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sanneh and rosen both put their fingers on a nagging thing about matisyahu and the legacies of blackface minstrelsy, but i think they also miss an important dimension of his appeal to his audience: his jewishness.
of course, matisyahu is also - if we want to discuss it this way - white, and thus he's subject to the enduring critiques (for good reason) of appropriation, etc. but, as a commenter on a recent post of mine points out, for many of his fans (at least the jewish ones), matisyahu isn't simply a white reggae singer who feels "safer" (or something) than a jamaican reggae singer. he's the cool new jewish rapper dude.
this point at least seems significant insofar as it complicates the familiar scene of a white audience embracing a white guy performing blackness. it's not clear to me whether it's matisyahu's performance of blackness or jewishness, then, that's at the heart of his fans' engagement with his music. and though it's probably both, i feel like the minstrel tag perhaps oversimplifies things here, though it does set up some snaps.
how can the minstrel tag be oversimplied?...It's the story of American popular music!
jeez...
I didn't think much of Matisyahu's schtick. The idea of a Hasidic rapper was interesting for about a minute - much like the Fridgerator Perry Rap or Deion Sanders and Shaq taking the mic.
But it's interesting that both critiques did not place our friend in the context of the dead-serious and often violent NYC conflict between black nationalists and Jews. Is he a threat in that conflict or a harmless amusement?
I know that there will probably be more "snaps," but let me put up a challenge: If this is a problem, what solutions do you have?
The central messages I gather from the two posted articles are that - to put it bluntly - cultural appropriation must be punished, especially when Jews perform African-American music.
Seriously, Oliver, what's up with the spelling of white in lowercase and Black with a capital B? I can see the chip on your shoulder from cyberspace.
Jones,
You're kidding, right? Is this some kind of, um, capitalization correctness?
You caught me: I lower-case "white" as a way to punish centuries of White Supremacy. It's the least I can do.
FWIW, lowercase "white" is technically correct, if you go by AP style.
C,
I'm not sure how Matisyahu would necessarily factor into the whole history of tensions in Crown Heights, etc. I could be quite off in saying this but I don't see the Rasta and Black Nationalist traditions intersecting, especially given contemporary tensions between African Americans and West Indian communities, especially in New York.
In any case, I don't think either author is calling for "punishment". There's a rather big difference between saying, "this guy sucks and he's doing a subtle minstrel act" vs. "let's stone him."
I brought up the NYC Jewish-Black Nationalist conflict as I see Matisyahu as a white **Hasidic** jewish rapper rather than a wannabe rasta.
It's arguable that negative criticism, especially done publicly through the media, is a form of punishment.
I think every blogger/music critic from here to Jerusalem got a rather large boner when Matisyahu began making the rounds last year. Finally, a chance to dust off the minstrel show debate!
Im not really sure Matisyahu qualifies as a minstel. He's pretty upfront about being Hasidic Jew. Ive never seen him claim ala (Vanilla "I used to play football with Luther Campbell" Ice) to the contrary. That said: his music kinda bores the shit out of me.
O-Dub,
I gotta say that Im disappointed that you didn't include these passages from Rosen's piece:
"And there are more layers to Matisyahu's act. Musically speaking, Jewish reggae is not such a far-fetched idea; as many critics have pointed out, the plaintive minor-key melodies for which Jewish liturgical music (and Hasidic folksongs) are renowned are also staples of reggae. What's more, Matisyahu's appropriation of Jamaican music is really no more brazen than Rastafarians' appropriation of Jewish religious tropes. If a Caribbean islander can plunder Jewish scripture and call himself a lost tribesman of Israel, why can't a Jew sing a song to a one-drop beat in a phony patois? Lubavitcher Hasidim even have their very own Hallie Selassie-like demigod, the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who many Lubavitchers regard as Moshiach himself.
And yet, despite the copious "Hashems" and what is undoubtedly the first reference to "treyf wine" ever to appear on a Top 40 album, there is very little distinctly Jewish content on Youth. The only invocation of the idea of Jewish nationhood—Judaism's organizing principle—comes in "Jerusalem," a nonsensical riff on the Bible's most beautiful poem of exile, the 137th Psalm. (Matisyahu sings: "Jerusalem, if I forget you/ Let my right hand forget what it's supposed to do." Huh?) "
Rosen's main complaint is that "Youth" is weak musically. You, in my opnion, misrepresent her piece as s Jewish writer's denouncing of her own tribe member as a minstrel. That's kinda wack or, if you will, farkakte .
David, you just touched on the piece that I was gonna write about...and speaking as a person of Jamaican descent, however we want to grade Matisyahu's talent (seems ok, not amazing, only heard one song briefly), i find that i feel strangely more comfortable with someone so overtly rooted in their Jewishness sing rootsy reggae songs than a WASP trust-fund hippie with matted hair (also known as Trustafarians in some quarters) driving his parents crazy. I mean, if anyone else besides Rastas are gonna sing about "Zion", "the Tribe of Judah" and the "Israelites", I would probably feel most comfortable with an orthodox Hasidic Jew doing it!
but yes, at the same time, it will be interesting to see who wins best reggae album this year... that could possibly change my tune really quick
Cant believe people are mad at this. Let the dude do his thing so what? I love when critics think they are doing GOD's work or somethig. Must be a slow news month in music.
I enjoyed Matisyahu's cd but couldn't help reflecting on the fact that everyone tries to rip off black culture nowadays. Where's Benzino when you need him (j/k)
"Somewhere, Snow is having a good cry. "
Best line of the whole joint...
LOL!!
-Adisa
David,
I linked to both stories and in BOTH stories, Sanneh and Rosen both note that there's nothing very outrageous about the intersection between Judaisism and Rasta culture.
It's not like I was quoting out of context given that people were free - even encouraged - to read the full piece on their own. So chill.
And in any case, Rosen still thinks Matisyahu's schtick is minstrel-esque so it's not as if those addt'l paragraphs blunts HIS particular critique. I have no problem, whatsoever, with the idea of Hasidic Jew (or anyone else) performing reggae. I don't think the idea is problematic; it's all about the specific way in which it's done and for Sanneh and Rosen, they think Matisyahu - IN PARTICULAR - is kind of problematic.
To folks in general: people really fail to understand just how deeply-seated and pervasive minstelsy is within American culture. I don't know how many times I've heard people argue "well, I don't really think that's minstrelsy" whenver someone rasises the term. It's like the only possible way you can get people to admit it is if someone is performing with burnt cork smeared on their face.
"the imagery of Rastafarianism borrows heavily from Jewish tradition"
i agree with o-dub and ronnie, if i may, that there's no overestimating (or oversimplifying) the degree to which minstrelsy continues to inform the performance and reception of music in the US and - since minstrels were doing worldtours way back when - across the globe. but i also think that we risk overlooking a lot of the complexities of race, especially in its intersections with and co-production of ethnicity, nation, etc. - not to mention the complexities of this particular example - when we reduce everything to black-and-white terms. (n.b. - i just don't capitalize at all.)
i'm just not sure that a jewish person performing jamaicanness necessarily reduces, in all instances, to a white person performing blackness. among other complicating factors, as people have noted above, jamaicanness and (american) blackness, for all their overlap, are not always so easily reconcilable. we can hear this in the history of hip-hop, for example.
despite matisyahu's musical crappiness (though he can certainly out-beatbox and out-deejay a great many), which is what these critics could have spent more time on, the question of his cross-cultural engagement with (or appropriation of) reggae appears to be what people are harping on. but i don't see where these critics - except when rosen notes that matisyahu's jewish nationalism is hardly to be found - do their job and call our attention to the ways in which matisyahu's act fails to come to terms with the obvious, nagging problems of his adopted accent(s). certainly, one hopes, there are ways of engaging, or even "appropriating," so-called "foreign" or cross-cultural styles without always falling into the trap of minstrelsy and exoticism? or are there? it is the responsibilty of the critic, i would argue, to help listeners navigate such quagmires.
if we want to use matisyahu as a straw man, i think it would be more valuable to explore the particularities of his case in order to tease out the enduring dynamic of musically-mediated ideas of racial difference. indeed, to do less than that seems irresponsible and perhaps, for eminent critics, disingenuous.
