Ctrl Meets Matisyahu

Two words come to mind after meeting Grammy-nominated Jewish artist Matisyahu - ‘fusion’ and ‘spirituality’; two key aspects that make up his music, and his life…

It was quite an intense session in the plush Soho House rendezvous, as the renowned musician (who I had been watching on YouTube all day) squeezed in some time for me in between creating set lists for his London shows, and planning his trip back to the US to continue the promotion of his next album ‘Light’ (June 21 release date).

Laid back like a guru sipping on chilled tap water, almost every answer to my questions (delving into his musicality, to his thoughts on global issues of poverty and climate change) was postponed for grave thought, and deep consideration. Unlike most ‘celeb’ encounters where regurgitated template responses may roll right off the tongue, it seems Matisyahu is admittedly still on his own journey, still trying to figure out his own identity. Whilst the world’s problems continue to revolve and evolve (some of which are currently involving the people of Matisyahu’s nation), this Brooklyn-raised reggae, hip hop-influenced, pop-rock musician stays true to himself; stepping back from some global politics to tackle his own path and complexities. Enter the mind of the Israeli rapper:

What do people call you for short Matisyahu?
Just call me Matis man.

What you been up to this week Matis?
I’ve got a record coming out later this month; my next album ‘Light’ with the first single to be released off it, ‘One Day’ - I’ve just been promoting that.

Are you in the UK for long?
Only for a few days, I’m here doing a few shows including an acoustic set at The Borderline club [1]: before heading back to America on the weekend.

Tell me about your music? What is the Matisyahu sound?
Well the sound is a fusion - it has sort of a reggae core, a hip hop edge, and live…? - It has a free improvisation kind of feel.

I’ve read some things about the importance of your spirituality… Does that play a big part in your music?
I am still asking myself that question, and it’s something I’m still grappling with to find a definitive answer… The real question there I guess is ‘Who am I?’ For me, being Jewish is not separate (from me or my music), but it goes beyond just religion - Judaism is a way of life, and like my culture, my history and even the city I live in; they all serve as sources of my identity; and everything that I do (including my music), starts with my background and spirituality in a lot of ways… For example, the music itself is the expression of who I am and obviously an outcome of what I am, but ‘who I am’ relates to where I’ve come from – I was raised and born with a Jewish identity to a certain degree, so it plays a part in all aspects of my life, but we live in a modern (very secular at times) world, so whilst it (Judaism) doesn’t depict what I do, it is always at the back of my consciousness.

Has that always been the case?
As I got older I went through a big transition to consider how much Judaism would influence my life, and I realised I was lacking that part of my identity - that’s when I started to delve more into the history and issues of my background, and so it started to become a bigger part of who I am… But at the same time I don’t feel limited by it - humanity is humanity, music is music; Judaism doesn’t change my treatment of that, relationships and the world.

(About 12 minutes later, and after a few Matisyahu ‘umm’s and ‘errrr’s) –

Kind of a complex question Matis?
Nah it’s fine, to be honest I don’t want to waste my time on questions that aren’t complex; questions don’t need to be simple, nothing is black and white… Every question can be deep and treated that way, so let’s continue.

Are you proud with the sound and identity you’ve created?
Yeah. I have done something that has not really been done by too many people, which is to somehow identify and incorporate specific aspects of Judaism in my life, fusing that identity together with many aspects of modern culture, humanity, and society through my music. My whole ‘thing’ is about blending those parts to form some kind of artistic, creative connection from my roots to my current culture and audience.

Music-wise (or just as an individual), would you describe yourself as being politically and socially minded?
Not particularly… Though I guess everything is political in some way, even if you’re not political you can end up aligning yourself with some type of politics. But my nature is more spiritual and more of a search to understand my identity, my history, and my future - and less about figuring out the rest of the world.

"It doesn’t necessarily mean being ‘political’, it means respecting people, the world itself and the environment, and to not take for granted a lot of the societal norms - but to actually investigate into them and the hidden problems."

