Matisyahu

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Born in West Chester, PA and raised in White Plains, NY, the young man formerly known as Matthew Miller would undertake a monumental odyssey before discovering his path - and voice - as Matisyahu (the Hebrew equivalent of "Matthew," and the name he became known by when he became observant). Via adventures in Colorado, Israel, Oregon, and New York City, he not only heard a profound spiritual calling, but also discerned a revolutionary way to share his discoveries and reflections, via the reggae and hip-hop sounds that had long been an integral part of his day-to-day soundtrack.

Matisyahu studied Torah seriously in Hadar Hatorah, a yeshiva for returnees to Judaism, and he wrote and recorded his first album while still a student there. He counts among his musical inspirations Bob Marley, Phish, and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, while giving credit to Rabbi Simon Jacobson's book Toward A Meaningful Life for the lyrical inspiration to the title song of his new album, Youth.

Matisyahu & Kenny Muhammad

The music, developed partly with his backing band Roots Tonic has a unique sound, mixing reggae, traditional rap, and guitar solos typical of rock music. His fans are of different walks of life, religions, and ethnicities. He sometimes performs with Kenny Muhammad, a Muslim beatboxer. Matisyahu's major label debut album was produced by avant-garde musician and producer Bill Laswell, with minor contribution by pop producers Jimmy Douglass and the Ill Factor.

His reggae vocal style is along the lines of traditional Rasta Roots stylings mixed with dub sound.

On Youth, Matisyahu explores his musical universe. Produced by legendary reggae and dub producer Bill Laswell, with additional production by Jimmy Douglass and Ill Factor. The character of the album's thirteen new songs span a wide gamut. From the stark acoustic guitar driven track "What I'm Fighting For" to the syncopated African rhythms of "Ancient Lullabye" to the bumping beats, burbling bass, and of "Jerusalem," YOUTH is definitely a creative step forward for the band, one they are excited to bring to their audiences.

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