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Artist Interviews
Q&A: Matisyahu
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 22 June 2010
Hasidic Jewish rapper Matisyahu, aka Matthew Paul Miller, is known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip hop sounds. Since 2004, he’s released three studio albums, with the latest, ‘Light’, out this week through 100% Records. On the album Matisyahu worked with producer David Kahne, as well as collaborating with Sly & Robbie, Akon and Fishbone, to name a few. We caught up with him to find out more.
Q1 How did you start out making music?
I always listened and loved music as far back as I can remember. I was also into acting and performing as a kid. When I started to get into high school I began beatboxing and freestyling with friends, then when I was seventeen, I would perform on the street and in parking lots at concerts for spare change. When I was eighteen, I started a band and played at coffee shops, open mics and local venues.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
It’s hard to pin down one thing and say that was the inspiration. My songs are based on the ideas, struggles, ups, downs, life experiences, etc over a several year period leading up to and during the writing and recording of the record. Though, one place I did draw inspiration from was from the teaching of a famous Rabbi named Nachman who was know for his stories, in particular the story of the seven beggars.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
It varies, sometimes I have a melody or a beat that lays the foundation, sometimes someone plays me a track they’ve been working on, or sometimes I will sit with a guitar player and we will ‘jam’, for lack of a better word, then go back and listen to the recording and find a part we liked and use that to lay the groundwork for a song. The next step might be programming drums around it, then laying vocals, then having musicians play parts, then mix it, then play it live for several months on the road, at which point my taste in music may have changed, so we completely change the feel and vibe, then record it. My songs are pretty much always a work in progress, changing and evolving even after they’ve been recorded and released on a record.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
At the moment my biggest influence is the band I’ve been blessed to tour with. They are called The Dub Trio.
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Nothing, the music must speak for itself. I’m not trying to sell a car over here.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I am hoping the record will get some attention in the UK and then hopefully we will come do a proper tour. Besides that, I am on tour this summer with Sublime in the US and am getting ready to start writing and recording again this fall.
MORE>> www.matisyahuworld.com