So, do global issues such as climate change and poverty ever cross your mind…?
I think one basic thing that is relevant to me is having that state of awareness, and being respectful of the world in all aspects. It doesn’t necessarily mean being ‘political’, it means respecting people, the world itself and the environment, and to not take for granted a lot of the societal norms - but to actually investigate into them and the hidden problems. For example, I recently became a vegan and stopped eating meat after reading a book on it called ‘Eating Animals’ by Jonathan Safran Foer. It opened my eyes to all of that…

Do you think…

NOTE: Matis, ever the free spirit, stops the interview and wonders off for two minutes to try and find out what is the song lightly bouncing out of the speakers… He asks his colleagues, the waitress and then me who (despite trying to figure it out) can only stutter, “I don’t know… Shall we continue?” He responds, “Yeah man, sorry, I just like that song… one more time with what you were saying…”

Do you think music itself can bring about positive change and be a catalyst for better things?
Yeah definitely, music can cut through the core and reach people if it’s authentic and done well. I think it can work in a very intuitive way; you can chat to someone, but music is a very creative way to really engage someone’s intellect through the subconscious mind. Music can simply be more emotional, and instinctual - even if the words aren’t completely comprehendible, one can understand the meaning through the language of the music. If music can reach the heart and depict humanity, it can be a powerful tool for change. And I think that’s what I try and do - relate to the world and humanity through my music.

Should more artists be using their positions and messages to challenge the status quo of societies, battle corruption and better lives for others?
I think people should do what they feel comfortable with; I don’t think they should make up statements about society if it doesn’t come from within, not unless it’s authentic. The thing is this - record companies will continue to promote artists who have nothing valuable to say (and treat it as a business to make money) as long as people are willing to buy that music. So it’s more about the nature of humanity and not those just working to make a buck out of whatever they can create; a lack of thought-provoking music is as much to do with the public - who may be willing to spend their money on McDonald’s and trash their souls with some of the music they listen to…

Who are your musical inspirations?
So much stuff, it’s hard for me to point to one influence, because if you point to one or a few names I think it will limit more than it will give people an idea of what you’re about. The one’s I’d want to say are almost too ‘cliché’, so I’d rather not say [laughs].

No worries - ‘Light’ is a fantastic album. You glad to get it done and dusted?
Yes, I’m very happy with it.

How does it compare with your 2004 hit debut album ‘Shake Off The Dust… Rise’ and the rest of your work..?
‘Shake’ was a roots reggae record, and I was really proud as that was my first album. ‘Live at Stubbs’ (2005) was a live recording and it brought in more of the influences from rock and hip hop, so it became more of a fusion. ‘Youth’ (2006) was again more of fusion, but still retaining that reggae core. And ‘Light’ - it’s the furthest out from my reggae roots - it’s unrecognisable as a reggae record; it has a couple songs that have a reggae vibe but the rest of the album is really, a… fusion.

I heard it was recorded and mixed in Jamaica, New York, LA and Virginia. You got a favourite place you’d like to settle?
Well 90% of it was recorded in New York, we went to Jamaica for a week, worked on a few tracks remixing in Virginia - but I like to be home when I can, in Brooklyn, New York.

I haven’t heard every beat yet, though I know the great single ‘One Day’ (feat Akon) is out on June 28.
Any other favourite tracks you reckon we should be looking out for…?
Well obviously ‘One Day’ I’m looking forward to getting out there - also check out the track produced by a guy called Dave McCraken called ‘For You’ - but really all the tracks I’m happy with. There’s so much fusion on this record; anything that was one style and authentically from one place, we always added other bits to mix it up. For example, with ‘Smash Lies’ which is pretty much an urban, Jamaican track with electronic beats, we brought in an oud player from Israel. On another track we got a classical guitarist to shred it up. It wasn’t mixed for the sake of it, it’s because that’s a part of me and the way I like working; and in turn I think that’s representative of the world today… Nothing is a purist as it used to be - it’s about embracing different cultures, styles, backgrounds, people and music. 

Are there any UK artists in particular you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Hmmm… sorry none come to mind [laughs]. Can you recommend anyone?

There’s loads on the UK scene I respect, depends what sound you want to roll with – but I’d suggest looking up beats from the likes of Riz MC, Plan B, obviously Dizzee…

NOTE: Matis steps away again, this time grasped into talks about his ‘set list’ for the night – a swift apology later…

So, what you reckon – ‘Matisyahu featuring Riz, Plan B, Dizzee’…?
I haven’t heard all their stuff, but maybe… maybe.

Thanks for your time Matisyahu. What will be your famous last words of wisdom?
… Well, I’ll quote one of the lyrics off ‘Light’ that is relevant to your question: “One tiny moment in time / For life, to shine / To burn away the darkness” - that’s just the idea of appreciating what we’ve got, and the realisation that we’re only here for a very short time; so make the most out of the gift of life.

Words: Dwain Lucktung.

Matisyahu’s album ‘Light’ (100% Records) is out on June 21.
The single ‘One Day’ is set for release on June 28.

For more info visit www.matisyahuworld.co.uk [2]
 

Matisyahu - One Day [3] from 100% [4] on Vimeo [5].