"...people really fail to understand just how deeply-seated and pervasive minstelsy is within American culture. I don't know how many times I've heard people argue -well, I don't really think that's minstrelsy" whenver someone rasises the term.'"
Hmmm....I'd like to hear your thoughts on M.C. Jin.
I would love to get into the whole Matisyahu debate, sadly I'm at work and actually have to do some today. But (yes, as a white Jewish kid who spins hip-hop), I'm just going to briefly say that I feel that the conflation of minstrelsy and musical appropriation is a false one.
If you look at appropriation as diffusion - which is often a more accurate descriptor - I find it hard to suggest that (at a musical level) it could ever be a bad thing. Yes, opressive business models, downright theft, and cultural mockery are a problem, but the basic act of a talented musician (and I'm not addressing whether Matisyahu falls into that category) appropriating the musical styles and tropes of another race or culture shouldn't be seen as a bad thing.
So Matisyahu's music may be bland, but is he 'cashing in' on Jamaican musical tradition, or doing something that he, for whatever reason, loves? I see no outright indication that it is the former, and so I am inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
In any case, my intent in posting was just to mention that in the next topic mentioned, the Mississippi sex toy case, the paragraph - from what I understand - isn't entirely accurate. The judge's dismissal was not based on the merits, so actually has no bearing on the constitutional right of a Mississippian to buy a sex toy, but merely states that federal precedent requires that any pending criminal prosecution be completed before the case can progress.
As the sex-toy sellers still have pending cases against them, the judge dismissed the case. Not on prejudice, which means that upon the completion of the crimanal cases, the federal case can be refiled and tried on its merits. So the sex toy loving population of Mississippi need not despair just yet.
I gotta second Mr. My Shorts--- getting all worked up over someone whose music is almost universally considered bland or weak makes journogoblins come off as just starving to prove they've got an important --no, righteous-- function on this planet.
To me, all the speechifying about the role of the minstrel in popular music avoids to real question: besides banging your fist on the podium, what does somebody concerned about this issue actually DO about it, away from the keyboard?
I think everybody who's going to sympathetic to the argument already knows our culture RUNS on cultural appropriation-- it's not a lack of awareness that's the problem, it's that writers take the easy punches and close the piece all self-satisfied without ever offering up something more constructive than vague hints that white people should stop making Black music.
So do you really want this dude to stop making music? And furthermore-- should people only be allowed to make the music that their ancestors invented?
Is a Hasidic Jew making reggae more dangerous than an enterprising middle-class Black man misrepresenting himself as a drug-dealer and murderer from the projects?
"...And furthermore-- should people only be allowed to make the music that their ancestors invented?"
I would like to know your opinion on this Ronnie Brown and Oliver.
I'm from Australia, not the United States, and it always seems like we are appropriating musical styles that orginiated in the United States. Recently, Hip-Hop music made by white Australians using there own accent and trying to add their own cultural identity is becoming more popular. This is a style of music that originated in the United States, from people whose ancestors came from other countries and cultures. But I don't see why that means that people from other countries and cultures shouldn't be able to make this music.
Sean Paul has jewish blood.
There's too much circulating here to really address everything efficiently but some quick thoughts:
1) Is Jin performing a kind of minstrelsy? I know this is an attempt at card-pulling but surprise, surprise: I think one could make that argument, especially given the general ways in which cultural appropriation isn't readily spoken about between Asian and African American communities. I don't think, however, you can substitute "Asian" for "white" in the minstrelsy equation. Different histories, different social positions. Again, it might also be problematic but you can't conflate the two. Example: Is Fat Joe a minstrel?
Second of all, people have really, really, really missed the boat here: I don't think either Sanneh or Rosen (and not myself) have a problem with the idea of the fusion of Hasidim + Rasta. It's not the very EXISTENCE of such an intersection that is problematic (though some might go there). In this case, it is the particular manifestation that is being critiqued. People are losing sight of this, assuming with a knee-jerk's quickness that "oh, Rosen and Sanneh don't like the idea of Jews performing reggae." They are not saying that at all. Not remotely. Prove me wrong.
Perfect example of people going overboard in defensiveness: "Is a Hasidic Jew making reggae more dangerous than an enterprising middle-class Black man misrepresenting himself as a drug-dealer and murderer from the projects?" C'mon man, who the hell even called Matisyahu "dangerous"? That idea isn't even IMPLIED in either Sanneh or Rosen's posts.
And Kerry, 1) thanks for the clarificaiton on the sex toy story and 2) I don't every case of appropriation = minstrelsy. But I think the latter has to do with desire and as Eric Lott writes in his groundbreaking work on the history of American minstrelsy ("Love and Theft"), the act of blackface - whether real or symbolic - is wrought with a very complex and often contradictory impulses of love and hate, fear and desire. I think people tend to assume that minstrelsy - as a label - is somehow downright evil and racist at the core and I don't think that's exactly true. Sure, there is a racist element at play but it's far, far more than just that. That's why I think it's important to spend more time talking about modern minstrelsy - not to demonize people (which again, I don't think Rosen or Sanneh do) but rather, as an entry point into talking about contemporary race relations.
Lastly, I think the point that Sanneh is making, however, is that Matisyahu sells better than most other reggae artists and he thinks this is unfortunate since it means people are listening to only the blandest, wackest form of the music. It's not that much different of a critique than writing in the 1950s that it's sad that Pat Boone outsold Little Richard (though in that case, I don't think anyone would have called Boone a minstrel act, even if he was, literally, an appropriater).
I like how the only post-jazz "Jewish" artists referred to by Rosen are the Beastie Boys and Bob Dylan. Neither of these artists displayed much "Jewishness". And these are the only TWO examples from the last FIFTY YEARS of music history. Wow... profound conclusions. Am I to understand that we are now taking potshots at Bob Dylan and the Beastie Boys too??? This is some self-hate if there ever was.
The bottom line is that Jewishness has never been cool and has long been a stigma. I'm not saying Jewish people need our sympathy (they don't), I'm simply saying... "Yo, maybe this is getting a lot of attention because it's the first time a contemporary artist has been in-your-face Jewish.
I would actually argue that Matisyahu is a lot closer to Sublime or other ska-punk type bands than reggae. Why not call out Sublime and No Doubt while we're at it? To suggest that what Matisyahu does musically is an appropriation of reggae is stating the obvious: all modern popular music is in the African-American tradition.
Get over it.
My question for all of you is what are the specific items being appropriated?
Seriously, this question has not been answered.
Elvis...Pat Boone...Beastie Boys...Eminem...and now Matisyahu.
What do they have in common?
Answer: All (well, maybe not Pat Boone) have been the darling of the pop music critic...All have been given incredible amounts of press...All have have been lauded as innovators or ground breakers in approximating black cultural styles.
Now i'm not offended at white artists putting their spin on our art forms. Heartfelt imitation is flattery; but when imitators are hyped up in such a way that imitation becomes the STANDARD and the recognition for the individuals who created the genre is diminished (or in some cases eclipsed), a stink has to be raised.
Headline according to Ronnie...
"Millons Buy Matisyahu CD... But He Still Sucks."
I feel stupid having to even respond to such a ridiculous question but someone asked: "should people only be allowed to make the music that their ancestors invented"
Of course not. I've never remotely implied that in anything I've written.
It's very telling though that the question would even be asked: people are so incredibly defensive when it there's even a HINT of a critique around cultural appropriation that their only defense is: [insert huffy, puffy voice] "so does this mean only Black people can make Black music?"
Since when did it become all or nothing? You mean there's NO MIDDLE GROUND on the issue of cultural appropriation? Seriously?
Read through anything I've ever written about race and culture and it's all about the middle ground. I never have posited anything - including this Matisyahu stuff - as an either/or choice because, simply put, I don't think culture works so well in a - pun intended - black/white mindset. (I do still believe in the hegemony of White Supremacy however but that's another story).
Would you be so kind as to explain how being Asian exempts one of minstrelsy more so than being identifiably Jewish.
p.s. I wouldn't consider Fat Joe a minstrel per se, but I do raise my eyebrows when he shouts out "his n---as," and I've always wondered why more folks haven't taken issue with that.
