Rising from poverty and extreme hardship on the streets of Netanya, Axum, composed of Judah (Gilor Yehuda) and Tedross (Reuben Aragai), writes music that reflects the struggles and hardships they went through to make it in Israel.

Tedross and Judah’s story is different, yet similar. Tedross was one of the first Ethiopian-Israelis to be born in the State of Israel, his family emigrating from Ethiopia in 1980, while his mother was pregnant with him. The family struggled with language and financial problems and moved from town to town until they finally settled in Netanya when Tedross was 13. Judah on the other hand was born in Netanya and raised in poverty, ultimately moving out on his own when he was only 16 to try and make it. The duo met each other as teenagers hanging out on the streets of Netanya and each schooled the other on their own musical traditions and backgrounds. From that moment on they were inseparable, giving their full attention to their mutual love of music, and using it to advance themselves out of Netanya to Tel Aviv and better lives.

Since exploding onto the Israeli music scene two years ago with huge radio hits in Israel including, “Pitom Banu,” “Don’t Play with Me,” and “Ma Im HaKesef?” (What’s with the money?), Axum has performed across the world including a US tour with Soulico and a residency at Emory University in Atlanta, GA sponsored by the Schusterman Visiting Artist Program.

FREE DOWNLOADS:
1. Ma Im HaKesef (single)
2. AXUM mixtape by DJ Alarm

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

D. Brook & J. Harkham Darkcho (Sept 7th), Eprhyme Give Me Shelter (sukkot remix), Electro Morocco Sweetly Down (single), Brody Ad Matai, Diwon psychadeliciwon, DeScribe & Remedy My Keffiyeh, & Levi Mordechai
* to pick up all other CDs on Shemspeed Direct,
please click the “store” icon in the top menu

They are African-Americans and Orthodox Jews, a rare cross-cultural hybrid that seems quintessentially Brooklyn, but received little notice until last week, after Yoseph Robinson, a Jamaican-born convert, was killed during a robbery attempt at the kosher liquor store where he worked.

At his funeral and in interviews afterward, a portrait emerged of a small, insular but energized community that is proud but underpinned by a constant tug of race and religiosity.

In Crown Heights, one of the city’s hubs of Orthodox Jewish life, blacks and Jews have long lived side by side and have occasionally clashed. In 1991, riots broke out after a car in a motorcade carrying a Hasidic leader veered onto the sidewalk, killing one black child and badly injuring another.

Nobody keeps track of how many black Orthodox Jews are in New York or across the nation, and surely it is a tiny fraction of both populations. Indeed, even the number of black Jews over all is elusive, though a 2005 book about Jewish diversity, “In Every Tongue,” cited studies suggesting that some 435,000 American Jews, or 7 percent, were black, Hispanic, Asian or American Indian.

“Everyone agrees that the numbers have grown, and they should be noticed,” said Jonathan D. Sarna of Brandeis University, a pre-eminent historian of American Jewry. “Once, there was a sense that ‘so-and-so looked Jewish.’ Today, because of conversion and intermarriage and patrilineal descent, that’s less and less true. The average synagogue looks more like America.

“Even in an Orthodox synagogue, there’s likely to be a few people who look different,” Professor Sarna said, “and everybody assumes that will grow.”

Through the Internet, younger black Orthodox Jews are coming together in ways they never could before.

In Crown Heights, a group has struggled to form a minyan, the quorum of 10 men required for group prayer, though Mr. Robinson’s death leaves them one short. On the first Wednesday of each month, about 15 to 20 called “Jews of color” (not all of them Orthodox) meet to trade their experiences and insights. There is also a New York branch of the national group Jews in All Hues.

“They are strengthening their blackness through Judaism,” said Asher Rison, 62, a black Jew who lives in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn, said of the younger generation. “They don’t have a place of their own, so they are trying to carve out their own niche.”

Mr. Rison converted more than 25 years ago after meeting his wife, who is also black and traces her Orthodox roots back to the late 1800s. The oldest of their five children, Shais, 28, is the founder of Manishtana.net — a Web site that plays off the classic Passover question, “Why is this night different?” — and Jocflock.org, a dating site for Jews of color, sometimes dubbed “J.O.C.’s.”

Shais Rison said he opted for a yarmulke over the black fedora worn by many Orthodox men and preferred his gefilte fish as his mother prepares it, seasoned with Jamaican peppers and spices. He said balancing being black and an Orthodox Jew was part of the broader identity struggle of being black.

“I have encountered people who actually get that Judaism isn’t about skin color,” he said. “But the majority of people will stare at you as you walk down the street. You would think that we were covered in chicken feathers.”

Shais Rison said it was often other black people who questioned him and his Jewish friends of color, viewing them as suspicious or as sellouts. And not all black Orthodox Jews agree on how to balance their loyalties. Some, he said, “see being Jewish as not being black anymore.”

“Those are the people who don’t want to associate or get together with other black Jews,” he said. “Everyone wants to play the only one, like ‘I’m a black Jew, and I want my struggle to be unique so people will look at me as a commodity.’ ”

Yochanan Reid a former musician who was attracted to Judaism during a difficult period in his life and converted about six years ago, said he was “a Jew first.”

“There are those who consider themselves black and Jewish and those who consider themselves Jewish,” said Mr. Reid, 29. “But, where do I live? I live where the Jews live. I speak the language that the Jews speak. You eat kosher food because you are a Jew. You dress a certain way. I am also black, but how does that define me? I am a Jew first.”

Akeda Fulcher, a family court advocate who lives in Crown Heights, said that she was a fourth-generation observant black Jew, and that new efforts at multicultural curriculums in Jewish schools helped ease racial tension among the Orthodox.

“There is nothing in the Torah that says you can’t be black and Jewish at the same time,” she said. “I think it gives my Judaism flavor. I think that my foods, my music, my dance, my struggles — everything that makes me a black woman also make me a beautiful black Jewish woman. There is no difference between the two for me. I am what God made me, and everything about me is beautiful because of that.”

Yitzchak Jordan, a black Orthodox rapper, said he became interested in Judaism as a child in Baltimore, learning from his Puerto Rican grandmother, whose own father had worked for a Jewish family upon moving to the mainland. At 14, he started wearing a yarmulke and observing Shabbat. He converted about 10 years ago, and he later studied at a yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Walking along Kingston Avenue one afternoon last week with Shais Rison, Mr. Jordan, who is known as both Yitz and Y-Love, was greeted by young white, Orthodox Jews with handshakes and head nods. “I love your music, man!” one told him. In Basil, a new kosher cafe, he beamed between bites of pizza as one of his songs played over the speakers.

Mr. Jordan said that he had a large following in Israel that his music had been embraced by a generation of young Jews that feels marginalized.

“A black Orthodox Jewish kid is far less likely to grow into an Orthodox Jewish adult because you have a lot of racism in the school system, not so much institutionalized but more like social racism,” he said. “When people hear my music or see my face on a T-shirt, they can relate.”

A version of this article appeared in print on August 28, 2010, on page A15 of the New York edition.

CLICK:
FOR MORE INFO
TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
TO BUY TICKETS (type Shemspeed in the notes section)

Of course, even if you don’t enter, keep your eyes peeled and your RSS feed set to stalk the MyJewishLearning blog, where we’ll be announcing the winners and reprinting the winning poems.

p.s. check out the Na Naach gang sign throw-down at the end of the clip.

POST: Edan aka the Humble Magnificent aka the Rap Beautician just performed super human rap tricks displaying his lyrical gymnastic super phat scratch shtick and modulating vocal synth style fabrics. I don’t even know how to go into describing what it was like being in the audience for his show. The opener…..Prince Paul and his son, Prince Paul Jr….together call themselves Niggas on Ice. Considering Prince Paul is one of the legendary hip hop innovators, his set was not so satisfying. I mean if it were a party than it was coo. He basically DJed all classic jams from the 90’s even playing B.I.G. more than 3rice. Anyway, back to Edan!… It was amazing! I’ll let the photos and videos do the talking…

Edan is beat juggling and rapping at the same time. Beat Juggling by itself is a test of ones skill as a DJ, but rapping at the same time is unheard of! Check it out and see if you could catch the intricasy of all this…

Edan warms up the crowd (check out how he modulates his voice)

- Edan on the theramin

- Edan with guitar and djing

- Edan and Y-Love

- Even the crowd got flowers…

As we left, I bid him “shavua tov”. he said, “Toda” and walked off…

click below to see the rest of dem Photos!

or check out The New Yorkers Jewville map….here.

Pick up the Best of Yossele Rosenblatt, here.

“These songs collected here belong to the Jewish people. They originate from holiness. They speak of self nullification and redemption, the need for healing and discovering the depths of the Holy One Blessed Be He in this world and the next.

We take no recognition for any part of the material, lest the actual performing of the music itself.

The recognition was meant for the Holy One Blessed Be He and to the nation that lives by His word.”

Shemspeed has taken on this beautiful record in order to ensure that the world hears it, aged in the barrels of Eastern European folklore and steeped in centuries of Jewish musical tradition. The album plays like a Tarantino soundtrack to the deepest, most spiritual moments of life; full of depth and style, antiquity and freshness.

Sample below & get ready to pick it up worldwide on Sept 7th!

8/14 - Bulgarian Bar
113 Ludlow between Rivington & Delancey.
11:45PM to 4:00AM / $10.00

RSVP HERE

DOWNLOAD IT -> DIRECT | ITUNES | AMAZON

LISTEN -> HERE

Y-Love has just recorded a track for the Gulf Restoration Network, produced by Diwon, the track is an audio fundraiser helping to bring awareness to the Gulf Coast Oil Disaster and a call for action to help rebuild it! Please visit http://shemspeed.com/dl/grn and donate as you see fit.

Now for some info: Since the times of the civil rights movement, slavery and time immemorial, the call for justice has often found its voice in music. From the oldest spiritual to the singer-songwriter movement of the ’60s to the politically-charged hip-hop of today, the voice of the oppressed have often been heard on the stage from an artist on a stage hoping to change the world through his art.

Today, the BP oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history, is the headline on our minds. Millions of gallons of oil poured into the Gulf of Mexico for week after week, ruining delicate ecosystems, poisoning waterways, and devastating entire communities whose livelihoods revolve around the sea. America watched as BP tried to downplay the tragedy, before turning to accountability and resolve to fix the crisis they were responsible for.

Brooklyn Hip-Hop artist Y-Love (Yitz Jordan) drove to Louisiana in early July to see the devastation first-hand and was deeply moved by his experience in the South. He echoed the call for justice for the Gulf by writing his new song, “If Not Now, When?” The powerful track features an inspiring cinematic Hip-Hop beat produced by Diwon (Erez Safar), the world music mastermind behind Shemspeed Records. The lyrics are hard-hitting recounts of the Gulf oil spill, and how the region is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina over 5 years ago. Y-Love launched the site Hip-Hop Activist (hiphopactivist.com) soon after returning from the Gulf, designed to be a “blog to motivate social change,” empowering the urban music communities to create positive change in the world.

Proceeds from “If Not Now, When?” will go to benefit Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), an organization committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region for future generations. GRN has been active in the oil disaster cleanup since the region was first threatened, mobilizing volunteers for cleanup and helping to save the already damaged wildlife.

“We can all fix the world - if not now, when?” Y-Love exhorts in the chorus of this underground Hip-Hop tune, staying true to his message of using his music “to elevate the world, not to tranquilize minds.” Y-Love, currently in the process of recording his album , This is Unity, scheduled for release in early 2011, is working on a video for “If Not Now When?”, and leading up to the release of his single “Move On” on August 10th. Y-Love was called the “soundtrack to social progression” by URB Magazine, and his pro-unity message of positive change has been well-received globally, from Australia to Ukraine. Y-Love has been featured on the Conan O’Brien Show, BBC World TV, and in the CBS documentary, “Faith, Music, and Culture.” XXL magazine called Y-Love, “the MC making Hip-Hop kosher”, a reference to Y-Love’s own conversion to Orthodox Judaism.

“If Not Now, When?” is available at http://shemspeed.com/dl/grn, which allows users to donate as they see fit. Download the song to donate to GRN, and help rebuild the gulf.

This summer, 16 fellows were selected from across the globe to participate in this intensive institute in Jerusalem. According to Chair of PresenTense’s Steering Committee Flo Low, “The Jewish operating system needs to be remodeled, PresenTense utilizes the incubator system to do just that.” Participants in this year’s Summer Institute ranged from the ages of 19-50. Eitan Press, a self-described member at large, summed up the participants in three words - creative idealist Zionists. By the looks of the fellows’ presentations they appear to be exactly that. An Arab political fashion statement altered into a Zionist calling card. The Shemspeed Foundation has turned the stigmatized keffiyah into a symbol of Jewish pride. Yishai Mizrahi-Varon presented his keffiyah project as a mixture of hip-hop and fashion “to make Judaism exciting” for today’s youth. The project aims at engaging an “interactive dialogue about Jewish identity, community, and Israel,” according to Mizrahi-Varon. (www.thekef.com)

Mizrahi-Varon is not alone in reenergizing the Jewish fashion scene; David Kramer introduced his NU social activism fashion campaign. Nu in Hebrew is slang for “come on”, thereby beaconing an engaged response. The clothing line produces t-shirts bearing an often political statement in an effort to draw support for Israel. Bands such as HaDag Nahash and the Moshav Band already sport the NU campaign gear. Each shirt conveys a message and a story. The graphic image is presented on the exterior while the stories of Hannah Szenes, Gilad Shalit, and the founders of Israel, for examples, are printed on the interior.

The campaign’s website says, “On the inside of the shirt, opposite the heart, the story is printed, so that wearers carry it with them inside and become its ambassadors out on the streets.”

The former Program Director for Peace Players International, an organization that works to unite Arab and Jewish children through basketball - David Lasday has his eye on a new initiative. “Bring it in - Israel” an organization poised to provide sports education to disadvantaged children in Israel. Fellows, who serve as sports educators for the children are trained in Israel. Upon their return to the United States, the fellows are expected to implement their newfound skills in teaching about Judaism and Hebrew to their Jewish communities. Lasday grinning widely, quoted Plato, “one can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” Bring It In – Israel adheres to this philosophy.

Common goal: Empowering communities
A range of Cleveland-based fellows are looking to reinvigorate the dormant young Jewish community. The diminishing Jewish population in the state and the miniscule representation of Jewish youth ages 19-29 accounts for a meager 2% of the Jewish community of Cleveland, Ohio.

