Biography
Following the cultural detonation of 2 Live Crew’s 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be came another 1990 release that paired an ethnic punchline with a beat: As Kosher as They Wanna Be. The debut from 2 Live Jews showcased the rapping of “Moisha MC” and “Easy Irving,” presented as two elderly Jewish-American men who had suddenly embraced the microphone. In reality the characters were studio inventions of Eric Lambert, who voiced Moisha, and Joe Stone, who voiced Irving; neither performer was old. Tracks such as “Shake Your Tuchas” and “Oy! It’s So Humid,” the latter containing the couplet “I was sweating like a mule/I was frying like a blintz,” positioned the record as a comedic-rap mirror image of 2 Live Crew’s Nasty. Laden with intra-community references and Jewish stereotypes, the album simultaneously lampooned the swaggering boasts and stock bass-heavy grooves already hardening into hip-hop formula. Over the synthesized cowbell typical of early rap, “Shake Your Tuchas” had Moisha and Irving trading boasts in Yiddish slang. Although Lambert and Stone may have aimed merely for a fast return, As Kosher as They Wanna Be succeeded as a multilayered novelty that repaid repeated listening. Yet, just as 2 Live Crew peaked creatively with “Me So Horny” and Nasty, “Shake Your Tuchas” and Kosher marked the high point for 2 Live Jews. Their 1991 “Hebe-hop” recasting of Fiddler on the Roof, titled Fiddling With Tradition and possibly the first concept album in comedy rap, soon slipped from view. Disco Jews arrived in 1994, followed in 1998 by Christmas Jews, which included “Bagel Rock,” set to the melody of “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Christmas Wrap.” Dr. Demento later mined the entire 2 Live Jews catalog for his broadcasts, and a 2005 compilation titled The Worst of… collected the highlights.
Albums