I don't belkieve it's an issue of minstrelsy! If that is the word!
It's just that WHITE people are always looking for the great white hope. They have so much difficulty supporting music that they love unless it has a white face on it. It's the same thing with the Eminem phenomenon....True Eminem is talented but there is a reason that he sells 10-11 million copies and other more talented black artsit only sell a fraction.
White people LOVE Black music but just wont support it financially on the scale that they do WHITE BLACK music!
it's really sad!
p.s. matisyahoo debuted this week as the highest selling REGGAE artist on billboard EVER!!!!! case and point!.....whitey is running out in droves to buy this bullshit!
People really need some reading glasses. When did I say Asians were "exempted"? I said that one cannot conflate Asian with white since, last time I stepped out the door, no one ever confused me with a White person. And given that our racial histories (White and Asian) have followed, shall we say, radically different paths, I don't think it makes sense to apply a term like "minstrelsy" - which actually has a documented history rooted specifically in a White/Black encounter - willy nilly for ever case of racial/cultural appropriation.
Case in point: there were certain Black minstrels (yes, there were Black minstrels) who, as part of their performance schtick, would do caricatures of Chinese people. Real "slanty eye, ching-chongy" type stuff.
Does that mean that Black minstrels, performing a kind of "Yellow face" is equivalent to White minstrels in blackface?
Absolutely not.
By the same token, you can't talk about Asian or Asian American appropriations of Blackness and simply equate/conflate that with White appropriations. To do so assumes that Asians and Whites occupy the same positions of power within American society and culture which is just as ignorant as suggesting that Blacks and Asians occupy the same positions of power simply because we're both not-White.
"matisyahoo debuted this week as the highest selling REGGAE artist on billboard EVER!"
My mind is so blown right now. Seriously.
Matisyahu is not a reggae artist.
He has been mislabeled.
Matisyahu = Jewish Sublime
Something I should have said on the front end: I always find it interesting that whenever I raise the issues of White appropriation of Blackness, someone invaribly will write in to ask, "well, what about Asians?" which, while a perfectly fair question, has nothing to do with the question at hand. Does Asian appropriations of Blackness someone lessen the relevance of talking about White appropriations?
It'd be like responding to a post about how bad Hitler was and someone writing in to say, "yeah, but what about Pol Pot or Mao?"
i agree with O-Dub, appropriation cannot be described in "black/white" terms, ie, these people can never wear these clothes, those people can never make this music, etc etc... its all pretty much on a subjective continuum, that affects some people of the targeted group more than others. I personally start seeing red when i see a white person wearing one of those abominable Rasta tams with the fake dreadlocks sown in, but another Jamaican may feel flattered, and yet another Jamaican may have happily sold it to the aforementioned white person.
its great to talk about this stuff, because it really is about dialoguing on the complexities and hearing how people are affected in different ways... it would be even more amazing if Matisyahu was in on this conversation... but if we are trying to reach a conclusive stance of what quality of appropriation Matisyahu is enacting... its gonna be a looooooong blog thread!! My personal stance is that i would like to imagine that he has a bit more integrity on the appropriation scale than say Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Eminem, given the parallels of Rasta and Judaism. i guess the factor of how much they benefit from the traditions they imitate is another thing to consider. oh it just spirals on and on...
an interesting book to peep on these issues is Vijay Prashad's "Everyone Was Kung-Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity". pretty amazing ideas in here...maybe it could inform more of an opinion on MC Jin... or the Wu-Tang Clan for that matter
whoa... a lot went down as i was writing that last entry... Mastisyahu is WHAT on BillBoard??? whoa... need to sit down... wait i am.... bumbo claaaaaaaaat....
I'm a little blown away by the billboard stats. Somehow I'm begining to be concerned about all of this in a way I wasn't before - and I don't even listen to very much Reggae, Jewish or Rasta, Black or White (hope I got my capitalization right).
In any case, for a touch of levity on this subject, perhaps we should turn to Justin Warfield, the music world's most accomplished (I'm guessing on this one, but I think it's a safe bet) Black Jew.
Oliver did a post on him a couple of months back, though it may have been at soul-sides. It's worth checking out. Justin takes a less direct approach to blending his Judaism with his hip-hop when he says
You can call me hard rock/
Down with the shamrock/
Drinkin' Maneschevitz and I'm grabbin' my balls.
I'm not entirely sure what it means, but I like a good Maneschevitz reference in my hip-hop, and things are getting entirely too heated here.
BTW, JW has a new album out under the name She Wants Revenge. He's now gone from acid hip-hop to Arena Rock to rock-rap to new wave/post-punk. The critics seem to roundly reject it as shoddy imitation, but I think it's great.
for my next album, whatever it sounds like, i think my black ass is gonna rock a Pope outfit. and a kilt. and wooden clogs. and Hasidim curls. just for anthropological purposes, of course...
...but has anyone heard Sinead O'Connor's roots album?? i wonder how come this didn't become the huge phenomenon that Matisyahu is becoming... i definitely prefer this musically, no code-switching/fake patois, just Sinead singing over real roots riddims provided by Sly and Robbie, and doing some Burning Spear covers.... i like the pic on her myspace page, she is under a sign in Jamaica with a big head spilff in her mouth...the sign being for "Irish Town"
still not over the Billboard news tho...
The hegemony of White Supremacy = most of the people in America are white. The hegemony of Han Supremacy = most of the people in China are Han.
"Would you be so kind as to explain how being Asian exempts one of minstrelsy more so than being identifiably Jewish."
come now is just flame baiting. I don't see anyone making exceptions for Jin.
I had to roll my eyes a little when Rosen brought up minstrelsy however, and it's exactly because of O's point: is Fat Joe a minstrel? And that's too rhetorical a question than I'd like to answer... Of course he's not, but he seems to fits the technical definiton exactly. I don't think anyone really defined minstrelsy, especially where minstrelsy ends and where the opposite of minstrelsy begins, whatever the opposite of minstrelsy is.
I think the issue is that "hard" minstrelsy, ie, Jolson, has been studied and how that has been deemed racist is valid. But getting into this grey area, this "soft" minstrelsy, without the blackface, without the costumes, with the tacit or implied acknowledgement that you are imitating and not originating, but still using elements of another culture into your own artistic work, what is that? That's Matisyahu, but that's Tan Dun too.
And the whole bamboozled-style minstrelsy (blacks in metaphorical blackface) is a whole different matter. Which makes me like minstrelsy as a rhetorical topic even less.
Jones is killing me right now. Either he's being incredibly facetious in a satircal way or he's just straight up clueless as to what "White Supremacy" actually means.
Kevin: I don't know if there should be a distinction b/t "hard" and "soft" minstrelsy. I don't think minstrelsy - as a concept - should begin or end with burnt cork. That's like saying Bull Connor is the defining standard around "hard" vs. "soft" racism. I do wish we could use the term more without forcing people into reactionary poses because, at that point, it's the term that becomes the focal point of conversation.
How about instead of simply using the term like...
Matisyahu = minstrel show
...people identify what it is about Matisyahu that SPECIFICALLY raises issues.
Interestingly, I see very few specific references to either his lyrics or the qualities of his music on this page.
I agree with Oliver that we are basically having a semantic discussion that pretty much ignores the actual music of Matisyahu and why he is popular. Saying he is popular because he is white is incredibly simplistic.
I'm just playing with words is all.
StinkZ: Yeah, I agree - it's a red herring to get caught up in the semantics. And I hardly think Matisyahu's whiteness - alone - explains his popularity. I think what Rosen and Sanneh both try to impart - perhaps imperfectly - is that Matisyahu's music appeals to a particularly tepid form of reggae/dancehall aesthetics that's closer to white funk jam band (hello Phish!) music and thus, helps explain his appeal to mostly white crowds even if hardcore dancehall purists would wonder where all the bass went.
I do think his appearance is part of his appeal because there is a novelty/gimmick issue at play here. One can't deny that.
One more thing: if people are avoiding talking about Matisyahu's music or lyrics, it's really because people are getting sidetracked onto this whole "is it minstrelsy or not" debate. I think Rosen and Sanneh take great pains to talk about Matisyahu's music specifically as a way to show that they're not dogging this dude just because he's Hasidic.