Madeline Bleiweiss decided to take action to ameliorate the slumbering youth culture. JCLE, short for Jewish Cleveland, showcases the city of Cleveland - intending to engage the community and provide adventurous Jewish based events. Moving away from the often humdrum monotony of Hillel events into a new engaging social gathering format will better acquaints Clevelanders with their surroundings.

In Jerusalem, Micha Kurz heads the organization aptly titled “Grassroots Jerusalem.” The project creates an “evolving map” of active NGOs working to bridge Arab-Israeli relations in Jerusalem.

Advocates for Asylum established by Mollie Gerver records and documents the testimonials of refugees from Darfur, South Sudan, Eritrea and other areas of conflict. Gerver hopes to convince policymakers “to support a fair process of gaining temporary asylum” for refugees in Israel.

Recently, the issue of refugee status has been thrust to the top of the agenda and placed in the center of the public eye. A decision was reachedby the government last week regarding the fate of the children of foreign workers, who are residing in Israel illegally. Some 400 children are set to be deported from the country in the upcoming month. The debate wages on and the ruling has already been contested by Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Gerver and Advocates for Asylum continue to place pressure on policymakers and stress the urgent need for Asylum.

A diverse group of organizations with a common goal: To empower their communities and actively inspire those around them for the betterment of Jewish society.

As the known proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” PresenTense subscribes to this belief, but takes it a step further saying, “it takes a community to raise an innovator.”

- Tamar Zmora (published at Ynet)

here is the updated info:
Shemspeed Jewish Punk Fest at Ella Lounge
Featuring Moshiach Oi! & The Groggers
9 Ave ASt, NYC
10:30pm Doors / $8 Advance with RSVP / RSVP HERE or $10 Door
Facebook Event

Free Download:
Moshiach Oi - “Shabbos”

For those that couldn’t attend, click play on the video to see some behind the scenes footage with DeScribe, Rohan Marley & Lenny Bass. Click here to view photos. Also check Channel 12 tonight at 5 & 8pm for their airing of the conference! In the meantime we are posting some words from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and DeScribe, himself! more info at www.shemspeed.com/harmony

“I have always believed that music, like sports and food, brings communities together,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “I applaud DeScribe for creating the ‘Harmony’ song and music video, for celebrating Brooklyn’s diversity and for reminding us all that, overwhelmingly, Brooklynites live side by side in peace. Mazel tov!”

words from DeScribe:

Hashem sefasai tiftach ufi yagid tehilasecha-G-d open my lips so that my mouth shall speak your praise, Everything a man thinks, says or does, should be in gratitude and service of his or her creator.

It is in this light that I open up by saying, that this event is an opportunity to take upon ourselves to increase in acts of goodness and kindness to one another and to all of mankind globally.

I am not a political leader, I am not a public speaker, I am an artist and my canvas is emotion, so with your permission i will speak from my heart.

I stand before you humbled, Men and women of great conviction, leaders who have positively affected the very essence and fabric of this great city, New York.

It is evident to me, due to the magnitude of affect and power that i have witnessed from this simple music video, that it wields a message far greater than myself or any one person for that matter.

I have come to realize that i have received the honor of being a conduit and participant in something with a divine strength that binds and bridges the divides that exist in our great society.

This musical collaboration is a testimony of the willingness to reach out to a higher calling of 1 world 1 family under the sovereignty of our creator who provides for all his children as they are, equally.
In G-d we trust and thus recognize and respect with love, all of the multitude of cultures in his world.

A union that allows us to rise above our cultural boundaries and unite wether Jew, Christian, or muslim, no matter what color our skin may be, with complete respect of the necessity to maintain our individualism without losing our respective identities.

The quality displayed in this video is 100% genuine love and respect for one another, something which affected me deeply on a personal level.

In the Bible we see that Jacob one of the Jewish forefathers had 12 sons better known as the 12 tribes. Each excelling in a different area, with different customs, living in different lands represented by different flags. The high priest had a breast plate made up of 12 different stones representing the different qualities of the different tribes but together making 1 unified breastplate which would be incomplete if one stone where to be missing.

The Jewish nation followed G-d’s commandment to maintain tribal distinctions, to maintain individual identities which we adhere to till this day.

During the communist era, whole countries and cultures were swallowed and destroyed.
This great country, the united states of America, dedicated itself to accommodating the re-growth of the individual nations independence and sovereignty, rehabilitating, supporting and mending the damaged identities.

The establishment of the United States is an acknowledgment of each state, its differences in laws customs, needs and individualism.

We here today, have the opportunity to set an example of Love, Respect and Unity for all people of the world, while embracing the beauty and uniqueness of our own respective cultures.
To stand as one and proclaim. “We are 1 world, 1 family, under 1 G-d.”

Thank you very much for joining us in this momentous occasion.
much respect and 1 Love to you all!

CLICK TO;
RSVP FOR CHEAP TIX
RSVP TO FACEBOOK
BUY TICKETS NOW

CLICK TO SEE PHOTOS

CLICK TO RSVP FOR CHEAP TIX, RSPV TO FACEBOOK &/OR GET TICKETS.

Download “A Tribe Called Tes” - here.
Listen/Download “Move On” below:

p.s. DeScribe, Shemspeed, a ton of elected officials, a senator, Bob Marley’s son and people you wish you knew will all be at the “Harmony” Music Video press conference, if you are a journalist/tv reporter/influential blogger and would like to attend the conf, be in touch ASAP. For conf info, please visit - www.shemspeed.com/harmony

I don’t even think this post needs words! It’s the hottest track on the radio now.

Just download it and pass it on!

- Erez Safar (Diwon)

p.s. Be sure to check out the official “A Tribe Called Tes” CD Release party at Shemspeed’s Hip Hop Fest which will take place at Le Poisson Rouge on August 2nd. Tes Uno will be joined by Ted King & guest Geng Grizlee as well as Y-Love & Diwon, Night, Kosha Dillz, DeScribe and Meyhem Lauren.
p.p.s. for you little kids out there, there are some curses in the mix….sorry.
Get your tickets before they sell out, Buy Tickets

* for info on all Shemspeed Summer Music Fest shows, click here.

Submission is simple, click this Download Link
and download the A-Capalla and send your end result to iwantyou@onili.com

The Winner will receive a free linktone for the remix, a full PR campaign to Israeli music media and in U.S by The Bloom Effect. In addition, the winner also receives complimentary registration to attend the CMJ Music Marathon worth $495.00

The song: “Why Did you go” ft Onili and Laroz

It’s a great Summer song- Reggae infused but looking to chop it up get some different flavours.

Video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojlekoANd44

Floating on a hazy pink cloud, the collaboration between the meteoric talent Onili & dub maestro Laroz, is an irresistible sour sweet summer anthem in the making. Blending a sweet reggae groove with a popish vocal which is both gentle & catchy, it captures the agony & irony of a lost love which faded like the passing season, culminating in the inevitable question - “Why Did You Go?”
http://www.myspace.com/onili

http://www.myspace.com/laroz

Between Paris & Tel aviv.
Onili Is the Israeli Electro Pop Queen.
Be Somebunny latest project was produced by Jonathan Levy ( Izabo )
Mixed by Simon vinestock (David Bowie, Texas, gun…)
Mastered by Chris Athens ( Sterling sound NY)

Onili plays live all around the world, recently came back from SXSW , NY , Philly &v Miami. and on her way to Europe.
With Barak Kram on the Drums and herself on Samplers FX & 2 microphones they give a KickASs Electronic/Pop Show with Hip Hop sensibilities.

Onili will be Stateside in time for CMJ Music Marathon October and a mini-tour

Some tracks to look out for:
“All I Do Is Win (feat. Y-Love & Black Skeptik)” by DJ Khaled
“Move On (feat. DeScribe)” by Y-Love
“Ki Hinei” by Darkcho
“Beat Goes On (feat. Tj di Hitmaker)” by Y-Love
“My Keffiyeh” by DeScribe & Remedy
“Down” by Electro Morocco
“Shma Kolienu” by Brody
“One Day (Electro Morocco Remix)” by Matisyahu
“Bring it on Down (Talib Kwali Remix) by Y-Love & Diwon LIVE
“Raje” by DeScribe & Dennis
“Modern Day Moses (Electro Morocco Remix)” by DeScribe Feat. Shmoolik
“Boom Selecta” by Electro Morocco & Shemspeed MCs

Press Conf Info

note: if you have not seen the “Harmony” music video, check it here!

Click to see below to check out the NY Times post.

On Wednesday, The Lede suggested that a viral video of Israeli soldiers dancing to an American pop hit while on patrol in the West Bank was a reminder that while the war of ideas in the Middle East might have ancient roots, it is often waged by young people more interested in contemporary youth culture than age-old texts.

One example of that from the Palestinian side was a West Bank protest in February in which opponents of Israel’s security barrier dressed up as characters from the movie “Avatar.” Above is another example, in the form of a report posted on the Web site VJ Movement this week on Palestinian rappers living in Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Israel produced by Don Duncan, an Irish journalist based in a Beirut.

The report includes footage from this music video by the Israeli Arab hip-hop trio Dam, for a song called “Born Here,” which has garnered more than half a million views on YouTube.

Dam’s lyrics combine Arabic and Hebrew rhymes, and the group’s name is a word that means “eternity” in Arabic and “blood” in Hebrew.

In an article about a New York performance by Dam in 2005, The Times’s Shahdi Rahmi explained that they are from Lod, “an impoverished Israeli town of Palestinian and Jewish residents. The group, influenced by rappers like Public Enemy, KRS-One and the late Tupac Shakur, performs songs that address the obstacles faced by Palestinians who are Israeli citizens, including poverty and discrimination.” One member of the crew, Tamer Nafar, told The Times, “We are Israelis and we are Arabs, and we don’t belong anywhere.”

The new VJ Movement report also includes footage from a documentary called “Life From the BBC” about the members of I-Voice, who live in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut.

A trailer for that documentary is on YouTube, as is this music video from the group (and an English translation of its lyrics):

Of course there is also a Jewish hip-hop culture in Israel and in other countries, as The Lede noted in a previous post about an “Israeli remix of the keffiyeh,” the traditionally Palestinian scarf an American-Israeli D.J. named Erez Safar sells through his Web site Shemspeed, which is “devoted to world Jewish music.”

Mr. Safar, who performs under the stage name Diwon, was joined last month in Montreal by an Orthodox musician named Y-Love, who rapped in Aramaic to a Lady Gaga tune:

On his Web site, Mr. Safar wrote that he hoped to use music and fashion, including a Jewish version of the keffiyah, to “create global awareness of Jewish cultural pride, and showcase the diversity that exists in our community.” Here is an ad for the keffiyeh featuring two more Jewish-American rappers, DeScribe and Remedy:

original article, here.

July 25th - Seattle, WA - A PUNKLEZMERAP Tu B’AV with Eprhyme, Erev Rav (live klezmer band) & DJ Sweet Elite 

July 27th - Brooklyn, NY - Honey Bowl @ Brooklyn Bowl
Featuring: Electro Morocco, Brothers Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, Pey Dalid & Derek James and The Lovely Fools. 
BUY TICKETS

July 29th - Manhattan, NY - Visual Art & DJ night at Gallery Bar
Jewish artists from racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds at Gallery Bar
RSVP HERE 

August 1st - Los Angeles, CA - Shemspeed Cruise with performances by Eprhyme & Brody
Private Yacht -4pm is the docking time at Marina Del Rey, L.A. 
BUY TICKETS

August 2nd - Manhattan, NY - Shemspeed Hip Hop Fest at Le Poisson Rouge
CD Release Party for “A Tribe Called Tes”, Single release party for Y-Love’s “All We Bring”
with Live performances by Night, Kosha Dillz, DeScribe, Meyhem Lauren, Tes, Y-Love, Diwon, DJ Teddy King & special guests.
BUY TICKETS

August 5th - Lower East Side, NY - Shemspeed Jewish Punk Fest at Pianos
Featuring Moshiach Oi! & The Groggers
RSVP HERE

To get involved in any way, feel free to shoot an email over to erez@shemspeed.com
INFO AT: www.shemspeed.com/fest

Oh, and they are hosting a contest to win a trip for two and tickets to the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg South Africa! For details and to enter go to: http://www.listenupalbum.com/contest/

Tracklist:
1.Intro Watch Out Tel-Aviv
2.Erykah Badu & Lil Wayne & Bilal - Jump Up In The Air and Stay There
3.Karolina - Charlie Attack
4.Major Lazer & Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell - Can’t stop now
5.Jay Electronica - Suckas
6.Drake & Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem - Forever
7.Soulforce & Ward 21 - The Power
8.Lukach - Brandon Walsh
9.De Tropix - Brap
10.Red Fox - Bounce
11.Soul-J - No MOre War Inna Israel
12.Jabari & Nicki Minaj & Pusha-T - Dopeman
13.Que B.I.L.L.A.H. & The Cool Kids - I Got Colors
14.Dubba Interlude

15.Nas & Damian Marley - As We Enter
16.Axum - New Kid On The Block
17.Wale - My Sweetie
18.Pitbull & Lil Jon vs. Liquid Liquid vs Can
19.Dam-Funk vs Madonna vs Snoop Dogg
20.South Rakkas Crew & Serocee - Dance Wid We
21.Beenie Man - Gimme Gimme
22.Ortega - Gimme Touch Me Gimme
23.Interlude Beatnuts
24.Gangsta Red - I Should Tell Ya Momma on You (Dam-Funk Remix)

25.DJ 2000F - You Don’t Know What Love Is
26.Carlton Livingston - 100 Weight Of Collie Weed
27.Crookers & Kelis - No Security
28.Ronit Rasta - Dvash (Ori Shochat & Dj Alarm Remix)
29.Metro & Peled & Chulu - Greek Tel-Aviv
30.Soom-T - Flying High
31.Ludacris & Rick Ross - How Low Remix
32.Sclachtofbronx - Ayoba (DJ Alarm Remix)
33.Produx - Blocc Madness
34.Eagger & Stunn Gunn - Morder Dem (JSL Remix)
35.Interlude Jazzy Jay
36.Laura Vane & The Vipertones - You Give Me What I Want
37.Method & Redman vs. Kutiman
38.The Nextmen & Dynamite MC - Round Of Applause
39.Cohen@Mushon - Round Of Gorillaz
40.The High & Mighty & Mos Def & Mad Skillz - B-Boy Document 2010
41.Avraham Tal - Orot (Ori Shochat Remix)
42.Soulico & Rye Rye - Exotic On The Speaker (Ori Shochat & DJ Alarm Remix)
43.Hadagnash - Ani Maamin
44.Terry Lynn & Johan Hugo - Jamaican Girls
45.Ya Manz - Mekaven Gavoa (prod. Ori Shochat)
46.Snoop Dogg & Kid Cudi - That Tree (Ori Shochat & DJ Alarm Remix)

Bow wow wow yippie OY yippie VEY – stay tuned for some official URB footage of the Dogg and Dillz.

see below for tour dates!
June 24 Oceana - Leeds, UK
June 26 J2 night club - bolton, UK
June 27 Manchester Limmud Fest - Manchester, UK
June 28 Melkweg w/ Snoop Dogg - Amsterdam, NL
June 29 013 Club w/ Snoop Dogg - Tilburg,NL
June 30 TBA w/ Snoop Dogg - Paris, FR
July 1 Melkweg w/ Jack Parow - Amsterdam, NL
July 3 New Attractions Festival - Gronigen, NL
July 5 JH Paddestoel -Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium
July 8th TBA w/ Brother ALI??? - London, UK
July 10 Fubar - St. Petersburg, FL
July 13 BB Kings w/ Duck Down - New York, NY
July 16 Susquehanna Bank Center (Warped Tour) - Camden, NJ
July 17 Nassau veterans Memorial Coliseum (Warped Tour) Uniondale, NY
July 18 Monmouth Park Racetrack (Warped Tour) - Oceanport, NJ
July 20 Meriweather Post Pavillion (Warped Tour) - Columbia, MD

With a mission statement that reads ‘using hip-hop to elevate, not to tranquilize,’ this spiritual, rapping guru exhudes the brighter side of the hip-hop music scene. Based in Brooklyn, NY with an undeniable love for Israel, Y-Love (Yitz Jordan) is front and center in a trending hip-hop revolution. Y-Love’s unique style reveals his inner-neshama (soul), a spicy interest in ancient languages, and his passion for Jewish scripture - all of which are accounts and reflections of his strong Jewish identity and life-choice to convert to Hasidism.

