Matisyahu

Rapper and singer Matisyahu fuses reggae with hip-hop in a lively manner shaped by his deep spirituality and Jewish heritage. Upon surfacing in 2004 via the debut album Shake Off the Dust...Arise, his presence struck some observers as unexpected. A Hasidic Jew clad in a black suit, broad-brimmed black hat over a yarmulke, and sporting a full untrimmed beard delivered toasting raps celebrating traditional Judaism across reggae rhythms drawn straight from Jamaican dancehall, all while incorporating stage dives into his shows. Serious commitment to his art soon earned gold certifications and widespread listeners, along with a Grammy nomination for 2006's Youth. That release, together with 2009's Light and 2012's Spark Seeker, each claimed the top spot on the reggae charts. Although many outward Hasidic elements of his image gave way to an energetic rap and reggae-pop approach aimed at universal appeal, he sustains powerful stage presence, maintains close connections to Israel, and has placed albums such as 2014's Akeda and 2017's Undercurrent inside the Billboard 200's Top 20. His seventh album, the self-titled Matisyahu, arrived in 2022.

Born Matthew Miller on June 30, 1979, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, he relocated with his family first to Berkeley, California, and later to White Plains, New York. Early on, Miller resisted his conventional Jewish upbringing and embraced the identity of a Deadhead hippie by his early teens. At age 14, while on a camping trip in Colorado, he embraced Judaism once more and soon traveled to Israel. Returning to White Plains, he left high school behind and crisscrossed the country following Phish concerts. Back home, he consented to his parents' plan to enroll him in a wilderness school in Bend, Oregon, where reggae and hip-hop captured his interest and he started rapping at open-mike events. At 19 he moved back to New York, enrolling at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan while also joining the Carlebach Shul, a synagogue that nurtured his musical pursuits. After encountering a Lubavitch rabbi, he grew drawn to the rigorous Lubavitch Hasidic branch of Judaism and adopted the name Matisyahu.

He continued performing and formed a backing band with guitarist Aaron Dugan, bassist Josh Werner, and drummer Jonah David. The ensemble laid down Shake Off the Dust...Arise, issued by JDub Records in 2004. While on the road promoting the record, Matisyahu captured a February 2005 concert and issued the results as Live at Stubb's through Or Music in April; Epic Records later secured national distribution and reissued the set on August 23, 2005. Around the same time he prepared his next studio album with producer Bill Laswell. Youth reached stores in March 2006, ascended to number one on the reggae chart and number four on the Billboard 200, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. A dub version appeared simultaneously for mail-order purchasers.

Matisyahu's supporting players pursued separate outlets under the name Roots Tonic. Their debut, Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell, surfaced in May 2006, followed by the EP/DVD package No Place to Be before year's end. Jonah David departed in June 2007, after which Roots Tonic largely dissolved despite the addition of replacement drummer Skoota Warner. The remaining members redirected their energies toward Matisyahu, resulting in Light in August 2009; the album again led the reggae chart and reached number nineteen on the Billboard 200. Two years afterward Live at Stubb's, Vol. 2 arrived, accompanied by a DVD.

Near the end of 2011 the singer shared an image of himself with a shaved head and sidelocks, captioned "No more Chassidic reggae superstar." The shift prompted discussion regarding his relationship to Judaism, yet he clarified in interviews that the move reflected a deepening of personal faith and a wish to reshape his artistic identity. Working with producer Kool Kojak, previously associated with Kesha and Nicki Minaj, Matisyahu delivered the more secular 2012 album Spark Seeker, which carried a wider reggae-pop sensibility. It became his third straight release to top the reggae charts and reached number nineteen on the Billboard 200.

Matisyahu issued his fifth LP, Akeda, in 2014; it entered at number four on the reggae chart and entered the Top 40. Songs were composed during touring and tracked at Studio G with producer Stu Brooks. Following a tour that included a Jerusalem date, he returned to the studio for the 2016 digital EP Release the Bound, which featured contributions from Stu Brooks, the Polish Ambassador, and Salt Cathedral. Around this time he assembled a larger ensemble of longtime collaborators—bassist Brooks, guitarist Aaron Dugan, drummers Joe Tomino and Tim Keiper, percussionist Cyro Baptista, and keyboardist Big Yuki. With this collective he released 2017's Undercurrent, an exploration of an organic, jazz-tinged sound. Powered by the singles "Step Out Into the Light" and "Back to the Old," the album climbed to number sixteen on the Billboard 200. In 2021 "Chameleon" appeared as the lead single from his seventh studio album, Matisyahu, produced by Salt Cathedral.