I wasn't flamebaiting, Kevin. I really wanted to know what O-dub's take was. If you're going to call a Jew a "minstrel" simply because he wants to sing reggae or rap, I want to know why another American "minority" (I hate that word but can't think of a better term right now) can do the same but somehow escape the same label. Jews occupy the same positions of power that Whites do? Jews and Asians don't share a similar history of discrimination in America and abroad? Please.
Personally I love MC Jin, and I'm especially grateful for his conscious lyrics, which include shouting out Asian women and shutting down Miss Jones. By the same token (no pun intended) I love MC Serch and Invincible, and I'm not going to bother questioning whether their appropriation of a Black art form is "minstrelsy" or not.
As for Matsiyahu, TBH I've seen him once on an Internet video and thought, "Oh, how novel," and promptly went onto other, more important things in my life. I too fail to see how he could top the Billboard charts (would appreciate some hardcore proof of that, BTW) but that's not what I'm taking issue with.
I agree with Skwid that "minstrelsy" is a harsh word to describe this type of cultural appropriation. I hereby extend a potential new term, as well as an olive branch, perhaps instead of "minstrelsy" we could call it, "cultural MISappropriation"?
Oh, and Pope fflood, if you DO come out with that album, I'll be the first on line to buy it, and help send it to the top of the charts! 
CN: First of all, Asian and Asian American appropriations of Blackness do get called out all the time, with or without the term "minstrelsy" being attached. Again, the history of minstrelsy is very particular to a Black/White experience. Minstrelsy does not simply apply to any situation where there is cultural appropriation any more than the term "anti-Semitism" means "discrimiantion." Like I said, I don't want to get caught up in semantics here but the term "minstrel" is not all-purpose: it has a particular meaning (however complex) which has very much to do with the history of Black/White relations.
And speaking of race relations and the question of White/Jewish/Asian - we could spend days on this but here's the short response: most Jews are not coded as racially different from Whites. And the history of anti-Semitism - as Wayne Marshall and Joe Schloss have expressed quite articulately - cannot be conflated with the history of racism. The two manifest in very different ways and have different sets of meaning.
I didn't raise the specter of an Oppression Olympics; it's not about "who is more discriminated against". I'm talking about racial realities which dictates that while the average Jewish American of Ashkenazic descent could very well be subject to anti-Semitism if his heritage/religion is known, that same person could also choose to "pass" (as many Jews have indeed done) as a WASP. Moreover, as a group coded racially White, most Jewish Americans (again, I'm talking mostly Ashkenazic and not Sephardic) can lay claim to the privileges of Whiteness in ways that non-Whites (Asians included) cannot.
None of this is to say that anti-Semitism is not a virulent, evil and omnipresent force in American social life. But life under anti-Semitism can't be conflated as equivalent to life under racism OR VICE VERSA. They are two different manifestations of discrimination.
In any case, just because some Jews suffer from anti-Semitism doesn't afford them a free pass on racial transgressions any more than claiming that women who suffer from sexism can't also be racist or that people who suffer from racism can't also be sexist, homophobic or anti-Semitic.
I just don't get how this is relevant here unless you think anti-Semitism was informing Rosen or Sanneh's critique of Matisyahu as minstrel-esque.
Lastly, since we do keep coming back to semantics, what exactly is the difference between a racial MISappropriation and minstrelsy if the racial misappropriation involves Whites misappropriationg Blackness? I'd suggest that one definition of "minstrelsy" we could use is precisely based in the misappropriation of Blackness by Whites.
Yeah, but you still haven't made it clear what this guy has done to "misappropriate" Black (or more specifically,Jamaican) culture. That's why your initial post caused so many people (well, at least ME) to take umbrage.Throwing in the references to Saaneh and Rosen's articles -- which singled him out as not just another white guy, but as a Jew -- added fuel to the fire.
If Matsiyahu's schtick was done in a spirit of mockery or ignorance (a la Vanilla Ice or early vaudville) I could see your point, but, from what little I know of this guy, he is a genuine Hasidic Jew who genuinely loves reggae and wants to be taken seriously as an artist.
That he is so overhyped because of his background is unfortunate, but hardly his fault.
...oh, and the reason I threw in the Jin reference was because from his lyrics and his bio you can tell he is very much in the same situation as Matsiyahu... an "outsider" not just in society at large but also within the world of hip hop, with an overriding passion (and talent) for the music which transcends racial/religious/socioeconomic barriers, (to beat a cliche to death), I wanted to know if you'd begrudge one their success over the other. (By "success" I mean recognition of fellow-artists, not commercial success per se.)
Our subject: a former Phish-head who becomes a Hasidic Jew and plays music that sounds like Sublime.
Could it get anymore WHITE?
That doesn't sound anything like any black people or culture that I can think of. It sounds like a white dude making white music for mostly white people. Maybe the new minstrelsy is actually a parody of white people.
But, again, don't underestimate the pent-up purchasing power of an artist who is the first artist to fully represent a culture in the mainstream. The story of Jin's reception seems quite relevant. I mean, if Matisyahu is a minstrel... but not Jin... that's an obvious double-standard. Jin's got bitches and hos in his videos and he plays the part of the typical rap alpha male.
I definitely agree with a lot of what has been said, but for me I wonder at what point does the appropriation (however mis-ly) become an independent form? I mean, where in all those noodlely Phish jams is the "blackness"?? Are Sublime minstrels? Were the Sex Pistols minstrels?
Unless it's blatant propaganda, I say cut artists a little slack.
everybody chill out!
INFORMER! awepoiasdjfpaosdifjaflaaayuhh.. aleeky bom bom dooowwwn!!
there. (wipes hands) that ought to do it.
maybe the biggest question to emerge here is, who the hell is matisyahu's PR agent?
for real - dude's got more buzz than blue mountain coffee.
getting him labeled as a reggae act is something of a coup, too, thus landing him with the biggest debut in billboard blahblahblah. if gwen stefani or sublime were so labeled (and they are closer kin to matisyahu than, say, richie spice or i-wayne), then i suppose he'd be supplanting their sales records rather than damian marley's.
also, only b/c i remembered this, i once saw snow and sean paul on the same bill (not personally, but i saw the poster) when i was living in jamaica in 2003. in my experience, jamaicans receive non-jamaicans performing reggae with a mix of amusement and pride and tend to reserve scorn for those who can't really perform at all. that's another thing that gets lost in this discussion: the particulars of american racial ideologies, widely exported as they may be.
oliver,
rosen and kalefa are painfully STRETCHING with that minstrel argument. minstrelism is generally equated with some form of mockery or negative stereotyping. if rosen and kalefa want to put that branding on him, then lets see some evidence.
matisyahu is a hasidic jew singing about religion using jamaican reggae beats and lyrical style. i think the only thing debatable is whether his "fake jamaican accent" is offensive. if it is, than please add sublime, 311,lil kim and biggie to that list as well.
also, do you believe that if matisyahu grew up in jamaica there would be any reason for these critics to accuse him of appropriation or minstrelism?
To add another layer to this discussion of identity:
Matisyahu might be getting alot of attention as he is HASIDIC. I think the Jewish image most prevelant in popular culture is that of the Woody Allen nebbish. If you don't live in L.A. or NY, odds are you've had little or no exposure to this sect of Jews. I wouldn't be suprised if half the people who see him on MTV2 think he's Amish.
I don't think you can write off Matisyahu as another Vanilla Ice (though I can assure you that there will be several hunderd copies of Youth in your local record stores USED CD section within six months) as he doesn't claim to be Jamaician. If his presence on the musical landscape sparks debate than Im glad he's here.
I'm not feeling Matisyhau at all, but more power to him if he's found a way to connect with his "peops" and make a profit. I'm just glad he didn't do the gangsta route & come with grilles & hoes. But then Jews don't believe in pre-marital sex, do they?
let us not forget that minstrelsy was a way for white society to explore and enjoy Black culture (stereotypes or no) without having to openly confront the obvious contradiction having those same Black folk under the boot of slavery/jim crow.
This is the primary contradiction of so-caled white supremacy...an ongoing attraction and latent envy of a people and lifestyle of a people whites claim to be "superior" to...