For more videos about Jewish identity see http://leadel.net/talks/latest

Check Dem Photos Out, HERE.

Shemspeed’s Israeli Keffiyeh is steadily gaining attention in the world of fashion, and in the process, spreading awareness of Jewish pride, respect, and cross-cultural unity. DeScribe, one of Shemspeed’s hip hop and reggae stars, has joined with Remedy, Wu-Tang Clan affiliate, to take this project to the next level through their new single, “My Keffiyeh,” and its accompanying music video. This dynamic music video which will bring the Israeli Keffiyeh project into the public arena, as it airs on MTV, Fuse, and other cable channels. Not only will “My Keffiyeh” raise awareness of the Shemspeed Keffiyah project, it will also create global awareness of Jewish cultural pride, and showcase the diversity that exists in our community. At this point, all the technical pieces are in place, but we need your support to help make the project happen!  Take part in this historic event by making a pledge today.  
 

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT

Don’t miss your chance to go and throw some Shemspeed support!

June 21st @ Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey Street
NY, NY 10002
info here.

(download the single for free or name your own price)

* Grab the Full “Harmony” EP: DOWNLOAD | CD

<> The biggest new face in hip hop is a black Jew.

Heeb reports:

Drake was born to an African-American father and a Jewish mother, who divorced when he was five. Raised by his mother in Forest Hill, a heavily Jewish neighborhood of Toronto, he attended a Jewish day school, and was even Bar Mitzvah’d (the song of the night was Backstreet Boys’s “I Want It That Way”). All of which is to say that, whatever else happens, Drake is already the first-ever black Jewish rap star…

I shouldn’t be surprised when he identifies himself, without mitigation, as a Jew, but I am – even for a typical suburban-Jew hip-hop-nerd like me, it’s hard to fathom a mainstream African-American rapper speaking publicly of observing the high holidays. To his credit, Graham is as straightforward in person as he is on record.

“I went to a Jewish school, where nobody understood what it was like to be black and Jewish,” he says. “When kids are young it’s hard for them to understand the make-up of religion and race.” He recalls being called a schvartze, repeatedly. “But the same kids that made fun of me are super proud [of me] now. And they act as if nothing happened.” He wears a diamond-studded Chai (prominently displayed on his Vibe cover) and plans, at some point after the release and promotion of his debut, to travel to Israel. He says his mother has expressed hope he’ll marry “a nice Jewish girl.” As far as public acceptance goes today, by all accounts, religion has been a complete non-issue.

The New York Times also writes about Drake, whose debut album, "Thank Me Later," will be released Tuesday.

IN March the young hip-hop star Drake was in town for a harried few days, polishing up the final details on his debut album, “Thank Me Later,” and filming the video for the first single, “Over,” before heading out on his first proper headlining tour. On his last night, his team was holed up at the studio in the basement of the Sunset Marquis hotel, accessible only by special elevator.

Earlier in the day Jay-Z had sent him an encouraging e-mail message that paraphrased one of his own lyrics: “Things are going good/But good can turn to better.” Taking a break to eat before settling in for an all-night session at the studio, Drake checked his phone and laughed. He was texting with someone he was pretty certain was Halle Berry; LeBron James, a close friend, thought he’d be a great match for Ms. Berry’s cousin, and Ms. Berry seemed to be feeling him out.

For most of his teenage years Drake, tall, broad and handsome, was still known as Aubrey Graham (Drake is his middle name) and played the basketball star Jimmy Brooks on the popular Canadian teenage drama “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” In the last 18 months, though, he’s become the most important and innovative new figure in hip-hop, and an unlikely one at that. Biracial Jewish-Canadian former child actors don’t have a track record of success in the American rap industry.

Full story here:

Buy his album here: Thank Me Later

Due: July 5. Submissions should be sent in .zip form and can be sent through www.yousendit.com or www.sendspace.com in .jpg form and should be no larger than 1MB in size. Please address submissions to submissions@shemspeed.com

sponsored by Shemspeed & Be’chol Lashon

- Erez Safar

Other Artists and tracks included on the album are:

1. “Circle of Life” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Matisyahu
2. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Cedella Marley
3. “The Bare Necessities” (from “The Jungle Book”) Performed by Steel Pulse
4. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (Desmond Dekker’s reggae classic also featured in “The Lion King”) Performed by Morgan Heritage
5. “What a Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong classic) Performed by Ziggy Marley
6. “True to Your Heart” (from “Mulan”) Performed by The Wailing Souls
7. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (from “Toy Story) Performed by Sly & Robbie
8. “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (from “Song of the South”) Performed by Toots
9. “I Wan’na Be Like You” (from “The Jungle Book”) Performed by UB40
10. “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” (from “The Aristocats”) Performed by Michael G & the Easy Star All-Stars
11. “Kiss The Girl” (from “The Little Mermaid”) Performed by Burning Spear
12. “Under The Sea” (from “The Little Mermaid”) Performed by Gregory Isaacs
13. “Find Yourself” (from “Cars”) Performed by Yellowman

This summer, the Bonnaroo Festival continues in its tradition of an excellent, varied line-up, including Neon Indian to Manchester Orchestra!

Dillz and Diwon won’t be able to make it to Bonnaroo this year, since the Brooklyn and New Jersey kids will be globetrotting through out Europe, but they decided to release some remixes for their festival friends, via their FREE Bonna Rhymes album.  The mix includes LCD Soundsystem, Gwar, The xx, Miike Snow and more.

If you don’t get down to Shakedown Street in Manchester, Tennesee, this year, be sure to download this amazing rendition of Dillz and Diwon’s Bonna Rhymes, that will have you sweating at the desk of your 9-5 while you read twitter feeds from the best place on earth, and save yourself a couple hangovers and a few hundred bucks.

Track Listing: 1. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National | 2. No Rest for the Wicked - Cage The Elephant | 3. Luna - Fanfarlo | 4. Safe & Sound - Rebelution | 5. Animals - Miike Snow | 6. Heart Skipped A Beat - The xx | 7. Home - LCD Soundsystem | 8. Lust In Space - Gwar | 9. Terminally Chill - Neon Indian

p.s. Click here to Download Diwon’s Bonna Jamz which includes remixes of Miike Snow, Nas & Damien Marley, The National, Manchester Orchestra, Fanfarlo, Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, She & Him, Stevie Wonder, Neon Indian & The xx.

“I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.”

Very nice. ”Mutual respect and tolerance.” It’s kind of hard to buy a transition from “go back to the places which murdered you by the millions” to “mutual respect and tolerance” in a week. Dennis Glick, head of B’nai Brith International, called her remarks “beyond offensive”, and B’nai Brith International VP Daniel Mariaschin went further, saying “there should be no place for her in a news organization.” B’nai Brith called on Hearst Newspapers, Thomas’ employer, to dismiss Thomas immediately from her current position as columnist.

The Anti-Defamation League released a statement today, saying that Thomas’ rant was “outrageous, offensive and inappropriate,…bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history.” Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer called for Hearst to “fire Helen Thomas now.” Time Magazine’s Swampland called Thomas “vestigial”, saying she should be banished to the “back of the room.” GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio called her comments “racist and despicable” and called on Hearst to “fire” Thomas “immediately.”

Her ignorance has already cost her her speaking agent. But no word as to whether or not she’s still being relied upon to report the news. And Hearst is still keeping quiet on whether or not they’ll stand by her.

Let your voice be heard. Let Hearst Corporation know that you agree with the growing voice from both the left and the right (and the center): Ms. Thomas needs to politely step out of her front-and-center role in the White House press corps. Quick. Contact details via snail mail are here (bless you for patronizing the Postal Service), or you can just email Lisa Bagley (shoutout to “brinksmom” at BigJournalism for the info, who called her Ms. Thomas’ “supervisor”) at Hearst – lbagley at hearst dot com.

Helen Thomas’ contact email is helent at hearstdc dot com.

The Facebook group “Boycott Hearst – Fire Helen Thomas” calls on users to do the following:

Call Hearst divisions and flood their phone lines to get Helen Thomas fired. Email her bureau chief richard.dunham [at] chron.com or call (202) 263-6400. Email the White House … and have them pull her press credentials. Email Helen Thomas helent [at] hearstdc.com and indicate your displeasure with her openly anti semitic remarks. Journalism is supposed to be unbiased. Clearly she’s unprofessional. She needs to be OUT!

It’s as many have asked before: if these are her views, can she be relied on to report the news?

P. S. Craig Crawford, the co-author on her book, Listen Up Mr. President, has publicly distanced himself from her, saying he will “no longer be working with” her on their “book projects.” Good. The book will do better without her.

If you, your friend, fiend or neighbor have ridiculously amazing Sephardic style music, send it on over to info@sephardicmusicfestival.com
The festival will be in touch with more details and to announce who will be chosen for the official SMF CD!

* for those of you unfamiliar with the festival, visit www.sephardicmusicfestival.com
“Founded by American-Israeli producer, Diwon, The Sephardic Music Festival is an eight night Chanukah celebration which takes place at numerous venues around New York City. The festival showcases the latest Sephardic musical talents from all over the world, including Mizrahi, Yemenite, and Ladino traditions. The SMF highlights the diversity that exists within the Sephardic branch of Jewish culture and history by showcasing today’s Sephardic musical talents in the United States. The evenings range from Middle Eastern parties to educational workshops including, the Sephardic Scholar Series which assembles a panel of ethnomusicologists and performers to discuss the roots of sounds being presented. Other Jewish music festivals have mostly been dominated by Ashkenazic (Eastern European) beats and melodies, whereas the SMF is the first to exclusively focus on Sephardic tunes and culture. Past performers have included Yair Dalal, Ex-Shotei Hanevua, Hadag Nachash, Electro Morocco, Pharaoh’s Daughter, Matisyahu & Diwon.”

In addition to having AM YISRAEL CHAI woven into the scarf along with a Magen David centerpiece like the original Israeli Keffiyeh I created, we have made the Israeli Army Keffiyeh in IDF colors to support the IDF soldiers who our doing their huge, immeasurable, part in protecting our land and our people!! 

You can pre-order these scarfs now at

http://thekef.com

(pre-order now and be the first to receive them before they sell out; expected delivery time 3 weeks).

* or click here for direct purchase link.

- all the best, Baruch Chertok of Dveykus & Team Shemspeed

p.s. Here is some info from StandwithUs on the unfortunate incident with Flotilla. If you don’t know the latest news, Netanyahu breaks it down, here.

Download it along with the rest of Diwon’s Bonnaroo Remixes, HERE.

Brody was just interviewed on Israel National News: Remixing Jewish Minds with Music

LISTEN HERE
DOWNLOAD HERE

INFO: Derek Cling and Natanel Danziger interview Jewish singer/hip hop artist Benyamin Brody, and talk about the inherent value that music has as a form of Jewish outreach today. They also discuss the general theme of music as being a ‘route to the soul’, and the importance of sharing positive, Jewish, spiritual music with the world.

We have just posted photos from Shemspeed’s Rap Fest (thanks to Schneur Menaker) and if you missed it you could check out the album, here. We also posted tons of videos on the Shemspeed Channel. We will be throwing another Rap Fest at in early August as part of Shemspeed’s Summer Music Festival, which will also include Punk, Art, Rock nights as well as a cruise, look out for more info. For now, check ut photos from last week;s Rap Fest which featured; Kosha Dillz, Flex Mathews, Skeptic, J. Stone’s, DeScribe, TJ Da Hit Maker, Y-Love , Diwon, El Da Sensei, Bekay & guests.
* For videos, check out the Shemspeed Channel!

Enjoy

הנה רמיקס חדש שעשיתי לגוצ’י סווי ואפלג’וס קיד הידועים גם בתור פריבייס 808. תתפנקו

Freebass 808 feat. Jovi Rockwell - Rewind (Ori Shochat Remix)

“The BP oil spill is potentially the biggest ecological disaster we or our descendents will see this century. Hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf before BP even took accountability, and now that Obama has said that BP will pay for all of their wrongdoing, we may see millions more gallons killing wildlife and economies before the oil is actually cleaned up. This is bigger than “junk shots” or “top kills” — BP must be held accountable for the havoc they have wreaked on the environments and economies of the Gulf Region. This is bigger than blogs, this is bigger than Facebook. To this end, I had to at least go down to Louisiana myself to see what was happening and to do my part to mobilize and inform people so that they can do their parts as well. Protests against BP are happening nationwide. This is mine. If you haven’t joined the activist movement yet, I can’t imagine a better time to start.”

