion $ soda companies may agree with him…
But Hip-Hop is still mainstream, Merq.
“Do you remember… Pac and Biggie couldn’t score more than one #1 single in their lifetimes?”
Yes. And their lifetimes were pretty damn short.
PS- Sorry JC & CVK. Not trying to turn your blog into Rolling/Swirling Stone magazine.
Posted 17 Mar 2006 at 9:45 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
John,
There’s no point debating this further. We obviously look at the same things and see them differently.
Daniel,
Artists make more money off touring than record sales? Gee, you don’t say!! Dumbass. The point is, Lenny isn’t “rich.” He may be comfortable, but he isn’t rich. You seem to forget that celebrities have incomes and expenses.
Oh yeah… and a good weekend to you too.
Posted 18 Mar 2006 at 12:09 am ¶
justin wrote:
The critics idea of minstrelsy is too broad. Minstrel shows take more from Punch and Judy than from black people (other than esteem). Even if the singer isn’t sincere, or if he is just a dilatant, as an appropriation it’s still pretty interesting.
Elvis is mixed. He’s King Creole. Pat Boone stole from black people.
Posted 18 Mar 2006 at 10:18 am ¶
justin wrote:
This site isn’t updating properly for me.
I’ve been missing out on so much.
Posted 18 Mar 2006 at 10:59 am ¶
dez wrote:
I am Jamaican. Matisyahu is ’so-so’ as far as reggae goes. I agree with what bertie has to say, but don’t believe this is the same case as “white people stealing the black peoples music”. The music industry is still a business and gimmicks sell … repeatedly.
The thing that surprised me was that it took this long. I have always marveled at the similarities between Rastafarianism and Hissidic Judaism
Posted 19 Mar 2006 at 3:12 pm ¶
mtevc wrote:
yellow man is the best!
Posted 19 Mar 2006 at 3:49 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
lol–yeah Merq I’m a married man. But I appreaciate the sentiment.
Posted 20 Mar 2006 at 10:42 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:
Merq must be Lenny’s financial advisor.
Posted 24 Mar 2006 at 10:49 am ¶