Matisyahu, is the latest edition of a long line of predecessors. His religious heritage is of no consequence. White artists doing any cover of a Black art form will (by their very presence) receive an enormous amount press and be treated as individuals who have somehow ELEVATED the genre, as opposed to being someone who has put their spin on it. The genius and creativity of the Black creators will be ignored or eclipsed by the avalanche of publicity given to the novelty of white guy doing Black music.
White folks would forever be fixated on trying to find a second-rate "great white hope" substitute then to enjoy the contributions of Black founders they are biting from...
"minstrelism is generally equated with some form of mockery or negative stereotyping."
Note: Sanneh never uses the term "minstrel" though Rosen quite explicitly does. I think one might infer that he finds Matisyahu's act to be minstrel-esque but not knowing how Sanneh defines the term, it's hard to say. I don't think Rosen is stretching things, especially if, by minstrelsy, he's including examples such as Jolson or the Beastie Boys.
Again, I don't think we should get stuck on semantics when it comes to discussing Matisyahu but if you are going to define minstrelsy, it goes beyond "mockery" or "negative stereotypes". Adam Carolla mocking Asians is not minstrelsy.
To me, minstrelsy - and I think Rosen's definition would fall into this - is about the desire of Whites (historically) to experience and perform Blackness. It's not just about gestures - though gestures are an important part of it - because what ends up happening is what you see above: arguments where people say, "so...is a fake Jamaican accent the only problem here?" I mean, it's not about a checklist where, if you have too many boxes x-ed off, you test positive for minstrelsy.
In any case, I think what people are losing sight of here is that the fundamental criticism in both Sanneh and Rosen's pieces is that Matisyahu is making shitty reggae music that too many people are buying into (literally). For Sanneh, his concern is that this will have the effect of diluting people's awareness of what "good" reggae sounds like and for Rosen, he's adding the additional concern that politically speaking, there's nothing to celebrate here despite people's desire to position Matisyahu as some kind of progressive, one world, unifier.
People keep getting this twisted so let me repeat myself: I don't think there's anything wrong with a Hasidic Jew - or Buddhist monk - doing dancehall/reggae. That mere fact isn't enough to be problematic, especially considering how hybrid dancehall/reggae culture is to begin with.
Now...rhyming with a fake Jamaican patois? Well, at the very least, that'll catch people's attention, especially if you are a Hasidic Jew. Unless, as someone noted, you were a Hasidic Jew from Kingston. Except that Matisyahu is not, in fact, from Jamaica.
By the way, David: Vanilla Ice would have been hated on even if he had never invented a street past that wasn't real. His whole steez was going to piss off people; the fake past just made it worse. But in any case, I wouldn't compared Matisyahu with Vanilla Ice since, historically, we're talking about two very, very different eras in American culture.
i can find the evidence in the Billboard Top 200 that Matisyahu enters at 4, and the next reggae album is Sean Paul's "Trinity" at 29... but where does it say that M's album is the top selling "reggae" album of all time? i mean, more than Bob Marley "Legend" world wide? The "Harder They Come" Soundtrack? Sean Paul? help me out somebody
Ronnie,
I hear you but I don't think anybody, anywhere is suggesting that Matisyahu is somehow "elevating" reggae music. He's not being celebrated as an innovator though I do think he's probably getting props - from some - for being a "cultural bridge" or some multi-culti -speak like that.
As has been noted, I think he makes good press not because he's White. Or a Jew. But because he's HASIDIC which comes with a very specific set of visual tropes. As someone joked, if he were Amish instead, he'd still make the news.
Jin is actually a good example because he got all this press SIMPLY FOR BEING Asian. His abilities were really quite secondary to the interest the media took in covering him. It's no surprise then that Matisyahu would turn some heads - the visual contrast is just so striking for many.
FFlood,
I think you misunderstood: Matisyahu's CD is the highest charting debut for a reggae CD on the Billboard pop charts. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the best selling reggae CD of all time.
This isn't surprising though since it's rare to find that many reggae/dancehall artist who have enough crossover hype to really get a debut release that high in the charts though I wouldn't be surprised if the previous holder of the record was Sean Paul given the amount of press he typically gets.
i'm pretty sure the "previous holder" was damian marley, who, just this fall, broke the record sean paul had set a week or two earlier. not sure about the broader history of best-selling reggae debuts, though. it's all about hype.
Oliver,
I'm reading the reviews good brother...The Ragga Muffins Festival (formerly Bob Marley Day) out here in Long Beach, Ca. recently; local reviews lauded the cat like he was the second coming...
I've been watching this "dog and pony" show for years. Critics almost imply that White artists doin' black music almost "sanctify" or legitimize the genre...Eminem's inner turmoil set to lyrics was lauded as an introspective artist diggin' deep within to "articulate the demons roaming in his soul"...White parents called his raps liberating for God's sake!. The same reportage from a black rapper is considered the beginning of the decline and fall of Western Civilization.
Elvis is called "the King" for a reason...
Ronnie... Until the 1980s, I think most of us here can agree that black musical pioneers were not given full credit for their contributions, and if so, usually in a retrospective manner.
But in what way is Matisyahu a "cover". It would seem his influence is more derived from other white artists. Or are you suggesting a permanent musical debt?
What are you suggesting Matisyahu and the white audience do differently?
It seems as if they can do no right by your cover logic.
Are you suggesting...
1. That Matisyahu not do music with any black music unless he explicitly gives credit at the begninning of each song?
2. To whom should credit go? Sublime? No Doubt? Phish?
If white people and black people have true and legitimate cultural differences, is it fair to expect them both to have the exact same music heroes too? Is it racism if black people are not feeling Phish? Was Duke Ellington obliged to announce his appropriation of European musical traditions?
When does a cover or a cover become common cultural property? Must I always introduce a reggae song as "By the way, this was invented by black people... I apologize if I make some money off of it."
I don't disagree with your fundamental point. Black people don't get the credit they deserve. But you seem to be suggesting that any white artist who is influenced by black music is guilty unless they make music that is fully embraced by black people.
Again, what are your SPECIFIC problems with Matisyahu and his PR.
TYPOS:
"1. That Matisyahu not do music with any black influence unless..."
"When does a cover of a cover become common cultural property?"
Also, I would like to point out that there is a shout-out to Bob Dylan on "Funky Side of Town" by James Brown, although I don't think this was because Bob Dylan influenced James Brown 
okay skwidawd (is this Eric?), i thought i was clear...let's do specfic.
1. Matisyahu is doing a very tepid, watered-down interpretation of Jamaican dancehall
2. The press that he is receiving doesn't paint him as a novelty, as another in a long line imitators, but as an INNOVATOR...because he has softened the patois and smoothed out the dub, he is viewed as someone who has uncovered a hidden jewel that pop culture is just now getting hip to... he appeals to the transitory, superficial reggae lover...the white fan who has reduced the social/political foundation of reggae to recreational herb smoking and a shallow embrace of the concept of "one love"...
Whether Matisyahu is tepid seems not relevant. He has a right to suck, regardless of his race. And surely he cannot be blamed for the fact that his fans -- being mostly white -- are ignorant of black music history. That 'yahu is not an innovator would also seem a side point, as most artists -- black or white -- are not innovators.
My main issue is with this minstrelsy label and the standard to which we hold young, white music artists. What more could we expect of a Hasidic, former Phish-head? He's a white kid and his music reflects that. That he make reggae is not out-of-line... white kids love reggae, even if only like 3 artists (Marley(s), Cliff, Spear).
Again, I would say his music is much closer to Sublime or other skapunk socal bands than any Jamaican artist... by a long shot.
If he is "covering" a reggae artist... then whom?
Again, I agree with you that black music and history is still greatly neglected, but I think putting the minstrelsy label on 'yahu seems unfair. You also seem to suggest that all white artists are minstrels. That just seems like bitterness talking. Not that a little bitterness isn't understandable.
oh, yeah... sorry, it is Eric.
hey ronnie!
Eric,
his tepidness is relevant because the pop culture gatekeepers are promoting him as an artist with creative weight; which is why questions about his seemingly blatant swap meet knock-off approach to dancehall are being brought forth...and i don't think you have a solid definition of what a minstrel is.
and btw, bitterness is symptomatic of justice delayed and denied...