- Y-Love

I’m happy to share with you my first full-length studio CD.

זה (zeh) “this” folk-electronic album includes original music for Yedid Nefesh, Ana Bechoach, several Friday Night psalms, three versions of Lecha Dodi, an interpretation of a traditional Chassidic melody and chants from Shir HaShirim and other liturgical sources.

It includes the voices of Aviva Chernick (Jaffa Road) and Basya Schechter (Pharaoh’s Daughter), the brilliant piano of Julian Waterfall Pollack, and other musicians.

Listen online for free or name-your-price to download. Songbooks are also available with transcriptions, transliterations and more:

http://shiryaakov.bandcamp.com/album/zeh

- Shir Yaakov

<> DOWNLOAD BONNA JAMZ NOW
<> DOWNLOAD THE SINGLES
<> click for more info

* Look out for volume two of "Bonna Jamz" featuring some of the artist above, cut with musical verses by Diwon and laced with lyrical verses by Kosha Dillz.

Download the latest draft of the Remix

DOWNLOAD THE TRACK FREE/NAME YOUR PRICE, HERE.

BUY THE FULL ALBUM HERE.

DOWNLOAD “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” HERE.

p.s. if you are in Colorado tomorrow be sure to catch Kosha Dillz live and if you are in Ohio be sure to catch Diwon’s free outdoor performance at UO. (check out Dillz’s amazing new music video below!)

Pick up your copy of Kosha Dillz’s "Beverly Dillz" album!
"an uptempo, synthesized introduction to a spiritual fast life of the Hollywood underground via Garden State perspective, sprinkled with a touch of unorthodox "kosher" heritage and culture." CLICK TO BUY NOW

As for new music, Kosha Dillz and Diwon are prepping for a secret mixtape release. The mixtape, titled “Bonna Jamz,” will showcase numerous Bonnaroo  artists for this year’s festival.  Along with the tape, there will also be a May 13th release of Dillz’s video, “Doo Doo” directed by Robbie Barclay. Plans to record a new LP this summer with Belief, who produced Dillz’s Beverly Dillz album, are in the works along with a heavy rotation of West Coast tour dates. Dillz & Diwon will also be making a slew of guest appearances on the Warped Tour this summer.

Dillz & Diwon have remixed Snoop Dogg’s “That Tree” which features Kid Cudi, the remix has been entered into a contest and fans are encouraged to vote. Voting takes place at: http://bit.ly/snooprmx

As a bonus to fans, who make it to Amsterdam on their June 28th tour date, Kosha Dillz will give out a number of VIP tickets and Backstage Passes, which will give you the opportunity to meet Snoop Dogg, after the smoke clears. So please, get your mileage numbers ready.

KOSHA DILLZ IS ON TOUR (dates below)

May 4th Gramophone St Louis, Missouri

May 5th Union Street Station traverse City, MI

May 6th Rubbles Bar Mt PLeasant, MI

May 7th Division Gallery Detroit, MI 

May 8th Green Dolphin Street (Israel party) Chicago, IL 

May 10th Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO
May 13th Fox Theatre boulder, CO Free instore at (albums on the hill) before the show
May 14th Ghost Ranch Saloon Steamboat Springs, CO
May 15th Ghost Ranch Saloon , Steamboat Springs, CO
May 16th Walnut Room Denver, CO
May 18th Private Function Salt Lake City, UT
May 27th Ella (w/ Miz Metro and video release!)
May 29th Dubland Underground Rochester, NY
June 12 Club Trip Los Angeles, CA
June 28th Melkweg w/ Snoop Dogg Amsterdam , NL 
July 1st Melkweg Amsterdam, NL

Kosha will also be having a instore at Albums on the Hill in Boulder, CO so stay tuned for that!!

Brody - “Bar Yochai” 3:23 - (Free Download)
* Download the track Free and then pick up Brody’s “Shir HaShirim” on Shemspeed Direct, HERE.

Y-Love & Yuri Lane - “Bar Yochai V. 613″ 3:20 - (Free Download)
* Download the track Free and then pick up the full album with Y-Love & Yuri Lane on Shemspeed Direct, HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE REMIX, FREE!

Concerned Americans who wish to communicate their respectful concern over the handling of the Rubashkin case are urged to sign the online petition and contact the Justice Department – Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison at 202-514-3465 or oipl@usdoj.gov (cc:pr@justiceforsholom.org)
more info at justiceforsholom.org

* Beyond organic, Marley Coffee is ITAL, shade-grown on bio-diverse land with no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other additives. All of the coffee that we roast is grown under a canopy of rainforest-preserving shade trees at an elevation of over 3000 feet. Shade grown and organic farming methods make for healthier soil, prevent water contamination and provide habitat for dozens of species of migratory birds. They are also a critical component of Marley Coffee’s exceptional flavor. more info at marleycoffee.com

CLICK TO GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The night will feature performances and party rocking beats by:

PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER
SOULFARM
Y-LOVE
DESCRIBE
KOSHA DILLZ
DIWON & SPECIAL GUESTS

8:00 PM EDT (7:00 PM DOORS)
$10.00
SULLIVAN HALL
214 Sullivan st. (btw Bleecker & W. 3rd St.)

info at http://www.sullivanhallnyc.com

DIRECTIONS BELOW:

By Subway:

A-B-C-D-E-F-V train lines to the West 4th Street Station. Exit on West 3rd Street and 6th Avenue. Walk east two blocks until you get to Sullivan Street and make a right. We are in the middle of the block on the right side. 214 Sullivan Street between Bleecker and West 3rd.

1 or 9 train to Houston St. Exit. Will let you off at Varick and Houston St. Walk east on Houston till you get to Sullivan Street. Make a left on Sullivan and the is 1 1/2 blocks on right at 214 Sullivan Street.

6 train line to Bleecker St, exit at Bleecker and Lafayette. Walk west along Bleecker Street approximately 5 minutes until you get to Sullivan Street and make a right. We are in the middle of the block on left side

Grab your own Israeli Keffiyeh at www.TheKef.com now!

Look out for:
“Down” by Electro Morocco
“Shma Kolienu” by Brody
“One Day (Electro Morocco Remix)” by Matisyahu
“Bring it on Down (Talib Kwali Remix) by Y-Love & Diwon LIVE
“Raje” by DeScribe & Dennis
“My Keffiyeh” by DeScribe & Remedy
“Modern Day Moses (Electro Morocco Remix)” by DeScribe Feat. Shmoolik
“Boom Selecta” by Electro Morocco & Shemspeed MCs

“Seth Kushner’s omniscient lens distills NYC’s brave and bold into graphic time capsules,” says Dean Haspiel, creator of Billy Dogma, & The Alcoholic.
With Culture POP, Seth’s shines his flash on the lives of subjects including poet Caits Meissner, sousaphonist/producer Clark Gayton, singer/songwriter Elyssa Loveless, designer John D’Aponte, graffiti artist/sculptor Carlos “Mare 139″ Rodriguez, yoga instructor Melisa Winitzsky, former US champion rhythmic gymnast Olga Karmansky, toy designer Super Sucklord, author Douglass Rushkoff, VJ Jonny Wilson of Eclectic Method, artist Jen Ferguson and more TBA.

* New profiles every Monday, starting 4/12 on ACT-I-VATE.com / CulturePOP: “Photocomix Profiles of Real-Life Characters.”

Stars with this: Pledge $20 or more: Shemspeed Pack - An EP from Shemspeed recording artists including Kosha Dillz, DeScribe, Y-Love, Diwon, Brody, and Eprhyme.
Backer 0 BACKERs
Pledge $40 or more

and Ends with this: Moshiach Pack!!! - The Punk Jews Emmy-award winning crew will produce a video of your next simcha (special occasion). It can be anything. Your wedding, Bar Mitzvah, birthday party etc.

Here is what Matis says: “Vus Machs Da Yidden, Here is a little Omer gift for ya who aren’t listening to music for the next few days. Enjoy!”

During a time when some Jews refrain from listening to live music - famous Orthodox rapper Y-Love and beatbox superstar Yuri Lane (who has over 9 millions hits on youtube) create all their music non-instrumentally. The album is an all vocal hip-hop record with over seven tracks to correspond to the seven weeks of the Sefira (Passover-Shavuot). The album is amazingly musical and innovative, with a bangin intro and an outro that will make it hard to believe that Yuri Lane’s mouth wasn’t being produced by Timbaland.

The first single, “Watch” is about keeping the history of the Passover alive. Every year the Jewish Nation leaves Egypt; from exile to one step closer to redemption. G-dly things happening - Watch!

listen to some of the songs @ www.myspace.com/7sefira

Buy or Download the CD from Shemspeed Direct, here or on iTunes, here.

Open 10pm-4am
FULL Kosher 4 Passover Bar AND a 10-11PM Sponsored Tasting by No. 209 Kosher-for-Passover Gin

GET TICKETS AT - http://shemspeed.com/passover
(must buy them by 3pm on Thursday otherwise the price goes up to $30)

Main Floor: Tel Aviv Scene :
DJ Jordan, DJ Jonathan Ofri - Israeli Mizracheet, Middle Eastern & International Music
Entertainment: Darbuka Drummers & Belly Dancer Show
Live Performance w/Kosha Dillz & Diwon just off tour w/Matisyahu & Guest appearance by Beniton The Menace (hit single w/Shai 360 of Subliminal)

Save $15 bucks and buy it now, arrive at 10PM and drink free Gin till 11pm. Otherwise, buy at the door and tell them Shemspeed sent ya

“>MTV Writes: Happy Pesach, y’all!

As Jewish music fans around the world observe the holiday commemorating the biblical event of Hebrew’s escape from slavery in Egypt, this YouTube video of a Jewish Orthodox wedding band playing a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” is going “viral” as we believe is the vernacular. The dynamic duo creating this homage flipped the song’s lyrics and made it into the bride and groom’s (Shaya and Perry) entrance music.

Take that, Matisyahu! (We kid! We kid!)

Speaking of famous Jewish rappers, our new best friend Kosha Dillz has seen the wedding video and tells us, “All I can say is (1) great trumpet players, (2) No Shame (3) and this wedding band probabaly has more hits on YouTube than any band I know, so for Shaya and Perry — Mazel Tov to that!.”

Mr. Dillz reflects for a moment and adds, “I do realize that if my career goes completely sour, there are other outlets I can resort to that many artist wont be able to go into!”

But just when you were thinking “wow a Jewish themed Lady Gaga tribute, that’s unique”, guess again. Check out Sheer Music’s “Kosher Face” which sums up Pesach in one tidy sentence: “The moral to our story is we fought, we won, let’s eat.”

check the MTV blog post, here.

“I new this one kid, from back in the day….”

Listen and download today: darshan.bandcamp.com/track/chad-gadya

more info: The title of Darshan’s first EP — Lishmah (click to purchase) — comes from a profound Judaic concept. Commonly understood as meaning “for it’s own sake”, the term lishmah is usually applied to the proper state of mind for Torah study. Not for fame, money, or power — but merely for the simple joy of doing. It is in this spirit that Darshan’s first album was created lishmah, purely for the simple of joy and fulfillment of Being what we are Doing.

Shir Yaakov is a Master of Melody who has given birth to hauntingly beautiful liturgical chants, used in havurot and synagogues around the world. Eprhyme is a Radical Jewish Rennaissance Rapper. Together they create something all together new, and at the same time ancient. Deep and probing rhymes blend with evocative and uplifting melodies in “an uncompromising blend of urban forms and neo-Hasidic spirituality.” —The Forward.
ChashmalForthcoming Album: Chashmal

We’re also excited to let you know about our forthcoming album, Chashmal. It includes songs you’ve been asking for recordings of: To Zion, I’m Here, Ghetto Nightingale and more.

Lyrics Below (Lyrics to Go):
CHAD GADYA by DARSHAN
(Eden “Eprhyme” Pearlstein and Shir Yaakov)

yo i knew this one kid from back in the day
he stayed around the way — never came out to play
baby face, buried in a book all day
he made me promise that i wouldn’t say his secret was to pray
everything was great, until he went on a date
with an infamous feline — fatal mistake
he fell for the bait, wound up face down on her plate
but she won’t escape her fate — my dog Jake
came into the picture, not a moment too late
with a chip on his shoulder, broken heart full of hate
he had nothing to offer, all he ever did was take
she told him to wait, and then he smacked her face
but don’t worry, the dog don’t get away untouched
’cause the story took wings and made peoples blood rush
he caught a beat-down by the arm of the law
a baton to his jaw was the last thing he saw
a neighbor with a cellphone recorded the brawl
and all the people rioted and burned down the mall

before he stepped off the chair, at the end of his rope
that first kid left a quote in a suicide note
it said “do the right thing. be yourself. don’t ever give up hope.”
this water flows from the words that he wrote
the silence that followed was filled with such sorrow
as we all wondered why we trade today for tomorrow
but there’s something beautiful in that moment of reflection
face to face — in the place — infinite introspection
the serenity was shattered by the scream of the sacrifice
pain is the price that we pay for the afterlife
suddenly I grabbed the knife and sang a song I’d never heard
it wasn’t in my language, but i understood every word

ואתא הקדוש ברוך הוא, ושחט למלאך המוות
דשחט לשוחט, דשחט לתורא, דשתה למיא
דכבא לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהיכה לכלבא
דנשך לשונרא, דאכלא לגדיא

והשבת אל לבבך
כי ײ הוא האלקים

Full of positive messages, pulsating rhythms and addictive melodies, the release includes “Modern Day Moses” featuring French MC, Shmoolik and remixes by Electro Morocco, Diwon and VIBE & LowKEY.

p.s. We are at #9, help us get to #1 and Vote Vote Vote for Electro Morocco’s remix of Matisyahu. IT’S THE BEST ONE!!!
VOTE HERE - http://bit.ly/matiselect

NOW FOR THE FREE DOWNLOADS:
1. Onili - “Sentimental (DJ Alarm & Shochat Vibetown Remix)”
2. Y-Love & Electro Morocco with the Shemspeed MCs - “Boom Selecta”
3. DJ Alarm & DJ Ori Shochat - See You at the Party Richter (mixtape)
4. Diwon - “Sabra Sessions Vol 1. (mixtape)

Alright now, RSVP for the Show Here

Live from Israel with Onili - Saturday, March 27th — Littlefield

DJ Set byOri Shochat
Special guests Shemspeed’s, Y-Love and Diwon

at Littlefield (622 Degraw St b/w 3rd & 4th st), Brooklyn, NY
7-11pm
$10.00

* Littlefield is located at 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue in the Gowanus. It is easily accessible via public transportation, bike, and car. We’re in the middle of the block so disregard the street numbers.
info at http://www.littlefieldnyc.com & http://shemspeed.com

Download | Zshare: www.zshare.net/download/73760368dbdc1dd4
Download | MediaFire: www.mediafire.com/?hiyglyzoj1x

For All Info, Contest Rules, Itinerary & Prizes, CLICK HERE
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Pick up your copy of Kosha Dillz’s "Beverly Dillz" album!
"an uptempo, synthesized introduction to a spiritual fast life of the Hollywood underground via Garden State perspective, sprinkled with a touch of unorthodox "kosher" heritage and culture." CLICK TO BUY NOW

A Few Such Showcases:
March.17 - Lyricist Lounge Showcase @ Independent (9:15-9:35pm)
March.18 - Nail Distro Showcase @ Side Bar (3- 3:40pm)
March.19 - Hip Hop Howl @ Red Fez with Bridget Lyons, Pig Pen and Pat Maine and Flex Mathews
(3-3:30pm)

FOR ALL INFO, CHECK http://shemspeed.com
or RVSP on Facebook

p.s. We are at #9, help us get to #1 and Vote Vote Vote for Electro Morocco’s remix of Matisyahu. IT’S THE BEST ONE!!!
VOTE HERE - http://bit.ly/matiselect

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN / VOTE / DOWNLOAD THEM!

p.s. If you are around NY next week and want cheap tickets for the March 16th - An Evening with MATISYAHU: In Performance and In Conversation with Thane Rosenbaum @ The 92Y, see below.

