Polish Bar
Directed by Ben Berkowitz
Written by Ben Berkowitz and Ben Redgrave
USA, 2010
For those who aren’t in the know, there is an amazing phenomenon in the music community known as Matisyahu. With an eclectic style ranging from hip-hop, rock, and reggae fusion, Matisyahu is known as “the most intriguing reggae artist in the world” and was named the Top Reggae Artist by Billboard in 2006.
It just so happens that he’s a Hassidic Jew.
Matisyahu (real name Matthew Paul Miller) is a positive example of an individual embracing two seemingly conflicting cultures to, by synthesizing his diverse influences, create wondrous pieces of music.
Ben Berkowitz’ drama film, Polish Bar, tries to modernize this example by telling the story of a young Jewish DJ, but the result is a narrative with a drastically conflicting identity, let alone its characters’.
Vincent Piazza (from Boardwalk Empire) is Reuben, an aspiring...
Directed by Ben Berkowitz
Written by Ben Berkowitz and Ben Redgrave
USA, 2010
For those who aren’t in the know, there is an amazing phenomenon in the music community known as Matisyahu. With an eclectic style ranging from hip-hop, rock, and reggae fusion, Matisyahu is known as “the most intriguing reggae artist in the world” and was named the Top Reggae Artist by Billboard in 2006.
It just so happens that he’s a Hassidic Jew.
Matisyahu (real name Matthew Paul Miller) is a positive example of an individual embracing two seemingly conflicting cultures to, by synthesizing his diverse influences, create wondrous pieces of music.
Ben Berkowitz’ drama film, Polish Bar, tries to modernize this example by telling the story of a young Jewish DJ, but the result is a narrative with a drastically conflicting identity, let alone its characters’.
Vincent Piazza (from Boardwalk Empire) is Reuben, an aspiring...
- 5/12/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
Reggae rapper said, 'I am reclaiming myself.'
Matisyahu
Photo: Brian Appio
Think about how mad Metallica's fans got when singer James Hetfield cut his hair. Now pretend you're a huge follower of reggae rapper Matisyahu and you logged into his website on Tuesday morning to find out that the 'Mat you knew is no more.
First came the Twitter posting of the "King Without a Crown" singer shorn of his signature long beard and side locks. Then came the surprise explanation of his new look.
"This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter," he wrote. "No more Chassidic reggae superstar. Sorry folks, all you get is me...no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice. My journey to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality--not through books but through real life. At a certain...
Matisyahu
Photo: Brian Appio
Think about how mad Metallica's fans got when singer James Hetfield cut his hair. Now pretend you're a huge follower of reggae rapper Matisyahu and you logged into his website on Tuesday morning to find out that the 'Mat you knew is no more.
First came the Twitter posting of the "King Without a Crown" singer shorn of his signature long beard and side locks. Then came the surprise explanation of his new look.
"This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter," he wrote. "No more Chassidic reggae superstar. Sorry folks, all you get is me...no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice. My journey to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality--not through books but through real life. At a certain...
- 12/14/2011
- MTV Music News
In what is surely one of the most dramatic losses of facial hair since Richie Tenenbaum's, Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu shaved his beard yesterday, announcing both his distance from Orthodox Judaism and, tacitly, a marketable gimmick. Matisyahu tweeted the following: "No more Chassidic reggae superstar... At a certain point I felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity... to move away from my intuition and to accept an ultimate truth... I am reclaiming myself. Trusting my goodness and my divine mission." Matisyahu, born Matthew Paul Miller, was raised Jewish, though not Orthodox. He apparently spent some time following Phish (!) around the country and taking hallucinogens, before joining the Lubavitch school of Hasidic Judaism and renaming himself Matisyahu at the age of nineteen. Matisyahu managed to transcend the initial shock of his "gimmick" by actually having talent to back up the cognitive [...]...
- 12/14/2011
- Nerve
Ever wonder how Matisyahu might look like without his signature beard? Well, wonder no more. The 32-year-old Hasidic reggae singer, born Matthew Paul Miller, recently took to shearing off all that facial hair he's been growing since becoming ultra-Orthodox and a staple Mc on the jam-band scene. So how's he look post-shave? More: Superman's Hairy Situation: He's Grown a Beard! "This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter," he tweeted along with a link to a picture sporting his new, fresh-faced mug. He later took to his website for further explanation. "No more Chassidic reggae superstar. Sorry folks, all you get is me…no alias," the...
- 12/13/2011
- E! Online
Courtesy Press Here Publicity Matisyahu after shaving his beard.
Matisyahu is changing his look–at least for now.
The American-born Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock singer shaved his long beard and posted a photo of himself on Twitter with this tweet quoting from his song “Thunder”: “At the break of day I look for you at sunrise When the tide comes in I lose my disguise.”
He followed the photo tweet with a note explaining his image shift.
Matisyahu is changing his look–at least for now.
The American-born Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock singer shaved his long beard and posted a photo of himself on Twitter with this tweet quoting from his song “Thunder”: “At the break of day I look for you at sunrise When the tide comes in I lose my disguise.”
He followed the photo tweet with a note explaining his image shift.
- 12/13/2011
- by WSJ Staff
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
At his most pared-down, Matisyahu is “an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician,” but the Brooklyn-based jam-rock rapper/singer formerly known as Matthew Paul Miller has something to offer discerning listeners who can get past the initial identity clusterfuck. Light is his third album, and it shows signs that Matisyahu is honing his very specific craft. For one, there’s less fake patois and more real rapping. There’s also far less of the outdated P.O.D.-style metal-dub (both genres bastardized) that marred 2006’s Youth. Once the shock of hearing Auto-Tune on the opener, “Smash Lies,” subsides, the ...
- 8/25/2009
- avclub.com
At his most pared-down, Matisyahu is “an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician,” but the Brooklyn-based jam-rock rapper/singer formerly known as Matthew Paul Miller has something to offer discerning listeners who can get past the initial identity clusterfuck. Light is his third album, and it shows signs that Matisyahu is honing his very specific craft. For one, there’s less fake patois and more real rapping. There’s also far less of the outdated P.O.D.-style metal-dub (both genres bastardized) that marred 2006’s Youth. Once the shock of hearing Auto-Tune on the opener, “Smash Lies,” subsides, the ...
- 8/25/2009
- avclub.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.