Dan's Song-of-the-Moment: Matisyahu

Of all the Hasidic Jewish reggae, beat-boxing, hip-hop artists out there, I'd have to say Matisyahu is my favorite! Seriously, can you believe that a man of his background is creating reggae-inspired music and has gained such popularity and industry recognition to boot. I love it.

Born outside Philadelphia in 1979 with the name Matthew Paul Miller, he and his family eventually settled outside New York City. His Pandora profile starts like this: When Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album, Shake Off the Dust...Arise, his musical persona seemed to some a novelty. Here was a Hasidic Jew -- dressed in a black suit with a broad-brimmed black hat worn over a yarmulke, and sporting a full, untrimmed beard -- who nevertheless performed toasting raps about the glories of traditional Judaism over reggae beats in a dancehall style directly from Jamaica. Moreover, he punctuated his performances with stage diving. It may have seemed like a joke at first, but Matisyahu was serious about his craft, and his diverse style soon garnered Grammy nominations, gold record certifications, and a broad audience.

Since 2004, Matisyahu has released three studio albums and had a top 40 hit in 2005 with the song King Without a Crown. Our song selection today, "One Day," comes from his third studio album, the 2009 release entitled 'Light.'
I like reggae but I can't say I'm a die-hard fan....for me it's every once in a while, I get in the mood, kick on some reggae, and just chill mon.
ENJOY!