SPECIAL OFFER! $19 TICKETS (regularly $35)
Tue, Mar 16, 8 pm
USE CODE MATY WHEN ORDERING
CLICK HERE

Click here to Listen. / Click here to Download.

Think you got what it takes?
Enter to make your own and win the contest by, clicking here.

p.s. If you are around NY next week and want cheap tickets for the March 16th - An Evening with MATISYAHU: In Performance and In Conversation with Thane Rosenbaum @ The 92Y, see below.

SPECIAL OFFER! $19 TICKETS (regularly $35)
Tue, Mar 16, 8 pm
USE CODE MATY WHEN ORDERING
CLICK HERE

J Brazil lived a nomadic, homeless life, using any cash he had to record music and fuel his career. At age 21, the New York native released his first album, but record labels weren’t biting. Then, in 2009, J Brazil teamed up with producer Eric Sanicola and wrote ‘Girl I’m Tryin,’ the hit song that ultimately landed him a recording contract with Ultra Records.

Marrying his Middle Eastern and Hasidic musical influences with the sounds he soaked up on the streets, J Brazil has put a new twist on Cindy Lauper’s classic pop song, ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’ The melody is kept in tact, but J Brazil alters the lyrics to come from the perspective of a non-committal guy, looking to have a good time. As ‘Girl I’m Tryin’ rises up the Billboard Dance chart and continues to get Top 40 radio play, J Brazil keeps his past close and his success in check. “Even at my darkest hours, I dreamt that this day would come,” he says. “Music is what kept me alive. I owe it to [my mother] and myself to follow my dreams. So, I created my dream come true.”

Five Questions With J Brazil:

Why did you name yourself J Brazil?

Funny thing is, the J part is more complicated than the Brazil part. My name is Yosef, translated to English, it’s Joseph. Brazil on the other hand is a crazy story. I was born, and since my dad’s last name was Brazil, so was mine … ha ha. Can you imagine my stage name being Y Brazil? Y not?

Who are your musical influences and/or favorite artists?

Growing up not listening to the radio, my musical influences were my parents. Both my father and mother play musical instruments, including seven siblings who are also musically talented. My dad was the type who carried around a tape recorder in his pocket making up tunes while he carpooled. As embarrassed as I was, I was so happy when my parents bought me my own tape recorder to do the same.

Why did you choose to reinvent Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ for your song, ‘Girl I’m Tryin’?

I want to say that it was and always will be a classic. I don’t think I’m reinventing it, I’m just tryin to have fun bringing back a blast from the past.

How have your relationship experiences influenced your music? Any broken hearts?

The biggest heartbreak of my life was losing my mother as a child. It made it much harder to let people in, and music became my outlet. It helped me express all the emotions bottled up inside. On a lighter note, every person connects to music, whether it’s pop, rock, opera, country or dance. Every couple has their song, every person has the songs they connect with. It can be warm or playful. There’s a time and a place for everything.

You’ve lived in the streets, been on your own and fought your way up. What has kept you so determined and positive over the years of hardship?

Giving up was never an option. After the passing of my mom, the pain was so unbearable that I lost myself. Ironically, my mom told me when I was born the doctor said he saw a light around me. “Either he will be a doctor or a star, either way he will make a difference in this world.” Being a doctor wasn’t for me since I couldn’t sit still for .03 seconds, and to be a doctor you need patience (Laughs), so I guess being a star was the only thing left for me to do.

How important is fashion to you as an artist?

Fashion is just another way to express your artistry. Right now, I feel a little wild … don’t mind my colors.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced during your career so far?

This! The build up. Watching all my hard work slowly pay off. Realizing that every drop of sweat and that all my annoying phone calls to everyone, and their mothers, worked. It worked! Sitting in the doctor’s office finding out that I’m going to have a baby and literally ten minutes later getting a call that I’ve received a recording contract from Ultra Records. Having my friends call me from Los Angeles saying they heard my song on the radio. Having my family hear it. Getting my first Top 40 radio add. My second and third. Getting on the Billboard top 100 Dance airplay. I can’t believe it. Is this real?

To watch J Brazil’s ‘Girl I’m Tryin’ Video and read the original article, click to popeater.com

SPINNER: In 2009, Kosha Dillz won an MC battle at Giants Stadium and released his first solo album, ‘Beverly Dillz.’ Kosha Dillz is currently touring with Flex Mathews and Matisyahu. Spinner interviewed Kosha to learn a little more about this up-and-coming artist in advance of his SXSW appearance.

When did you start rapping and performing?

I started rapping probably around 17. I came out of the freestyle battle scene in late ‘99 or early 2000 at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which is a pretty famous place out in New York. I was basically going into open mics and battles, but primarily the battle that was a big thing was an event called Braggin’ Rites. Anyone who was anyone was in it, everyone from [C-Rayz] Walz to [Immortal] Technique. Mos Def even battled there. It was a really amazing and historical venue, and luckily I got jumped in right there. So for years, up until college, that was basically what I was doing. It was a pretty amazing experience.

How did you come up with your name?

Well, it originally was Kosher Dill. I was Jewish and I wanted something that was cool. I was very imaginative and I was a daydreamer, so I just thought of something that had shock value, you know? When I released my first record, I had come out of jail and I thought I should add a little A to it, and a Z. I was really searching out my roots and digging deep into my spirit, and I decided I was going to go back to the Jewish identity. I had changed it when I was battling because I was kind of ashamed of it. Now people call me Kosha — everyone from my parents to RZA from Wu Tang.

How would you describe your sound?

It’s like an authentic cultural experience. It’s Kosha Dillz, so I take a lot of pride, and this prideful experience has a lot of elements of my Israeli culture in it. It’s also alternative and indie and still pop-ish. I concentrate on a lot of hooks and lot of freestyling, coming out of the freestyle era. The cool thing is that a lot of my fanbase is hip-hop, so the freestyling really helps out in the crowd. I would say alternative, cultural and special.

What are your musical influences?

Musically, I’m really influenced [by] jazz. I also grew up on a lot of Nas, Biggie Smalls, a lot of East Coast hip-hop and Wu Tang. My first CD was Originoo Gunn Clappaz from Boot Camp Clik. And then I had Rancid and Green Day. I had Metallica. I had Pantera. And now I listen to jazz and everything. Plus I was listening to music in Hebrew and having a little flavor with that level. So I would say everything. I wish I could describe the “everythings,” you know?

Who produces your music and beats for you, or do you do it yourself?

Belief. He’s a producer out of Los Angeles. He produced my latest album, called ‘Beverly Dillz.’ That was my first solo album that I’m pushing right now.

What’s in your festival survival kit for SXSW?

I’m gonna come down to the film festival and make sure I’m hitting the film panels with stuff, because the whole album is sample-free, and it’s available to be submitted to movies. I’m going down with, like, 300 posters and hitting up everything. I also bring a lot of oranges and vitamin C because I just get so wiped out ’cause I work so hard. And sleep. If I can sleep well and bring a pillow, I’m gonna do it.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen or experienced on the road?

Craziest thing? There’s a couple things. I did a show in Bristol, England, and a man was so intoxicated that he took off his clothes at the show and was just completely stark naked, which was just completely disturbing. I had to call him out and it scared all the people away, even the host. And then I stage-dived at a show in Philadelphia at the Electric Factory, and no one caught me. There was a seven-foot drop and it crushed all the kids. I was really hurt the next day. Actually, you can YouTube it up at “How Not to Stage Dive with Kosha Dillz.”

Do you have any vices?

Well, I’m a big sucker for carbs. I love carbs, man. I just became vegetarian on the road. When I was in London, I became Kosher, only eating Kosher food. I’m Kosha Dillz, but I was still eating meat outside the house, and I stopped that.

Rolling Stones or Beatles? Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie and the Beatles. Biggie is the fun part in me. Biggie was flirtatious and everyone loved him, but he always seemed to get into trouble. He would always end up in these weird situations. And the Beatles. I feel like the Stones are more serious, but the Beatles are more lighthearted. I think [the Beatles' music] was more unifying. I think people can adapt easier to the Beatles. When I think Beatles, I think multi-colored and faceted.

Written or freestyle?

You know why I love to freestyle? Written I’m more afraid of, because with written I put my time into it, and it’s gonna show a lot about me. But freestyle I’m comfortable with because I’m a very spontaneous person. And I’ve learned how to show you the raw and the real me in the freestyle.

Here’s the list of some of the approved Israeli & Shemspeed fam acts that will perform:

Wed March 17th
Carusella: Barbarella (615 Red River St) (21+) 8 pm
Kosha Dillz: The Independent (501 N IH 35) (21+) at 9:15pm
Onili: Club 115 (115 San Jacinto St) (21+) 11 pm
Orphaned Land: Red 7 (611 E 7th St) (All Ages) 1 am

Thursday March 18th
Kosha Dillz, Y-Love & DJ Balgan: Side Bar (602 East 7th St)

Saturday March 20th
Soulico: Beauty Bar/Palm Door (401 Sabine St) (21+) 10 pm
Boom Pam: Beauty Bar/Palm Door (401 Sabine St) (21+) 11 pm
Balkan Beat Box: Beauty Bar/Palm Door (401 Sabine St) (21+) 1 am

TO LISTEN, CLICK HERE

It was a fusion of ancient architecture, traditional klezmer, Middle East politics and dirty hip-hop when New York rapper Eprhyme stormed Sandy’s Row synagogue on Wednesday night.

Both old and young, filled the gallery and danced around the ornate bimah and ark at 250-year-old synagogue in east London, the oldest Ashkenazi shul in the capital.

Eprhyme, aka Eden Pearlstein, entertained the crowd with Michael Jackson samples, jazz, funk and klezmer beats and rap lyrics covering kabbalah, Jewish identity, radical politics and climate change.

Previously, Eprhyme has been touring with actors and musicians for Merkavah Theatre, playing the narrator in their Purim hip hop megillah, which has been performed at synagogues, the Jewish Community Centre and King Solomon High School in Barkingside.

Eprhyme, who wears a kippah and tzitzit, said of his performances: “Judaism roots what I do. It allows me to stay connected to myself, to God and to my community.”

Young Jewish collective Moishe House London, whose founder is Merkavah Theatre’s artistic director Joel Stanley, organised the gig at Sandy’s Row, the rapper’s last in the UK.

It marked the opening of the Open Jewish Culture Festival, organised by OJC producer Jack Gilbert and Chair of London Jewish Forum Adrian Cohen.

Mr Gilbert said: “This was such a great start event for us, fusing together two cultures which perhaps might never have met before.”

Download the album HERE

Tracklisting:
1. Earth, Wind & Cash - Michael Cohen Remix
2. Love Song - Ori Shochat Remix
3. Leeches - DJ Spooky Remix
4. Ping Pong ft. Dan Toren - Amir Estlein Remix
5. What Do I Have to Do
6. Till the Fat Lady Dances - Shimmy Sonic Remix
7. Current Affairs - Mankush Remix
8. Hard Cleaning - Digital_Me Remix
9. Rak Hasagol - Kusemek.com Remix
10. Move Forward ft. Roy Uadry - Amir Estlein Remix
11. If i Had no Mic ft. Vulkan (Prod. DJ Dao) - unreleased
12. Lost Tape Freestyle Ft. Rebel Sun (Prod. Markey Funk) - unreleased

Saturday 2/27 at 12:00 am
Saturday 2/27 at 7:00 pm
Sunday 2/28 at 10:00 am
Sunday 2/28 at 5:00 pm
Sunday 2/28 at 11:00 pm

check him:
ITUNES - http://tinyurl.com/ybhkqq8 (MTV Soundtrack)
MYSPACE - www.myspace.com/eytanmusic
FACEBOOK - http://tinyurl.com/yjsaa9d
TWITTER - http://twitter.com/EytanSounds

Come on out to The Sway Machinery’s Third Annual Purim Bash featuring special guests DJARARA — New York’s Premiere Haitian Rara Ensemble at Littlefield in Brooklyn. All proceeds to benefit the American Jewish World Service Haiti Relief Fund.

Saturday, February 27th 8PM
Littlefield– 622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue in Gowanus, Brooklyn
http://www.littlefieldnyc.com
$10 advance or with costume, $15 at the door
To order tickets, go to: www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/5389

Sponsored by: FORWARD, AJWS Global Circle, Brooklyn Jews, The Samuel Bronfman Foundation

On the heels of The Sway Machinery’s performance and recording tour of Mali, Africa, the band brings its infectious and joyful vision of worlds of music colliding back to New York for the city’s Premiere Purim Carnivale.

“The energy of six millennia will be focused into a hot party for a vital cause,” says Dan Friedman, Arts & Culture Editor of the Forward.

And if you don’t want to believe Dan, DOWNLOAD a FREE mp3 courtesy of The Sway Machinery and listen for yourself! Purim Sameach y’all!

