matisyahu

Perhaps a marketing person might crassly speak of being Hasidic as Matisyahu's "gimmick", but I'm willing to accept that he is probably quite sincere in his faith (and in his love for reggae) and that neither aspect of his image is a gimmick.

Does that really matter?

in the context of "jewface"? yeah, kinda, don't you think?

I don't think anyone's saying it debunks his faith. but musically speaking it totally makes him easy to dismiss--dude, Phish suck!

Other aspects leave me dangling. Is it okay to appropriate another culture? Is their a right way and wrong way to do this; and if so what are they? Is there a way a white guy could play a Jamaican/Carribean based music without him being accused of stealing another culture's art in a shameless ploy to make more money off of it than an actual Jamaican or Carribean artist working today ever could?

If most music is based off of appropriation (Elvis playing what was considered a black idiom; countless examples of cross cultural influence and misinterpretation spawning all sorts of genres) is this just part of the way music is made?

After reading the New York Times article on this guy by Kelefa Sanneh I go into a discussion about this with a friend. As much as I disliked his music, I still wanted to defend his right to make it. Who are we to say who can and cannot make which sort of music they want to? Of course, my friend refuted by saying that the idea of the rights of "The Artist" which must always be guarded is a very old Bourgie perspective, that basically ignores that there are other artists right now, making music in the exact same style he is, doing it better, and will not make nearly as much money as he is, basically because they're black.

I guess I'm back to where I started then. If the dude loves dub raggae seriously, in what way could he do it? Should he sing about shopping at the Vegan co-op and how annoying it is combing that beard he has and other assorted "real," White Plains-y issues he goes through? She he keep preaching the same middle of the road spiritual bullshit but drop the accent? Which way would be... uhmm... right?

Maybe he would just have to do it, and not suck.

I don't think anyone is saying Matishayu shouldn't do what he does, I think it's more 3 things:
1) That he does what he dose
2) That a label with Mr. Laswell's help decided to put it out
3) That the press decided to hype and talk about him
4) That the throngs of us consumers decided to buy it

It's hard to believe that steps 2 and 3 were realised without any sense that this is a novelty.

Also, I remember how much Finley Quaye was ridiculed, so I don't think this criticism of Matis is based on some anti-religious affilitation slur.

I mean, if Yo Yo Ma came out with a regga album, it would either be a 1) non-story because it's so stupid or 2) massively ridiculed, right?

There is always a space for experimentation, especially with new faiths and their trappings - here, rasta and reggae, Dylan's Christian period, etc.

The problem is when people drop their critical bars because they don't want to be seen as treading on what is a fundamental right here, at least in the US, - freedom of religion. But a whole lot of sanctified expression can't cover crappy singing, bad beats, and lame production.

I, for one, have not heard this guy. I'd be willing to, if for no other reason than I am always willing to listen to some new music. But if its weak, its weak.

Are we saying, Matishayu sucks because he's a shallow imitation of true reggae, which is only reinforced by the fact that he converted to reggae from being a Phishead?

But it CAN connote a sort of musical tourism that can take away from claims of spiritual depth to one's music - here, reggae from a Hasidic Jew. Especially with recently post-college kids whose ability to access HUGE varieties of music, I think you find a degree of musical ADD - no real study (repeated listenings, actually learning how to play, determining what went into the song) of the music they listen to. Hence, at least in my mind, the popularity of craptastic dorm rockers like Jack Johnson and John Mayer. There's very little substance to their playing, but often a whole lot of notes.

I regularly play in a montly blooze jam - I recognize what it is, but its still fun to go and rip some old Howlin' Wolf tunes with a competent rhythm section. The jam gets bad, however, when dudes get up and play nothing but SRV and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It devolves into Bluesaoke. Is Matisyahu Reggaeaoke?