My $.02 worth: hmm, boring, on to the next article.
Props everybody for a dope discussion. Lots of issues on the table and good-faith argumentation. Thanks, O-Dub, for the venue.
I love how black writer's never give credit to any race that innovated within "black culture". Last time I looked, most of Hip Hop culture from the early days was latino dominated. Indeed, every other film footage of b boying or graffitti art is by latino's, and wasn't a white( greek) dude the first graffiti artist?
Of course African Americans have given a lot to pop culture, but from Biz Biederbeike, Benny Goodman, Camron Paul, Rick Rubin, Ted Demme, white's have blown up black culture and introduce to a wider audience the art form, and they just get hated for their trouble.
Eric -
I think the very valid point that Ronnie is addressing here is that it isn't 'yahu's tepidness qua tepidness that's the problem - there is, as you point out, no shortage of bland artists - but the reception that he receives in spite of that blandness. The criticism isn't necessarily directed towards Matisyahu himself for being uninventive, but toward the pop culture establishment which elevates him implicitely to the level of a groundbreaker or innovator.
This is problem because a black artist working in the same vein would be largely ignored. So no one is hating on him for being bland, or even for being fake - I don't think any of these articles question his attachment to his music. Any disillusionment is probably more brought on by the undeserving success that's garnered by virtue of his race and (very visible) religion.
oliver,
it seems like your biggest problem with matisyahu is that he is a sub-par artist who is selling a lot of records simply because he is white. i agree, but that doesnt make him a minstrel show, rather, it merely tells you something about his fans.
i can't tell you how many requests i get for that new robin thicke song when i am djing (to mostly white people) even though "i wanna love you girl" sounds like someone doing poor karaoke to a sped up frontin'.
in the same regard, check out a sports bar this weekend and see how many (white)people are cheering for gonzaga....or jj redick.
black people dominate sports and rap/r&b music and white people love to see/hear a white dude competing.
the minstrel argument is a huge stretch, but i can see why journalists have chosen that path, it makes for a good debate (74 comments!).
uh...those "Latinos" you speak of are part of the African diaspora. Black doesn't end at the borders of the United States. Let's be clear...Hip-Hop's sole creators are from the Afro-caribbean, Afro-Latino, and African American communities...
secondly, the contributions of Black culture are compelling on their own merits; it needs no leg up from white society to "blow it up"...in fact, history has shown quite the opposite...white audiences have always been on the outside fiending to get a look see at what's goin' on in black folks cultural backyard...see, you don't realize, when black people create a thing, IT'S ALREADY BLOWN UP, everyone else is tryin' to catch the train before it leaves the station...
Kerry,
you hit it square on the jaw, playa!
Ronnie,
In my opinion, white people have given hip hop culture a lot more than is acknowledged. Arthur Miller brought Afrika Bambaataa to the mainstream, we all know about Rick Rubin, Mantronix,The Beastie Boys, Dust Brothers, it goes without saying, where would Hip Hop be without their innovations. Still alive and kicking but perhaps on a different path. Anyway, here is a knowledgabe writer on the subject:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/.../14/
bocha14.xml
RHH -
This seems like a somewhat fruitless line of discussion to me. Would Ronnie suggest that white people have brought nothing to hip-hop innovation or awareness? I doubt it - he'd be pretty foolish to assert that seeing as how it's plainly untrue.
But that's beside the point. The point is that white people have systematically received more acclaim for their contributions than has been warranted (not to say that much of their acclaim hasn't been warranted) while black artists of equal or greater caliber have been slept on because mainstream America often hasn't been comfortable with the ideas that they've espoused, or, even more blantantly, they simply haven't been as comfortable with the color of their skin.
So for you to suggest that white people have been underapreciated in hip-hop seems to me to be a bit of stretch, considering that a white act is more likely than the same act, were they black, to receive acclaim.
I also think it's telling that the examples of white hip hop innovators (all groups and people that I enjoy) have received pretty widespread acclaim. What teenage white suburban trap-hop fan hasn't heard of the Beastie Boys? But how many of them do you think have heard of Grand Wizard Theodore?
er, you think white people have got acclaim in hip hop? Maybe from pop outlets but from the people they respect and want to impress the most, it's "Elvis this" or "culture stealer that", there always seems like bitterness attached to it. Look at eminem, he is always apologising for being white, always having to apologise for selling all these albums. All I am saying is lets spread the credit around a little and acknowlede all things all races have contributed. The intellectual bullying of this Jewish cat seems a little harsh to me, in fact, reggae dudes should be flattered.
sigh i miss junichi. funny, insightful, informative, had a point...
RHH -
Yeah, cred from the heads is nice and all, but it wasn't a white rapper who said 'it's all about the benjamins," because the white rappers rarely have to. When it comes down to dollars, white appropriation of black music is a pretty lucrative enterprise.
Ok, last few comments and then I'm outta this discussion and figure out what the hell I'm going to post next.
Real Hip Hop: You're overstating the point by a country mile. Hip-hop's canonized history has tended to exclude a lot of different cats but the idea that white pioneers have been systematically erased is a pretty ludicrous claim. In any case, as Kerry pointed out, a lot of white cats might not have gotten credit but a lot more of them got the money and that's a whole 'nother imbalance.
By the way, you don't mean Arthur Miller. He's a playright. Wrote "The Crucible." Used to be married to Marilyn Monroe. You mean Arthur Baker, who produced "Planet Rock." And who introduced Baker (who was not from NY, but rather, Boston) to hip-hop? A half-Black/half-Filipino singer from Spanish Harlem named Joe Bataan. It's not like Baker came into hip-hop fully formed either.
As for Matisyahu: I'm waiting to see a Black Hasidic Jew drop a dancehall album. That'd be next level.
And lastly: to "You're All So Intellectual": Hey, I miss Junichi too. But you don't have to be a jerk about it.
Yep Oliver, I meant Baker, not Miller, those 2 names easy to confuse, peace.
Ronnie,
I understand your analysis: white artists often get breaks that black artists don't. No one disputes this. And Yahu is getting attention that might otherwise go to Mobb Deep or E-40.
But I think your current target (Yahu and his press reception) are maybe not as evil as you paint them. First of all, there ain't gonna be any Hasidic black artists that get a reception like this because the black community won't embrace that. The black community has a much narrower range of what it will embrace, and that range seems to get more narrow over time. Yahu represents something different, if only in a lip service manner... but his image is certainly very different... and let's face it: image is very much what he is selling. And, far as I can tell... his image is one of tolerance and positivity.
I think you are totally overlooking the fact that while, yes, he is clearly white... he is also overtly Jewish. Since when was this cool? If Elvis were Jewish... would he still have been the "King". I think not. At the very least, can we accept that this is a sign of growing tolerance for Jews? I mean, you can't say that about most countries.
I say let white people have their Jewish hero of the moment. Even if it is at the expense of artists like Sean Paul, Shaggy, Damian Marley (all of whom have gotten plenty of shine in the press), there is a big positive to this... which is that Jewish people now have someone to OVERTLY represent them in the mainstream (not just as a last name or heritage).
Also, if you are gonna say he is a cover or knock-off of an actual reggae artist... then please state whom. Be specific please.
"I'm not a king, just a minstrel."
- Curtis Mayfield, Pat Kelly, etc.
skwidawd, I don't think a secular Jew turned Lubavitcher is likely to do a good job of representing contemporary American Jewish identity as a whole in popular culture. I think he is probably closer to representing a cartoon image of Orthodoxy to the non-Jewish masses. So now he's a double minstrel...
Yahu is only cartoonish in so much as ALL Lubavitches are basically walking cartoons. And if you've seen the "ads" for Chabad... you can see that a lot of Orthodox Jews are not reluctant to use cartoonish silhouettes to portray themselves.
I'm not saying he is an accurate representation of a "typical" Jewish person (which doesn't exist, because Jews are so diverse). I'm saying he is simply OVERTLY Jewish. And I think it is no coincidence that he is very closely following the rise in popularity of Sara Silverman, another overtly Jewish person, if you could call her stick much more than simply weird L.A. Jewish chick.
