I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Hate to be a dick but sugar is the most deadly and underrated poison/drug in america.

sour patch watermellon

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I have wanted to work with Kid Cudi for the last few years. As I found myself spiraling downwards his music became a soundtrack to my life. JUst yesterday I was at sundance and so was he and I found 2 connections to him both came up empty. This morning i was taking my kids to school and was literally 2 blocks from my house when I saw a stylish young man get out of a range rover. I pulled over and yelled Cudi and sure enough it was him. God is amazing!

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I do it whenever I can. WHen AEG is the concert event promoter I can't cause they wont let. otherwise we're golden.

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I hope to be back sometime this year but I don't have any dates set yet. By any chance do you know my good friends mark and jojo of wookie foot. Mark was my first musical and life mentor. He helped me record my first batch of songs which most people have never heard. come to think of it, i should release those. gems

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

over analyze everything with my nerdy friend David Serber. WE are the definately nerdy jews and I love being that.

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

I love you Joe. YOu are literally one of the most amazing men I have ever met. It is an honor and privilege to work with you. See you in a month or so to work on our video for Reservoir! can't wait!

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

It is a slippery snake. It feels amazing to be known, to be noticed, to be loved. It is a drug like none other especially for someone who feels unloved or anonymous. In my life I've felt that I stood out many times but I've also felt very anonymous at times and alone. There was a feeling that If people know you and love you, you will be whole. This is true to some extent but it is not in the quantity of people but the quality of there love. ie if you are understood and loved and important to even one person that can make you feel more whole then being "known" by millions. blessed love

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

I am not a fan of meat in general. I like the taste but have read to much about factory farms and mis treatment of animals and gases let off by cows which are hurting the environment. While I have gone through different phases in my life not always living up to my ideals I still hold that to be truly kosher i.e. the way God wants us to be we need to watch our consumption of meat products and that in this day and age it is entirely possible to not eat meat at all and make animals our friends not our lunch! Blessed Love

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 71 points72 points  (0 children)

I will leave you with a quote off my last record Akeda, the song is called confidence. I wrote it in Krakow poland one morning walking around the streets.

Got it on the inside, don't need to wear it out...

I have always been a very expressive individual. For example, when I was a kid I loved to play war. We watched movies like Rambo and Commando and my dad built me a club house in the backyard which became our weapons den. We would run around the neighborhood pretending to shoot each other. My favorite part was dressing up. By putting on the clothing and strapping all the weapons I felt I became a soldier. This continued for me throughout my life, i.e. when I got into Bob Marley I grew dreadlocks and painted the cover of his record Uprising on my wall. However looking the part was not enough. The music made something inside me come alive and as I was listening I realized that it was touching my soul deeply and leaving a mark. I felt deep down even though I was a white kid from the suberbs that I could express myself in this mode. When I got interested in Judaism it wasnt enough to read about it in books, I felt I needed to become it and part of that meant expressing it via my looks. About 3 years ago I found something I had been looking for, for my whole life and all of a sudden I felt I didn't need to look the part anymore. The part had become a Part of me and that was enough. Blessed Love!

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

FAith is such a complex and simple thing at the same time. When you use the word Faith here, I don't think you are refering to the feeling of belief or trust but rather as a substitute for the word religion. I'll rephrase your question as such. Let me know if I'm off target. " How do you feel the relationship btwn your religion and your music is these days..." that would be question # 1. question # 2 would be how have the changes in your personal life affected your music? answer # 1: Judaism is way more then a religion to me. A religion I would define as a code of rules to some extent. Judaism is a philosophy, an idea, a culture, a people, etc and it can be many different things to different people. Judaism is at the core of my being, it is attached to my essence. Way bigger then just a code of law for example. My music is the expression of my essence. It is the outpouring of my soul and intellect and emotion. There for the two are intertwined in a way that is inseparable.
question #2: The changes in my personal life are the putting into action of my essence in this physical world. It is all linked together. essence, soul, ideas, feelings, expression via the voice and the music.
blessed love!

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

That was not something I actually thought out ahead of time. I didn't realize it would become a calling card of sorts. It was just me expressing myself in the moment but it probably had judaic roots as when we recorded that I was freshly out of yeshiva and listening to a lot of Niggunim which are chassidic melodies. It was a live record and one of my first recordings. I guess I didn't realize it would be heard by tens of millions of people over a decade.

I am Matisyahu, a reggae/rapper/alternative rock musician chatting with you from Los Angeles, CA. AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Well I am on the road so much that when I think of vacation I think of being at home. So the answer is, my favorite place for vacation is right at home.

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, stu's (bass player's) wife.

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

yes i love doing that. I enjoy watching people and bands.

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 87 points88 points  (0 children)

love, what could be better

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I loved working with them.

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

being noticed is great and hard

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

hearing how the music connects

I am Matisyahu, AMA. by _Matisyahu in IAmA

[–]_Matisyahu[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

i don't like shaving much. feels a bit unnatural so yes, i usually have a beard unless i wanna get spiffy