— Farrah Fidler

In honor of that, DOWNLOAD “SHMA KOLEINU” FREE

Tonight (Sunday) 7:30pm -
421 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 274-4269
www.acowjumpedoverthemoon.com
Tickets $10 General $5 with College ID

As a teen, Bernstein played in a bunch of bands, performing at spots as varied as DC’s dingy Black Cat and the famed Fletcher’s in Baltimore. He enrolled at Bard College last year, intending to study music and literature, but it didn’t last. “I had to figure some ish out,” he says cryptically. Bernstein did what the Jewish refugees of the past have always done in times of turmoil—he moved to NY. While his persona is still shrouded in mystery, the DJ’s musical skills couldn’t be more obvious. We spoke to DJ Kool Jew in his recording studio slash apartment in Brooklyn.

Why call yourself DJ Kool Jew?

It just sort of happened. It reflects how I connect my Judaism with a hip DJ perspective.

For those who haven’t heard your music, how would you describe it?

It’s an eclectic-yet-danceable blend of contemporary Internet culture — using YouTube videos and club-minded back beats.

Who are your musical influences?

I take inspiration from all over the place. I definitely, from a production stand point, look at people like Danger Mouse, Soulico, Timbaland, and all the Shemspeed stuff for guidance. At the same time, I can’t rule out Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, Lee Scratch Perry, or my main man, Matisyahu.

You seem to have some sort of association with Heeb Magazine. Care to share?

I played at their Heebonism event this year, but that’s about it. But I have always loved their magazine. It’s edgy and at times controversial. I admire their ‘we’re not here to please everybody’ attitude. It’s really as ‘street’ as a Jewish organization can be outside of, say, an unfriendly Chasidic man or something.

You had some unusual samples at your premiere performance at Heebonism in NYC this past Christmas Eve. I faintly made out the sound of Zack Galifianakis screaming at one point. Am I nuts?

Ha! Well, no, you’re not nuts, at least in regards to the Zach Galifianakis sample. As I said, my compositions try to bring together disparate elements of Internet and club culture, whether obnoxious, subtle, well-known, or arguably random. The Zach Galifianakis sample, while abrasive, had a musicality to it once it was brought into a sample-context. That is the beauty of sampling as well as YouTube: You can find gems. Something as wild as CBS’s Public Access Holiday Pap Smear Campaign that would otherwise just be regarded as strange on television. YouTube allows anyone to reevaluate commercials, Internet personalities, clips, etc. – and, whether intentional or not, it lets DJs sample these bits of pure, innocent genius to make something larger, new, and most important, danceable out of it. It’s the diamond in the rough effect.

Do you think it’s cool to be a Jew?

In my opinion, absolutely. Because for me, as well as many others I know, the identity associated with being Jewish is one of enigma and experimentalization. You do not need to wear a particular hat, yarmulke or mask to be Jewish and can really find your own niche within it. For me, I use my own heritage and religion to fuel my music, identify with partygoers, fans — those who understand on a deeper and similar level our Judaism. It’s also a religion that puts heavy emphasis on enjoying the moment, being revelrous and loving those around you regardless of differences, at least in theory. This is the part of being Jewish I feel I enjoy the most and find the coolest. That’s why people attending my parties are having the best time.

Taken from heebmagazine.com

Warning: This clip is not for everyone it is long, involved and well worth it.

Full of positive messages, pulsating rhythms and addictive melodies, the release includes “Modern Day Moses” featuring French MC, Shmoolik and remixes by Electro Morocco, Diwon and VIBE & LowKEY.

The Harmony EP & Full Music Video will be released March 16th 2010!

To the left you will find the video teaser, as directed by Lenny Bass (Timbaland, Jill Scott, De La Soul), followed below by an interview with the artist exploring the meaning behind the music.

Why is this single and EP called Harmony? What messages are you hoping people take from the release?

As a Hassidic Jew, living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn – a fairly rough neighborhood – I live with a silent tension, which, at times, explodes, like during the Crown Heights Riots. A lot of this tension is because of a gulf of understanding between races. It’s unhealthy; the tensions run deeper from day to day, and it’s just one example of similar situations around the US and around the world. We are all G-d’s creations, and we have an obligation to appreciate each other, and live with each other. To do that, there must be harmony: racial harmony is the first step. We can break a lot of ice by a simple acknowledgment, a simple smile as we walk by each other on the street. A simple ‘hello’ to show we aren’t so bad, that we care about each other; it makes the world of difference. And what better place to start than in my own neighborhood, Crown Heights, where the tension is so intense.

Why is Modern Day Moses a part of this release? Is this a theme release or just two unrelated songs?

Modern Day Moses is essentially the next step. For my listeners to understand my people, our suffering and what we live for, it’s a big step forward from the traditional stereotypes of the Jewish people. It’s a form of communication to help break the barriers between cultures, nations and people.

What do you hope people take from your music? Who is your target audience?

I hope people learn to appreciate and respect each other while becoming aware of the big picture – the G-dly purpose for our existence in this world. We need to create a dwelling place for G-d in this physical world through acts of goodness and kindness in absolute harmony and in a healthy balance. Therefore, my target audience is the whole, entire world, starting with the hip hop community. It’s all for the love of G-d, people and music.

How does the video express it all? Who are these people in the video? What was the idea behind it?

Harmony is not just a song and video. Harmony is the face of a new underground revolution, a movement that’s spreading fast: Revolution 1. Harmony is merely the theme song of the movement. The video is based around one of the missions of the movement, hence the genuine feeling in the video. The idea of Revolution 1 is to create love, respect, and harmony through creative art forms, from music, dancing, to painting; dispersing work strategically around New York, to begin with, and for all to see. No one in the video is a paid actor. Everyone is there for the cause and for the love of the movement. From my Hispanic brothers to my Hassidic brothers, my Jamaican brothers; it goes on. A busload of some of the most super cool Hassidic brethren drove in all the way from Wilksbury to be a part of it. We are going globally viral and there’s no stopping the love. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the spiritual leader of the Lubavitch movement, said, ”Love knows no boundaries” – One love!

p.s. get yours at www.thekef.com

FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, YOU COULD DOWNLOADS “BOOM SELECTA” FREE!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The single features Y-Love, DeScribe, Kosha Dillz & Eprhyme over an Electro Morocco boombastic dancehall’d, middle eastern’d club favela party beat. And If we may say so ourselves, this has got to be the hottest track of the last couple years.

* pass it to your friends, post it on your blogs, because after that you will only be able to purchase the single digitally worldwide off the upcoming Shemspeed Single and the upcoming “Low Ride” EP by Electro Morocco.

This brings me to John Zorn, a contemporary who has tapped into this same space. On top of recording and producing hundreds of albums, through his Tzadik label, he has taken the Jewish music art form and placed it into an entirely different context. He took traditional musics and made it avant garde, something that indie obsessed music snobs in Japan and Berlin hunt down, something that college radio DJs play on their free forum jazz shows and not something that is just a functional music where traditional tunes are reserved for traditional functions. In college I was so into Zorn that I started a band based on my obsession with Masada, Zorn’s Jewish Jazz quartet. The band was called Juez and one of the members actually went on to be signed by John Zorn’s Tzadik label with his group, Pitom who will perform at the Shemspeed Winter Fest at South Paw on Feb 10th. Juez was a ‘punk jazz klezmer break beat’ band. Zorn’s band was the closest thing to the classic quartet Coltrane once led and, I guess you could say, Juez was the furthest.

- Erez Safar

6 .
David Chack
Chicago
February 8th, 2010
9:26 am
We must learn to live together and one way is to share customs and culture. Diwon’s family has the history and the cred. It is different than misappropriation for instigation and violence. If it creates dialogue and real communication then it is organic and it does what culture is meant to do - create bridges for understanding and creativity.

9 .
JurisVandalus
NYC, NY
February 8th, 2010
9:33 am
Mr. Safer’s statement evinces maturity and a thoughtful eloquence. As an Arab-American, I support his desire to take a uniquely Middle Eastern symbol and cast it in a new, more inclusive light by bringing more Jews into the mix.

Arabs and Jews should both be proud of their long and inspired history within the Middle East region and beyond. May there be peace upon Israel and the Arab world.

16 .
Alan Schleider
Neve Daniel, Israel
February 8th, 2010
10:00 am
To Hala (1 above): One cannot steal one’s own property. Israel’s title to the Land of Israel (not the Land of Ishmael) goes back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Recall, if you will, that Abraham cut Ishmael out of his will.) Expulsion by Babylonia, then Rome, did not ever abrogate the people of Israel’s legal right to the land that those extinct nations robbed from them. And, anyone who in turn overtook the Land had no more right to title than the Babylonians and the Romans. The only people who have a legal title to the Land of Israel is the People of Israel. (Parenthetically, the only ones who have the legal right to decide to be stupid enough to give away and/or parts of the Land would be the same People of Israel.)

To both Hala (1) and Marc (2) above: By your very illogical method of thinking, Marco Polo should not have brought pasta from China to Italy and the Italians should never have introduced in in turn to the rest of the western world. Let us also forget about having Hamburgers outside of Hamburg and Frankfurters outside of Frankfurt. No pizza outside of Italy, no sushi outside of Japan, (…must I continue or may I presume my point is clear by now)?

I am very sorry to inform both of you that no one has a title deed on cuisine or style.

Note very well that the very Jews who you unjustly accuse looting your cultures were themselves expelled from those same countries; why would you expect them to eat or wear other things?

PS. Am Yisrael Chai!

18 .
Carl Ian Schwartz
Paterson, New Jersey, USA
February 8th, 2010
10:00 am
Actually, observant Muslims DO wear a knit skullcap something like a kipah.

Poster No. 9 has the right attitude–Arabs and Jews have so MUCH in common, and have had for millenia.

20 .
Paul
Queens
February 8th, 2010
10:01 am
Arabs in the Middle East face far greater oppression at the hands of theocratic Arab nations than what they experience in Israel and the occupied territories. Jews have thousands of years of history in that land. Palestinians have existed as a separate identity for perhaps hundreds, although whether they considered themselves to be “Palestinians” rather than Jordanians, Egyptians or simply Arabs for much of that time is debatable. The term “re-mix” is misleading… he’s talking about re-claiming culture rather than appropriation. As he said, “Jews indigenous to the Middle East, such as my family is, have worn some variation of the kefyah (cap/kippah) and keffiyeh (head/neck scarves) for thousands of years.” It’s trendy among college activists to see Israel as a powerful oppressor imposing an apartheid system… it’s shortsighted and shows a lack of understanding of history, and of the politics of the Middle East. The Palestinian propaganda has been very effective among some on the far left, and by far left I don’t mean liberals (of which I am one) but the truly far left, which goes so far left as to meet the far right on the other side of the circle. Use your brain to think, and your heart to feel… substituting one for the other is dangerous and foolish.

26.
postgradny
New York
February 8th, 2010
10:27 am
Wow! When Arab countries adopt Israeli attributes like making positive contributions to mankind through medical innovations, technological innovations, innovations in irrigation and solar power, education and intellectual development, humanitarian missions around the world to places all over Africa and most recently Haiti, should the Israelis complain that the Arabs are copying them? What if Arabs and Moslems instead of blowing up civilians all over the place (Sunnis killing Shiites and vice versa and both killing Kurds and Christians), worshipers at Mosques, Islamic pilgrims, people shopping or eating at cafes or pizza stands, people waiting in line to apply for jobs at police stations, as well as their wives and daughters, and show respect for human life, including making every effort to avoid collateral damage to civilians even when those trying to kill your civilians hide and shoot from among civilians, should the Israelis complain that that is unfair copying by the Arabs and Moslems?

Finally, the Hebrews were in the middle east and Israel thousands of years before Muhammad was even born. Most of everything in Islam and Arab culture was built on the civilizations and monotheistic religions and traditions that came before it, particularly Judaism and Christianity (which Muhammad acknowledges but which the people who took control of most of the region by force seem to have conveniently forgotten).

33.
Carly
Washington, DC
February 8th, 2010
11:09 am
In “recent decades,” the keffiyah “has come to symbolise the Palestinian struggle for self-determination.” (See “Made In Palestine” athttp://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/witness/2009/07/200972711343457982.html)But as the accompanying video explains, the headcovering is “ancient” and every corner of the region has its own pattern or variation, including the Druze (who serve in the Israel Defense Forces).

If I really wanted to start another hummus-type war I might suggest that the keffiyeh resembles a derivative of the Jewish tallit.

Meanwhile, GET TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT! - http://bit.ly/winterfes

check below, for the rest of the info:

SHEMSPEED WINTER FEST
Feb 10th @South Paw

FEATURING:

SIX POINT STAR

PITOM

LION OF IDO

& DREAMS IN STATIC (CD Release Party with special guest singers)

SOUTH PAW - 125 Fifth Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11217

all info at http://spsounds.com
and http://shemspeed.com

GET TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!
click here- http://bit.ly/winterfes
Facebook Event Link

Most know him on stage as Diwon only, while Erez Diwon Safar is a name notable in the music industry as well; Billboard magazine has recognized him and featured him on a cover. He’s no slouch. Based out of Brooklyn, this producer/artist is the most prolific energy that has hit the Jewish music scene in decades, and is the creator and fuel behind Shemspeed, a diverse, popular music site with incredible video, free downloads, information, history and more for the music lover of any background or culture.

When asked about how his music evolved into what it is today, he answered that he always had a passion for Yemenite and Middle Eastern music; his music does in fact, have that undertone. It’s electro-hip hop with that sultry foundation for sure; he claims that when he hears those Middle Eastern styles he has a tendency to want to “mash” it.

He went on to explain that the traditional Moroccan melodies coupled with the other aspects of the music blend struck him [Diwon] as a powerful balance of tradition, something that was new and a contribution to world music and also to the Jewish music genre that was not only significant but possibly incredibly important.

This volcano of spirituality and dedication to meaning is what makes his music and productions so incredibly rich, powerful and different.

“Truth is it has taken me a while to believe in myself enough to do some of the stuff that I now do every day.

“I started the Sephardic Music Festival 5 years ago as an annual 8 night series in New York and at the end of May I will be bringing it to LA. I (as in Shemspeed) just took on the ‘Israeli Keffiyeh’ as an exclusive item on shemspeed.com.”

Always looking at the bigger picture, never settling, he continued, “We are going to launch the Shemspeed Foundation to take on a bunch of the non-profit type of projects that we do in order to be able to bring them to more people and in a more massive and exciting way. And as always, I am promoting current albums and tours for our artists (Y-Love, Eprhyme, Electro Morocco, DeScribe, Kosha Dillz, Darshan, Brody, Dreams in Static, Shtar and more), producing upcoming albums, tours and music videos…..”