Historically, it has not been good PR for Jews to expound on their Jewishness. This is a change in tolerance that I believe should be recognized as such, even if you take issue with the Lubavitch sect being overrepresented.
Kerry (good lookin' out!) essentially summed up my feelings on this subject. White youth did have their part to play in spreading Hip-Hop...most were inspired participants...the blessed few (Rick Rubin in particular) can, without arguement, be deemed as innovators or groundbreakers...but bottom line, the primary movers/creators of this culture are children of the African diaspora who's achievements routinely get pushed to the margins without proper due everytime a white kid steps to the mike and a white critic declares that a copy is light years better than the original.
moving on...
(if this prints more than once, my bad, nuthin was coming up, and i waited 30 secs and everything) ~ff
omg... 89 (now 90) comments?? dayum, we are some triggered mofos by this stuff... i say, lets keep going till we reach a consensual conclusion. sike!
but whoa THANK YOU OLIVER for straightening me out on the Billboard tip. I was fully crushed (but in disbelief) that 'Yahu coulda beat out Bob Marley (or even Shaggy) as top selling reggae artist. exhale.
on to the next topic, s'been real y'all...
peacefflood
its a shame everyone on this post is both defensive and argumentative. its a real turn off to see how every single view has a hint of arrogance in it. theres very little constructive dialogue and sense of respect.
if you think im talking about someone else, im actually talking about you.
well then you best turn the channel, dispenser of all wisdom!
Calling the contributions of caucasians to hip hop unrecognized is pretty silly. The only person you could possibly make that argument about is Paul C. And had he not been killed so early on in his career, many more people would surely know of him.
Matis breaking that bilboard record is pretty disapointing but not shocking at all. I can't imagine Ashlee Simpson selling a few million more copies than Karen O. (the performer whose style she totally bit).
Green Day sells more than Ted Leo. Chingy winds up selling more than Bun B. Dead Prez more than The Coup.etc...etc...
There's another way to look at this.
Let's say it is natural that people look for artists "like themselves" in the media. White kids are excited to see a white reggae artist. Is that wrong? And the media is looking for one too, and is willing to hype this person. No one questions that excluding a worthy black artist is wrong, but is hyping Yahu a sin, especially when he has received an enormous word-of-mouth response?
As the only prominent white "reggae" artist of the moment, Matisyahu is able to capture the entire pent-up market for a white hip hop artist. Maybe if there were other prominent white reggae artists, it might not be such a big deal, and maybe the next white reggae artist won't get such a huge response. I don't know.
Sorry, but it is definitely big news when a white person makes a strong showing in a cultural form dominated by blacks. To me, this should be seen as much as a compliment to black creativity. Sure, IDEALLY black people would get more credit and two black history months, and Malcolm X and Louis Armstrong holidays, and mandatory positive articles in every newspaper. But that doesn't mean tearing at Yahu is the way to get that.
Just like in Do The Right Thing, I think it is natural for people to want to see "their people" or "people like them" on the wall of the pizza parlor. If Matisyahu is the only prominent white reggae artist, then it only seems natural that he will get a huge spotlight.
One other thing, I think this whole argument that Yahu sucks, therefore he doesn't deserve the attention is ridiculous. This isn't about some objective competition. This is about what people enjoy. I don't see anyone here arguing that Yahu invented reggae.
Also, on the subject of his "fake Jamaican accent", does anyone know if he actually speaks patois with an accent? Because if it is only his singing voice, I think people should cut him some slack on that. There are plenty of people whose singing voice doesn't sound like their talking voice. This is entertainment people.
and i said i was through...sigh!
..."it is definitely big news when a white person makes a strong showing in a cultural form dominated by blacks"
strong showing?...only in the eyes of white reggae fans.
"dominated" by blacks?...Blacks created the genre...a freudian slip perhaps?
The $64,000 questions:
Why is it so noteworthy when a white person engages in a cultural art form created by black people?
Why is it that white kids need a white reggae artist?
Well, I decided not to post anything after you said "moving on", but then people kept talking and I couldn't resist.
If Yahu is not making a "strong showing" then there's nothing to worry about, right? Whether you like his music or not doesn't change the fact that he is selling crazy units and he's playing reggae festivals and a lot of people do enjoy his music. Being a snob doesn't change this.
With regard to the $64,000 question, let me answer with a question:
What is wrong with white kids wanting to see a white person make reggae?
The bottom line is that reggae doesn't get much attention in the States because, aside from the occasional Sean Paul or Shaggy hit, it doesn't sell much. Yes, he wouldn't get this kind of attention if he weren't black. Nobody is questioning this.
If Ronnie were in charge of a music magazine, I guess he would...
a. promote artists that don't sell units
b. ignore Matisyahu even though he sells millions
c. go out of business because he was more concerned with "justice" than selling magazines
er, I meant "if he weren't white".
Eric,
1st rule of debate...never answer a question with a question.
Now if Ronnie were in charge of a music magazine i would:
1. devote my editorial focus on artists whose talent DEMANDS exposure and elevates the art form rather than second-rate hacks who appeal to second-rate tastes that generate the sales numbers that get everyone's attention.
2. develop alternative advertisment revenue streams in order to withstand the record company push to promote these copy-cat, swap meet knockoffs!
Now you readily admit that Matisyahu would not be gettin' this attention if he weren't white (the fact that he's Jewish is just hype piled on top of hype) so please...answer my original question!
OK... you win. I'll answer your question. But this is surely not a debate. I mean, you are the one asking ME the questions, right?
Ronnie: Why is it so noteworthy when a white person engages in a cultural art form created by black people?
Eric: It is noteworthy because it signals the beginning of a number of different scenarios acceptance, integration, coopration. In this case, I would say it is a little of all of the above, but overall I think we can spare a few weeks' of press attention. At least the attention is being focused where it should be -- reggae -- instead of some 50th generation rip off like Britney Spears. Not that I'm hating. I put the onus on the consumer, not the artist or the media.
Ronnie: Why is it that white kids need a white reggae artist?
I don't think white kids need a white reggae artist, so much as they are more receptive to a white reggae artist. In Matisyahu, I think a lot of white kids simply enjoy seeing someone they might consider to be like themselves, whether this is just wishful projection or pathetic ignorance. American audiences are notorious for having difficulty getting into reggae.
Is Matisyahu bad for reggae? Everyone has to start somewhere. A lot of these Matisyahu fans have seen him opening for artists like Luciano, and they are going to see Yahu at reggae festivals and with other "legitimate" reggae artists. At the very least, maybe it will be good cross-exposure for other artists. But I still say, let the white people have their fun. The only person losing press to Yahu is Britney Spears and 50 Cent.
"coopration"
lol... i meant cooptation. definitely NOT cooperation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisyahu
"I don't think white kids need a white reggae artist, so much as they are more RECEPTIVE (emphasis mine) to a white reggae artist"
i wonder why.
So, in order to create a greater appreciation for reggae in white Americans a lesser talent like Matisyahu must be pushed to the forefront?
That must mean i'd rather have Steve Urkel take up martial arts because i'm unable to appreciate Bruce Lee...
You can dwell on the negative or you can dwell on the positive.
We both agree this is not an ideal world. We both agree that reggae artists get ignored in the U.S. (by both blacks and whites, I might add). In fact, reggae is probably more popular among whites in this country. But let us not get sidetracked.
I am simply pointing out that Matisyahu is not entirely bad for reggae or music in general. I do not believe that every unit sold by Matisyahu is one unit not sold by a "legitimate" artist. At the very least, he is either a distraction from the usual corporate swill, or he is an introduction for those who wish to dig deeper.
I posted that wikipedia entry to show that -- even if it's a bunch of lip service -- the entry have a nice extensive listing of "legitimate" reggae artists. Although I must say I try to let people enjoy music without reducing it to politics.
What's next?.. oh those white people... they never eat spicy food... racists!!!
Eric, haven't you heard?...black folks don't care if you don't eat spicy food!
you were tryin' to crack a funny, right?
Thank you for pointing out that YOU think Matisyahu is not entirely bad for reggae or music in general...unfortunately, not everyone agrees...which was the thrust of the N.Y. Times and Slate articles that Oliver posted...
