Matisyahu – Youth

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Did you hear the one about the New York, Jewish, beat-boxing Reggae star? No, this isn’t some lame attempt at humour; this is Matisyahu. The latest chart-topping success in the USA, Matisyahu is indeed a fresh entry into the music scene. After breaking-out with a live album, Youth is a fantastically interesting album that constantly challenges the listener to tune in and pay attention!

Kicking off with the part religious, part tongue-in-cheek Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth, the album constantly questions religious and genre boundaries. Matisyahu’s voice is distinctly Un-Jamaican, and thus separates itself from the canon of Reggae music. However, this proves to be invigorating, and paired with his considerable beat-boxing skills, he combines the elements in all the right ways. On Dispatch the Troops Matisyahu adopts a spoken word style that highlights the wonderfully poetic lyrics, and in this lays the true talent that this artist holds.

He is able to combine light and easy music, with a real message, something that is all too rare in today’s music. Check this album, even if you’re not traditionally a reggae fan, because this is one of those albums that in years to come people will say…‘Yeah I knew about Matisyahu from the get-go bro!!!’