He is openly looking for people to collaborate with, and offers his contact information (found at bottom of this article) and says “hit me up, have tons of projects and always need more and more people from around the world to get involved”

“When we tour the world (he says as if most of us can even comprehend that as a norm) I would say its about 70% Jewish people that come out. We generally get great feedback from everyone who comes Jewish or non.

A grassroots element has helped Shemspeed to grow but they are harvesting for a more mass market appeal and message. It’s powerful and good, and Diwon recognizes this, and feels that as long as they continue fresh ways to program and promote, it will continue to grow. “People are loving it and that helps” he adds.

His music is worldwide. His image is down to earth. His talent is like lava erupting. His energy could light up Manhattan. His label, Shemspeed, the rapidly rising underground Jewish music label is a powerful promotional force and resource for Jewish music. It highlights artists around the globe, while exposing new unaffiliated audiences to the diversity that exists within the culture and its music.

“We have our releases written in up in mainstream magazines such as Rolling Stone, XXL, Spin, XLR8R, and the all the national Jewish papers, we have had our artists on everywhere from BBC World, NBC, and CBS. If you go to myspace.com/diwon you coudl download tons of my music. If you go to shemspeed and click Download you coudl find tons more.”

Ahhhh I know what the single ladies (or guys) are thinking. Is this handsome talent single? Nope. He met his match in the talented Nina Safar, his wife. A stunning beauty who is also a pioneer in urban Judaism culture, he beams when he speaks of her.

“Nina has some incredible projects, Maidelle, a forum for young Jewish girls and a way for them to express themselves in a safe and supportive way. She also runs a big Kosher recipe site called Kosher in the Kitch, she has a really big following and it’s really exciting to see it grow. Nina also helps a lot with Shemspeed booking, pr and programming. She helps me get some of my visions down such as the 40 Days 40 Nights tour, calling, shaping the program and documenting it. I help her with her companies by designing some of the graphics and working on the website and work-shopping some ideas, which is what we do for each others projects on a daily basis.”

What’s on the near horizon for Diwon? Maybe making or tweaking a song that resonates the feeling of your company?

“The one that we are doing now. It’s the Shemspeed MC’s vs. Electro Morocco. The track sounds like the craziest world music festival packed into 3 minutes. The music is clubby, banging and middle eastern and the Shemspeed MCs are rapping on it. It’s fire! and it features, DeScribe, Y-Love, Eprhyme, Kosha Dillz and Shi360.”

If you still don’t have a handle on how to compartmentalize this powerhouse of talent variety, Diwon sums it up with, “it’s a home to all types of incredible music, mostly Jewish artists, but not necessarily Jewish music as you would imagine it. If you like world music and hip hop, Shemspeed will be one if not, your favorite record labels.

On the horizon also, is the Shemspeed Foundation, tons more CD’s, music videos, remixes, tours, festivals, apparel and more. There is no limit to what could be around the corner.

Considering his deep knowledge of how we are all inter-related, when asked about society, he responds, “We have more similarities than differences, lets focus on the similarities and collaborate on those! celebrate those, create more of those….”

Looking at the big picture, I would certainly say that Diwon, Shemspeed and the entire organization and collaboration is certainly “taking charge”.
Looking to collaborate, www.shemspeed.com

# # #

original article here.

also, check the photos:
http://twitpic.com/11axtm - @Diwon with the custom color, check for those next! More to come from Matis & the rest of the fam.
http://twitpic.com/11axcr - @Benitonnyc rockin the Israeli Keffiyeh - get yours at http://thekef.com

Dreams in Static conjures up the aesthetic of James Bond, Prefuse 73, & Pulp Fiction. Each song is the soundtrack to a film in a genre of its own. This is music that exists beyond pop and yet overflows with it.

Serene Poetic strikes a balance between Diwon, a Brooklyn-based hip-hop producer, and Dugans, a multifaceted guitarist-composer from Texas. Using live drums, samplers, analog synths, electric pianos and guitars, Dreams in Static transcends genres and breathes new life and depth with each subsequent listen. The album teems with life, beauty and depth; it’s an instrumental masterpiece that resurrects live instrumental music and guitar-based symphonies. It pops in a world where popular music has been left in a state of static.

If hip-hop is dead to the underground and rock is dead to the mainstream, “Serene Poetic” resurrects the two and blends their elements into a single sonic sonnet.

Download from Amazon
Download from iTunes

or buy direct

Download from Amazon
Download from iTunes

or buy direct

read more about Darshan below

Darshan is astral rap, liturgical jazz, audio alchemy. Harmonizing Hebrew chant with hip-hop, folk rock with electro-pop, love poetry with kabbalistic psychology, Darshan is a unique and organic weave of world wisdom traditions and modern musical styles.

At its core, Darshan is the creative and contemplative collaboration between Shir Yaakov Feinstein-Feit and Eden “Eprhyme” Pearlstein. Together, these two juxtapose diverse sounds and styles in an artistic act of bridge building.

The group is exceptionally versatile, playing both stripped down acoustic (and even a capella) sets, as well as full force, multi-instrumental concerts. Fans uncomfortable or unfamiliar with hip-hop are able to appreciate this complex and moving music when it’s slowed down and softened up. The big, plugged-in, live band festival and club sets resonate with the younger and/or more rock-oriented crowd.

As Modern Midrash Makers, Darshan is able to offer a wide variety of presentations, including facilitated text study sessions, shabbatons, melaveh malkas, children’s programs and weddings.

Now, 65 years after the liberation of the Nazi death camp, the 85-year-old has teamed up with the hip-hop band Microphone Mafia to spread her anti-racism message to German youth.

“It’s a clash of everything: age, culture, style,” Bejarano, a petite lady with an amiable chuckle, told The Associated Press ahead of Auschwitz Liberation Day on Wednesday. “But we all love music and share a common goal: we’re fighting against racism and discrimination.”

In Shalom, the first track of the CD Bejarano and the Microphone Mafia released last year titled Per La Vita, the bands sing about longing for world peace.

“My head is bowed, too many tears held back,” the song goes. “Worried I look around and see what happens, I’m not their leitmotif, which is the base of their lives: Violence, hatred and death, because too many people remained silent.”

The daughter of a Jewish cantor from Saarbruecken in western Germany, Bejarano grew up in a musical home studying piano until the Nazis came to power and tore her family apart. Bejarano was deported to Auschwitz, where she became a member of the girls’ orchestra, playing the accordion every time trains full of Jews from across Europe arrived at the death camp.

“We played with tears in our eyes,” Bejarano remembered. “The new arrivals came in waving and applauding us, but we knew they would be taken directly to the gas chambers.”

Bejarano survived, but her parents and sister Ruth were killed by the Nazis.

For the past 20 years Bejarano has played music mostly from the past – Yiddish melodies, tunes from the ghetto and Jewish resistance songs – with her children Edna and Yoram in a Hamburg-based band called Coincidence.

About two years ago, Kutlu Yurtseven, a Turkish immigrant rapper from the Cologne-based Microphone Mafia, got in touch with the band to see if they’d team up with them.

“Our band wanted to do something against the growing racism and anti-Semitism in Germany,” Yurtseven, 36, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

“Yoram told me that first of all he had to ask his mother Esther what she thought about a crossover project with a bunch of young rappers.”

Esther Bejarano, it turned out, thought hip-hop music “was really a bit too loud,” but also said she saw it as a good way to reach out to Germany’s youth.

“We want to keep the memories of the Holocaust alive, but at the same time look into the future and encourage young people to take a stand against new Nazis,” said Bejarano. “I know what racism can lead to and the members of Microphone Mafia are immigrants and have experienced their share of discrimination as well.”

Yurtseven, a Muslim, also sees a message of religious harmony.

“All religions ask to love and respect others and that’s what we do as well,” Yurtseven said.

The crossover of modern hip-hop and traditional Jewish folklore turned out to be quite a hit. The rappers have mixed Jewish songs with stomping hip-hop beats and also created new lyrics for some of the songs that are more accessible for a younger audience.

Last summer, the two bands released Per La Vita and a documentary about the band that was initially scheduled for the Auschwitz liberation anniversary is now supposed to be ready later this year to be shown at high schools across Germany.

The CD was released on a small, independent label and it was not clear how many copies were sold.

Currently, the troupe is touring through Germany. Their audiences range from teenage immigrants at metropolitan youth centers to a more established, older crowd that usually favors Bejarano’s classic approach to music.

“They all love it,” said Bejarano. “Even some of the older guests sometimes climb on the chairs and dance.”

Bejarano said it can be exhausting at her age to perform on stage with a bunch of youngsters but that she has found ways to adjust the shows to her needs.

“I’ve educated the boys,” Bejarano said with her trademark chuckle. “We’ve lowered the volume and I told them to stop jumping around on stage all the time.”

For Yurtseven and his fellow band members, the fact that they are performing with an Auschwitz survivor has been a unique experience as well.

“I once asked Esther how she can still make music after Auschwitz,” he remembered. “And she said that if they had also taken away the music from her, she would have died.”

My family originates from Yemen, where my ancestors had lived for close to 2,0000 years. Nearly 100 years ago, my Grandmother’s side of the family decided to move to Adis Ababa, Ethiopia and then to Israel, in 1933 (Southern Syria/Mandate Palestine at the time). On my Grandfather’s side, our family emigrated to Israel in 1924. Jews indigenous to the Middle East, such as my family is, have worn some variation of the “kefyah” (cap/kippah) and keffiyah (head/neck scarves) for thousands of years. The original purpose of the scarves, was to provide protection from the sun and sand. When it comes to religious observance, the Muslim tradition of head covering originates from the Jewish tradition. We have had some Arab friends take offense to our new scarf-remix. In response to such, I thought it was essential to release this statement in order to clarify the historical facts on the ground and, to provide some context. I as a Jew am not offended by the Pope who wears a “kippah” and in the same respect, I don’t feel there is any reason for anyone taking offense to a Jewish person wearing a version of the Keffiyah which they identify with; especially considering the significance of this article of clothing in both of all of our histories. There are numerous variations of the Keffiyah today; the red and white Keffiyah is associated with Jordan and worn throughout the Middle East and Somalia and have been worn by Bedouins for centuries. The black and white Keffiyah, idolized in the 1960s by Yasser Arafat, has become the symbol of the Palestinian resistance movement. The way that symbols are politicized and used to divide people, rather than as common ground for discussion and dialogue is exactly the kind of thought-provoking topic that we at Shemspeed explore with our music, as well as our programming. Our Israeli remix of the Keffiyeh, available through Shemspeed, is just one more interpretation of a scarf worn by our brothers for thousands of years. We hope you enjoy them.

- Erez Safar, Founder & Director of Shemspeed

THAT SAID; GRAB YOURS NOW! - WWW.THEKEF.COM

The Israeli Keffiyeh, with its intricate Star of David pattern in the center piece, and words “AM ISRAEL CHAI” (Jewish People Live) in Hebrew weaved into its fabric, this scarf illustrates a divine promise that the Jewish people are eternal.

100% cotton Israeli Keffiyeh
AND Diwon’s Sabra Sessions Vol. 1
for only $18.00

*
a high energy Israeli dance club hip hop influenced mix by Diwon, the American-Israeli DJ/Producer extraordinaire. The listener hears Diwon remixing, choppin up, slowing down, speeding up, and sampling all types of sounds to create a seamless mix of seemingly disjointed tracks that sound like Israel landed on top of Daft Punk & M.I.A.’s studio.

Follow The Kef on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thekef
MORE INFO AT WWW.THEKEF.COM

Hit up the shows, grab your cellphones and text YELE 501501 and give up 5 or 10 bucks…
every penny and every day counts.

* The tour spans across the entire USA from NJ to Hawaii, and aims to increase the awareness of the devastation in Haiti and raise over $10,000 dollars in humanitarian aid for the earthquake victims via
real face to face contact, the way all heroes should interact.

Tour Dates Below:

jan 27th Downstairs w/ Bukue One
Salt Lake City, UT
jan 28th Star bar
Park City UT
feb 5th Abbey Pub w/ DJ Yoda
Chicago, IL
feb 6th Raging Buffalo Resort w/ Slick Rick
Algonquin, IL
feb 7th Yacht Club
Iowa Ciy, IA
feb 8th Vaudevilles Mews
Des Moines, IA
feb 9th Vaudevilles Mews w/ Trevor hall (early show)
Des Moines, IA
Feb 9th Peoples w/ Skee Lo
Des Moines, IA
feb 10th Firebird
St Louis, MO
feb 12th Nutty’s North w/ Mr Dibbs
Sioux Falls , SD
feb 13th Reptile Palace
Oshkosh, WI
feb 14th Schubas w/ Trevor hall
Chicago IL
Feb 15th Day Trotter
Rock Island, IL
feb 19th Jewlicious Festival
Long Beach, CA
feb 20th Jewlicious Festival
Long Beach, CA
feb 21st Jewlicious Festival
Long Beach, CA
feb 25th Pipeline Cafe w/ Matisyahu
Honolulu, HI
feb 27th Kuhio Lounge w/ Matisyahu
Kapaa, HI
Feb 28th Lahaina Civic Center w/ Matisyahu
Lahaina, HI
Mar 1st Rockstarz w/ Matisyahu
Kailua Kona, HI
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pick up your copy of Kosha Dillz’s "Beverly Dillz" album!
"an uptempo, synthesized introduction to a spiritual fast life of the Hollywood underground via Garden State perspective, sprinkled with a touch of unorthodox "kosher" heritage and culture." CLICK TO BUY NOW

That said, we have just added two tracks from Shtar, the latest addition to the Shemspeed family. This duo is a cross between the Gorillaz and Dr. Dre on a Torah trip. Then VIBE and Low KEY, of MSP, remixed DeScribe’s “Harmony” (Single & Video, coming soon). Last, we added “Low Ride”, the leading single from the upcoming Electro Morocco EP, all coming out very soon on the Shemspeed Label!