I was actually being serious. To me, this debate is only one notch above debating the racial implications of the food we eat.
I think your bitterness clouds your judgement and has you making presumptuous conclusions (that Yahu is taking away from reggae artists), when in fact your only point is completely uncontroversial and has nothing to do with Yahu: black artists don't get the credit they deserve.
This is not a zero sum game. There is room for both Yahu and black artists. I got no problem with you bitching and complaining about "The Media" (not to be confused with journalism). But when you go attacking an artist because they are white, you essentially say "blacks only, no whites."
Eric, that "bitterness" straw man you just set up better be applied to each one of journalists who wrote a dissenting article in regard to the merits of Matisyahu...one being Jody Rosen of Slate.com; last i heard he's still male, white and Jewish...how bout' that!
Self hate is a bitch like that.
Seriously, Rosen's piece, as I pointed out, suggests this long history of Jewish minstrelsy and appropriation. Yet his only examples from the last 50 YEARS are like Bob Dylan and the Beastie Boys. I'm sorry, but if Bob Dylan and the Beastie Boys are minstrels... then I'm not exactly seeing the threat of minstrelsy.
Bottom line, Matisyahu is getting trashed because he is getting the sort of reception that we wish other artists would get.
Fogret generosity, let's just tear down every white artist we see until they realize we want Capleton and Sizzla on the frontpage of every magazine. Great strategy!
Eric,
After all of this posting, you still miss the simple fact that Matisyahu is being trashed because he is receiving major league publicity for a minor league talent...and that only because he's a white guy trying to master a black art form.
...and the thing is, with all of your interest in Black music, apparently you've missed all the white, some Jewish folk who did it right...talents so superior that accusations of minstrelsy and appropriation NEVER came up:
1. Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, songwriters "Hound Dog", "stand by me", "on Broadway" and about 200 more charted hits by some of the greatest R&B artists of all time...
2. Teena Marie
3. Average White Band
4. Hall and Oates
these folks have roots so deep in quality black music, they might as well be relatives!
you need to do some more homework!
"Hall & Oates"??
Classic.
If it must come to this... I'll play along. These are some contemporary artists that Yahu is stealing press from
1. Ticklah & Easy All Stars
2. J-Boogie
3. Ben Wa
4. Born Unique
5. Jake One & Vitamin D
6. Nicolay
7. Scott Storch
8. Alchemist
I'll admit, the list is short. I'm sure many would add R.A. the Rugged Man, Edan, Yak Ballz, El-P, Cage, Ill Bill, Non Phixion, Apathy, LMNO... but I was trying to identify artists whose work is well within the "black" tradition.
I must admit, I tend to ignore most music made by white people.
so why all the excess hoopla?...most white artists who attempt to dabble in Black musicial forms have proven themselves to be, over time, several shades of wack!...that's why the ones who are exceptional like The Alchemist and Scott Storch stand out...when we come across a white cat who's got that mojo workin', we give them their propers...but for those who "lack the knack", kicked to the curb they go!...
And no black artists deserve to get kicked to the curb?
Name one single black artist who should get kicked to the curb. At least then I can't accuse you of a double standard.
Eric,
Double standard??! why are you still lookin' for an angle? Has every Black act ever formed gotten a record deal?...made the charts?...gone gold?...ever watch Showtime At the Apollo?...we know how to judge our own!...and if there was any white act that could bring it better than our homegrown he or she would get the respect due...sigh!
It's only a double standard if you wouldn't criticize a black artist because he or she was black.
I don't know how many times I can say that we are in agreement on the issue of white bias. I simply think Yahu should be cut some slack because we are essentially using him as a scapegoat and a "payback" punching bag. It's like "Oh, you white people should feel guilty for enjoying Matisyahu." Am I right?
Or, to appropriate a popular aphorism...
Don't hate the player... hate the game.
"It's only a double standard if you wouldn't criticize a black artist because he or she was black"
This statement is another reminder to me on how different the white and black worlds can be at times. You have steered our discussion into the realm of the ridiculous...giving a wack artist a pass because he was black?!!!!!...jeez!
Eric, (and i say this respectfully) you may make your temporary abode in the hood, but you do not know us very well...and in regard to your notion that we think white people should feel guilty (guilty??) for checkin' for Matisyahu...please!...scapegoat?...punching bag?...he's not being clowned as a REPRESENTATIVE...he's being clowned because in the eyes of some, he's just wack...period!
People that don't like him aren't required to cut him any slack...but you are free (as well as his fans) to sing his praises...
What you are asking for is sympathy, and yet you don't seem to have much for anyone but "your" people.
sorry, i didn't intend that last comment as a reply to your 4:20 comment. bad coincidental timing I guess.
I have never claimed to "understand" anyone but myself. Have I claimed to have some special understanding of black people?
I resent the fact that you are gonna now make this personal and call me out for where I live. I really feel disrespected for the presumptuousness of that line of thinking. I live in that neighborhood because it is affordable and I feel comfortable there.
The label of "minstrel" alone shows that Yahu is not being called out simply because he is wack.
I got no problem with negative musical criticism of Yahu.
Eric,
You should consider my candor constructive criticism. You seem to have forgotten our inital blog correspondence...the great lengths you went to explain your background, and how it shaped your take on racism...right down to your impressive musical tastes. All of that screams "I have a great appreciation for Black culture!"...Unfortunately, if you're not careful, you may begin to presume that your love for black culture gives you a special insight in regard to understanding Black people.
I wasn't calling you out or trying to disrespect you...but you gotta hear some real talk. You feel comfortable where you live because you feel you have a "knowing" of Black people that other whites don't have...you wouldn't be there otherwise...and it's that very presumptive "knowing" that renders you unable to grasp the racist underpinnings of minstrelsy and why some folks are reacting so strongly to Matisyahu's rude boy/ Old Testament dog and pony show...
I really believe you are a white guy of good will..But you said it yourself, you're not down for the dirty work of deconstructing white supremacy. You are a different breed of white male, trouble is, sometimes you like to pat yourself on the back for it ("I must admit, i tend to ignore most music made by white people") and that kind of bombast can leave the impression that you talk more than you actually know.
You like to stir the pot, make mischief, but race is serious business with me...so man up young buck...you got some good insight...don't waste it being flip...
If you actually took the time to ask why I feel comfortable in my neighborhood (not that it's relevant), you would find it is has nothing to do with black people. First of all, this neighborhood is mostly latino. Second, in spite of its troubled history, this neighborhood is very chill, very low crime, and people have been mostly friendly toward me. I don't need to imagine things... it's a comfortable neighborhood. But again... you brought this up out of nowhere and it's not relevant to the Yahu issue.
I have never claimed to "understand black people". I try not to make assumptions about entire groups of people, or be so arrogant as to ignore someone's individuality.
Eric,
I respectfully disagree. Your analysis on the subject of race and all things related to (such as this particular topic) are riddled with assumptions. You like to speak with authority regarding issues of black culture (like i said, because you feel like you have a certain comfort level) and sometimes that comfort leads to a certain presumption. Again, when you speak on issues outside YOUR culture, where you live, who you socialize with, the music you listen to...all of it is relevant...because it affects YOUR perceptions of the people you are speaking about.
Look i'm not tryin' to put you on blast here. If you feel like you have more to say, hit me offline.
this might have been mentioned, but it is important when saying "dancehall" to specify what you mean. if matisyahu is to be attacked as not being authentic enough to perform this type of music, or more appropriately, to be assailed because he is drawing away listeners from better (certainly) and more authentic (depends on what your definition of the word "is" is) dancehall, people need to be specific.
certainly it's cliche to say that some dancehall is misogynistic, homophobic, violent, etc. (boom byebye, etc.), but there is that other segment of "conscious" dancehall (the word dancehall in this sense is sort of a misnomer), namely sizzla, capleton, anthony b, etc. the audience for matisyahu is far less likely to attend the former than they are the latter. insofar as this audience perceives dancehall to be constituted primarily of the former rather than the latter, then it is unsurprising that they would not attend those more "authentic" shows, and no amount of bitching by sanneh is going to change that. and certainly it is their loss, b/c anthony b is by far the best performer i have ever seen (2 and half hours, no stopping, no breaks, just sweat and pure emotion).
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