Caught between two worlds

Matisyahu discusses music, Judaism, and why religious kids don’t come to his concerts

Now that 27 year old reggae singer/rapper/beat-boxer Matisyahu has topped the Billboard charts with his critically lauded 2006 album “Youth” (Sony), released a few sleek music videos, and performed in front of thousands of fans at various venues in America and throughout the world, it’s safe to say that he can no longer be easily dismissed as a perplexing exercise in cultural appropriation or as a gimmick in Hasidic garb.

Matisyahu, who famously traded in his secular Jewish lifestyle as Matthew Miller for a Lubavitch one, recently spoke to The Chronicle from New York, as he was preparing to embark on a summer tour that stops in Milwaukee on June 26.

Do your wife [Tahlia Miller] and two young sons [ages 2 and 7 months] go on tour with you?

Yes, they do. They’ll be with me on the bus. It’s not so bad when we’re on the bus — it’s like being at home. When we’re on planes, packing and unpacking — that’s hectic.

At this point it seems like a huge segment of your fans aren’t Jewish. Do you think they have any idea about what being Hasidic means? Does that matter to you?

Everyone’s different. Some people are more educated and have more idea of what it’s about. It doesn’t really matter to me as long as people can connect to the music.

Do you ever worry about the people who come to your shows and buy your CDs because, as a Hasidic reggae singer/rapper, you seem exotic?

I think the people who are interested in me for that reason will come and go. When people come to the show, they listen to lyrics. I always listened to lyrics growing up. I would still want to hear what they [the artist] had to say. People care about what’s being said and where it’s coming from, and either they like it or they don’t.

I was struck by the image of you in a tracksuit for the “Youth” music video because you seemed to be negotiating between two very different cultures. Do you feel any pressure to appeal to both the secular world and the Lubavitch world?

Well, it’s insightful of you to pick up on that, because that’s what I was going through — I was negotiating with myself, like, where do I stand in terms of the secular world and the Jewish world?

For example, with clothing, how much does it matter? I had gone through some very intense change [from being secular to religious], wearing the [Hasidic] garb and everything.

I moved on to a place where that wasn’t the main thing. I was trying to figure it all out. I had to make the decision about the tracksuit, and it was an issue with people around me. In the end, I’m happy with the decision.

Why are you happy with it?

I wasn’t being pressured by anyone…. Everyone was very sensitive about [not] doing stuff I wasn’t comfortable with. You make the final decision. You don’t do anything you don’t want to do.

To me, it [the tracksuit] became not that important. Certain things are very important and certain things aren’t…. Certain things are black and white, but in terms of style, [it’s] a grey area.

In terms of the [Hasidic] uniform, I see that more as hurting than helping. I used to think it was great … but at a certain point, I felt like a robot wearing the clothes, speaking a certain way….

Would you say you’ve become more flexible over time, especially about the “grey area” issues?

Yeah, and I would say I’ve become more open. I’ve incorporated my old self into my new self.

Do you see many religious kids at your concerts? Are they encouraged to come?

I don’t know if they were ever really encouraged to come. Lots of religious kids, officially, are not encouraged to come to the shows or listen to the music, but [some] listen to the music with their parents.
At the shows, certain people don’t feel it’s the right place [for religious people to be]. They come and are in shock because people are getting high, making out, dancing….

When you see that going on in the audience, does it make you uncomfortable? Or is that just the way it is?

It’s the way it is. What they would gain from coming [to the concert] is much more than what they would lose. When those kids sing [along to my lyrics] … [it’s like] a religious experience. [It can be] a much more powerful experience than davening [praying], and a way to give glory to G-d.

When people are more focused on the music, that reflects, and I pick up on it. I take more chances on the music. When the crowd is partying, I want to just play a kick a— show. I’m always trying to create something real.

Matisyahu will play the Pabst Theatre on June 26 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 for general admission.