Matisyahu
Youth

THE REVIEW

DELICIOUS AND CLOYING

Matisyahu is a character that in the Jewish scene is known as the leading exponent of hip-hop and reggae music even though I wouldn't exactly define him as hip-hop, he’s someone who nonetheless puts something personal into his songs, and that personal touch is quite striking. The album Youth consists of 14 truly subliminal tracks that bring a great desire for peace, freedom, and a zest for life. Even though my Stalinist mindset finds me slightly annoyed by the character, I still decided to listen to this album with the assumption that music is music in all its evolution and anyone who makes it deserves at least a bit of attention. I was truly amazed, a power, a determination mixed with an exceptional foundation made me immerse in the atmosphere of a metropolitan reggae. The album opens with "Fire of Heaven" a splendid, engaging and emotional song; our Matusa indeed doesn't let himself be influenced, like our local bands by classical reggae, but has the courage to venture into other more underground contexts that I suspect will become very prominent these days. "Youth" together with "King Without A Crown" are the signature songs of the album, beautiful and unfortunately very famous, supported by truly beautiful and meaningful videos. "Jerusalem" is noteworthy for the hip-hop that can be glimpsed for the first time, you can still sense a certain reggae influence that doesn’t fade throughout the entire length of the album. "Time Of Your Song" is beautiful, notable, visionary, peaceful, fun, which opens the heart to a thousand situations and a thousand visions, special is the context in which the album is situated, we know what Judaism has endured but also what it has made the Palestinian people endure, Matisyahu places himself in the middle and doesn't talk about how much his people have suffered or how much they cause suffering, more simply he tells us how beautiful it would be to live outside borders, without wars, without hatred and resentment among our own kind... who knows, who knows, the sexy has converted!

ded to: al debaser entertaining that I found again... you make me spend lovely days, and even without a leg I’m fine like this...