TO LISTEN, CLICK HERE

המיתון עדיין כאן אבל החגיגה נמשכת!!! שי (360) בשת”פ בינלאומי עם אומן
הרגאיי בניטון.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pick up your copy of Kosha Dillz’s "Beverly Dillz" album!
"an uptempo, synthesized introduction to a spiritual fast life of the Hollywood underground via Garden State perspective, sprinkled with a touch of unorthodox "kosher" heritage and culture." CLICK TO BUY NOW

“The committee, comprised of four individuals, will give its approbation
to those music albums that they feel is appropriate for the every
Jewish home (sic) and will enhance one’s connection to [G-d]….information in the guidelines include that percussion should be used
sparingly, guitar and saxophone should not be used at all, and *all
forms of modern music, including pop, reggae, disco and rap, are
forbidden.*”

So they really went ahead with this. NO Torah authorities have signed on to this, and I fail to see what positive benefit this could POSSIBLY have. One more thing to be mocked in media, חלילה.

- Y-Love

p.s. Diwon says that if even one of the Shemspeed CDs get’s approved, I know we are doing something wrong!

Jay-Z, U2 and Swizz Beatz teamed up to record a song to aid in the relief effort. On Saturday, producer Swizz Beats hinted via Twitter that the project was in the works. “Me, Bono, Hova, have something to say about Haiti stay tunned [sic],” he wrote. “I told you I was working on something amazing for Haiti they need us!!!!”

Swizz reportedly approached Jay about the idea first, before reaching out to the band. U2 guitarist Edge confirmed via tweets this past weekend that the song was already recorded. “Last night we wrote a song…Bono got a call from a producer, Swizz. He and Jay-Z wanted to do something for Haiti. So, Bono came up with the phrase on the phone, and last night we were here, we wrot a song–finished, recorded, and sent it back to them. So, that might be the next thing you hear from us.”

The content of the track is not yet known, but could potentially garner some significant donations.

Kosha Dillz is also lending his voice to the cause. The rapper and humanitarian said that he’ll be donating $10,000 to the relief effort in Haiti, using money from his upcoming tour to do so.

Slick Rick, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Skee Lo are just a few of the acts that will join him on respective stops on the tour.

While performing my journalistic duty as a Jewish-vegan blogger, I learned several fascinating things. First, Natalie loves the name “heebnvegan.” (I somehow managed to maintain my composure when she said this.) Second, she apparently remembers our initial encounter. Third, she sees her decision not to take animals’ lives for food as the core of her Judaism. Finally, she thinks vegetarian food in Israel and California is excellent, but unlike the world’s second-most famous Jewish vegan, she finds New York vegetarian food disappointing.

Below is a transcript of our conversation during the Q&A portion of the event.

Hi, Natalie. I run the blog heebnvegan. Do you make a connection between your—
I love that name, man!

Thank you. That means a lot. Thank you. Do you make a connection between your Jewish faith and your vegan diet, and do you prefer—
I think I’ve been asked this question at another Q&A before, but I can answer it again.

And also, do you prefer vegetarian food in Israel or in the U.S.?
Controversial! I’m glad you asked. … What did you ask about Jewish—

Do you make a connection between your Jewish faith and your vegan diet?
Absolutely! … There’s a reason why every major religion has food rules. Because three times a day, you’re forced to think about your morality and your ethics and what you believe in. And … the reason you eat what you do—even not religion, but just culturally, why you eat a cow and not a dog—represents something in who you are and how you think about things. …

I definitely think the center of Judaism for me is not taking life. … The most important rule in Judaism is that you can break any rule in order to save a life. So, if life is the center of everything, then not taking life three times a day and making that decision is very important.

Vegetarian food: Excellent in Israel. Not so good in New York. Excellent in California.

Although Natalie did not discuss animal issues when she was being interviewed by the Times‘ Patrick Healy, she did pique my interest numerous times. Regarding her relationship with Israel, she said, “There’s never a loss of love but always a mutation of stance.” When she explained that she was not very socially active while attending high school on Long Island, she said that was probably for the best: “[The] Long Island high school scene is, like, hanging out in a mall parking lot.” When she said that she and her father both have tremendous discipline and can go without much sleep, she said, “We’d be very good in the military if we didn’t hate war so much.”

- Michael Croland

Click here to help out!

- Y-Love

* more info on the Sulha at http://hiphopsulha.com

The track features Akon, whom we wouldn’t call ourselves a fan of but we sure like listening to him on songs.

Our only critique with Matisyahu’s One Day is that it sounds A LOT like Alicia Keys‘ No One. But, hey, steal from the best, right? That song was a hit and so will this one!

Check it out (here).

And now for some background info: In the late sixties, Israel experienced a music revolution that has never been repeated….it lasted almost ten years. Artists like Yitzchak Klepter, Shalom Chanoch, The Churchills, Arik Einstein, and Miki Gabrielov, became the musical force of the whole nation - young and old alike. They captured the feeling and identity of the whole nation in their musical expression. They sang and performed songs that expressed feelings and thoughts with which all Israelis identified. The music was not superficial in any way; instead, it was sincere, sensitive, emotional, and thought-provoking.

Levi Mordechai recaptures that same magic found in their music. Drawing influence from bands like Sigur Ros, YACHT and Radiohead, this group of three musicians put guitars back into the spotlight, while blending live electronics with a retro feel. Their music expresses the soul of Israel with a kaleidoscopic wall of guitars ritually blended with urban Brooklyn rhythms. The music, narrated in Hebrew, is uniquely culminated by the convergence of these three vastly diverse musicians.

The group came together as Dugans, the innovative and multifaceted guitarist/composer from Austin, Texas met Mordechai Friedman, his neighbor from down the street in Crown Heights. Friedman, South African classic rock performer and songwriter, who worked the Israeli club and disco circuit in the 70’s, had never actually recorded an album in his life, and decided that at 55, it was finally time. Along came Diwon, the American-Israeli DJ/Producer extraordinaire behind the Shemspeed label, who also happened to live down the street. He got wind of the tracks, that at the time were just guitar and vocals. Diwon, always sensitive to, and looking out for new waves, heard something unique and beautiful in the demos and immediately wanted to take them on as a project and take the sound to the next level. After he laid down synths and drums, the project started to sound exactly how Dugans had pictured it from the start. Levi Mordechai bridges poetry, World music, electronics, and rock in a way that has not been heard before.

Full album, produced by Dugans & Diwon of Dreams in Static, coming soon!

Ha’ Orot is a spoken word/jazz album on John Zorn’s iconoclastic record label Tzaddik. It combines the ecstatic mystical poetry of Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook, TZ’L, artfully delivered by Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, with the deep and jazzy grooves of avant klezmer/jazz giant Rabbi Greg Wall and his band The Later Prophets. As a poet, i must be honest, i generally tend to hate poetry. And most of all I find myself turned off by “spoken word” poetry. So when I saw this collaborative project, I was at the same time, interested and instantly judgmental. But, by virtue of the artistic integrity and track record of the record label on which it was released, and in the merit of the burning spiritual passion of Rav Kook, I decided to let my curiosity get the better of me. And within minutes into the album, I was glad I did. Because what I found when I sat down and opened up to listen was both exciting and inspiring. First of all, Rav Kook’s words are like burning coals that warm and illuminate the soul in its incessant seach for something unattainable. His poetry, at it’s best, teases out and transcends all denominational categorization and pierces the veils that separate one thing from the next, swirling all of creation into an intoxicated dervish dance of unity and ultimate redemption. Rabbi Marmorstein’s performance and presentation of these soaring poems truly brings the words to life and turns them into music. They are made to sound relevant and revolutionary, as all timeless mystical poetry should be. It is at once both playful and penitent. There is no dryness nor academic detachment present within Rabbi Marmorstein’s delivery, two things which poetry often suffers from. In my opinion Rabbi Marmorstein really does these poems justice, which admittedly is no small task, given that they were written by a man of such spiritual and social stature within the Jewish tradition as Rav Kook. Chazak Chakak Rabbi Marmorstein. And last but not least is the music itself, the jazz provided so tastefully by Greg Wall’s Later Prophets. Really, a perfect of blend of classic, in the pocket swing, as well as cacophonous and creatively chaotic soundscapes, providing what John Coltrane would refer to as “walls of sound” upon which these Jackson Pollock like poetic portraits were hung. All in all, a great album for those with a taste for the mystical, complex and multi-dimensiounal.

Important Note:
This year we are approaching the 75th Yaartzeit of Rav Kook and thus this ensemble humbly hopes to bring these brilliant lights to the world. All interested parties, as well as those who wish to purchase the cd, are directed to: www.haorot.org

Contributing musicians:
Rabbi Greg Wall-tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet, shofar, moseño
Shai Bachar-piano, keyboards
Dave Ricards-bass
Aaron Alexander-drums
Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein, spoken word

by Eden Pearlstein

EXCLUSIVE: Jewish rapper DeScribe and Aliya Director Rabbi Moshe Feiglin are opening a music and entertainment center in Crown Heights.

By COLlive reporter

A new music and entertainment center, which still has not been named, will be opening in the coming week or so in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights.

It will include a fully equipped recording studio, workshops on writing music, photography and video filming, COLlive.com has learned.

Housed in the Aliya youth institute at 525-527 East New York Avenue, it is a collaboration between the director Rabbi Moshe Feiglin and Lubavitch rapper Shneur Hasofer, aka DeScribe.

“The center will provide an opportunity for our youth to develop new skills and talents and empower them to give back to the community,” Australian-born Feiglin told COLlive.com.

He and DeScribe, an Australian too, are in talks with professionals and have recently visited Columbia University’s WKCR 89.9FM station.

They will be renting out the studio to engineers who work with some of today’s Jewish talent, such as MBD, Lipa Schmeltzer, Yaakov Shwekey and Gad Elbaz.

Their names were not provided as agreements are not final.

“Our youth will be able to watch them at work and learn,” DeScribe said. “We are offering locals to schedule in advance free studio time and assistance. Everything is at our disposal.”

Feiglin said he hopes to stir teenagers and older youth to visit his center which includes a shul, gym (for men and women), classes and farbrengens.

Aliya is credited with “reaching inwards,” working with Crown Heights youth which has not fit into the yeshiva system mold.

“When I first discovered Aliya, I found a place of warmth, acceptance, and connection to growth which provided truly non judgmental opportunities for advancement in Yiddishkeit and in the world at large,” DeScribe says.

“It was the kind of place I wish I had when I was growing up. I left home at 14 and later joined the IDF at 17. A place like this could have really helped me. This is what attracted me to Aliya,” he added.

Said Feiglin: “Shneur’s collaboration with Aliya on this amazing project will help us provide a whole new variety of opportunities to our youth and will definitely take us all to the next level.”

As DeScribe is “living the dream,” recording and performing with well-known artists, he says he wants “to give others the chance, as I have the knowledge and equipment.

He sees the center’s target crowd as children from all backgrounds, and says he is in touch with Mashpiim on how to run the place in a spiritual manner.

“The youth today find it harder to connect. They are energetic, creative and hyperactive. Many are spending their free time - and even school time - on the streets.”

Visit, ChabadinReach.com

Yidcore played their final show on December 17 in their hometown of Melbourne, Australia. The genre-defining Jewish punk band went from
just covering classic Jewish songs a decade ago to recording gems like "Punk Rock Chanukah Song" and "They Tried to Kill Us. They Failed. Let’s Eat!" Their 2005 cover of the entire Fiddler on the Roof score is a masterpiece of cultural expression. Untold amounts of hummus, falafel, latkes, bagels, and Manischewitz have been lost along
the way.

Yidcore rocks the houseI give credit to Yidcore for introducing me to the very notion of Jewish punk in the first place. They made me want to dig deeper and find out everything I could in terms of other bands, books, and films. They helped me better understand my own Jewish identity and realize that I could be Jewish on my own terms. I will always cherish the memories from when I covered their 2006 U.S. tour for the Forward and got to spend quality time with the band’s members. Whether it was the discussions we had when I put my clipboard down or the time that
Bram, Myki, Rory, and I squeezed into the back seat of a car, I’ll never forget my Almost Famous experience.

One last time, here is Yidcore singer (and vegetarian) Bram Presser in his own words.

Why is Yidcore calling it quits?

It’s been ten years of something that was supposed to be a stupid one-night joke. We’ve had an awesome time, met tons of amazing people, toured with most of our heroes and sampled all the best falafel the world has to offer. Plus, when I was young and thin, getting naked and smearing hummus over myself on stage was funny. Now it scares even me. And I can’t afford the amount of hummus it now [takes] these days. The death of our [rubber chicken] mascot, Scrambles, didn’t really help things either.

Things are coming together for Jewish punk in the U.S. A few movies connecting Judaism and punk are in production. As far as bands go,
Moshiach Oi! released an album of "Torah hardcore" in August, CAN!!CAN and The Shondes are working on new albums, and Di Nigunim is a delightful punk band with a klezmer slant rather than the other way around. What’s your take on these developments?

Yeah, it’s
really cool. I’ve always said that punk and Judaism is a natural fit on so many levels, so let’s hope it continues to grow. As for us, I hope
we played a part in paving the way, perhaps providing a path between the early bands like Gefilte F*ck and the new breed. It was never
commercially successful, but maybe that’s the next step in the evolution of Jewish punk from which those bands can benefit. If not actual commercial success, then at least sustainable in the long term.

Covered in hummus one last timeWhat legacy does Yidcore leave behind?
Filthy hummus-soaked stages around the world. A slew of dead Israeli songwriters whose fate can be directly attributed to their outspoken dislike of us (see Naomi Shemer). Lots of laughs. Showing people that it’s OK to have fun with the culture/religion and that God won’t strike you down with lightning for slaughtering sacred cows.

Do you have any parting words for Natalie Portman?
On
our last album, we had a song "Natalie Portman, This Is Your Last Chance." What can I say, she missed out. She’s too short for me anyway. And she was way hotter when she was 14 in Leon [released as The Professional in the U.S.]. Is that wrong?

Michael Croland can also be found blogging at Heeb’n'vegan.

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Now a word from Dveykus: What prompted me to design a Jewish version of a keffiyeh/scarf is the fact that a traditional Arab head wear has become not only a symbol of injustice, but a fashion statement. In New York city one can not go anywhere with out seeing people on the street wearing them, they ranging from different ethnicity, color and background. The first thing that came to mind was:

Do they know what they are wearing?
Are they making a statement?
If so what is it? Or are they simply following fashion trends?

It is my sincere hope that this scarf would serve as a symbol of Jewish pride, unity of purpose, galvanizing Jews from different backgrounds and perhaps become as an iconic symbol of our future!!

The Israeli Keffiyeh, with its intricate Star of David pattern in the center piece, and words AM ISRAEL CHAI (Jewish People Live) in Hebrew weaved into its fabric, this scarf illustrates a divine promise that the Jewish people are eternal.

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