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Jewish-American reggae singer and rapper
He became famous as a Hasidic Jewish reggae artist who brought spiritual Jewish themes into mainstream American music, particularly through his 2005 hit single "King Without a Crown."
Matthew Paul Miller, known by his stage name Matisyahu (pronounced mah-tis-YAH-hoo), was born June 30, 1979, making him a Cancer zodiac sign. The American singer, rapper, and beatboxer carved a unique niche blending reggae, rock, and hip-hop with spiritual Jewish themes. His 2005 single "King Without a Crown" became a Top 40 hit in the United States, and he has since released seven studio albums, five live albums, and appeared in films including The Possession (2012).
Matisyahu is from West Chester, Pennsylvania, but grew up in White Plains, New York, in a Reconstructionist Jewish household. As a teenager, he rebelled against his upbringing, dropped out of high school, and followed the band Phish on tour while experimenting with drugs. After a rehabilitation stint and attending a wilderness school in Bend, Oregon, he returned to New York and underwent a profound spiritual transformation, studying Torah with Chabad rabbis and eventually joining the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights by 2002, adopting traditional Hasidic dress, a full beard, and strict Orthodox observance that would define his early musical persona.
Matisyahu married Tahlia in 2004 and they had three children together before divorcing in 2014. In 2011, he underwent a significant transformation when he shaved his beard and publicly stated he was no longer a "Hasidic reggae superstar," explaining it as a process of "religious maturation" rather than abandoning Judaism. He is still religious and maintains his Jewish identity, but practices differently than during his early Hasidic years; he is Jewish, not Christian, despite some online confusion. He remarried on May 20, 2019, and has maintained a vegetarian lifestyle since 2010.
Matisyahu is pronounced mah-tis-YAH-hoo, derived from the Hebrew name Matityahu meaning "Gift of God."
His 2009 single "One Day" accumulated over 95 million views on YouTube and was played at the 2010 World Cup final.
He performed as a beatboxer under the name MC Truth in Bend, Oregon before adopting the Matisyahu persona.
His album Youth sold 119,000 copies in its first week and reached number one on iTunes digital albums in March 2006.
He appeared in the 2012 horror film The Possession as Tzadok Shapir, a rabbi attempting to exorcise a dybbuk from a young girl.
At one Phish concert, I dropped acid for the first time, an experience that changed my life.
I was suddenly the token Jew. This was now my search for my own identity, and part of Judaism feeling more important and relevant to me.
It was not necessarily for drug rehabilitation, but that was part of the reason I was out there.
Identified as a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and began performing as MC Truth
Released debut album Shake Off the Dust... Arise under the name Matisyahu with JDub Records
Released Live at Stubb's recorded in Austin, Texas, which propelled him to mainstream recognition
Released album Youth produced by Bill Laswell; single "King Without a Crown" broke into Modern Rock Top 10 and he was named Top Reggae Artist by Billboard
Released album Light which reached number one among reggae albums and number 19 on Billboard 200; single "One Day" became his most successful song
Shaved his beard and publicly announced he was no longer a "Hasidic reggae superstar," marking a major personal and artistic transformation
Released album Spark Seeker and appeared in the horror film The Possession as a rabbi performing an exorcism
Released fifth studio album Akeda and divorced from his first wife Tahlia after ten years of marriage
Had his performance at Spain's Rototom Sunsplash reggae festival canceled after refusing to declare political support for a Palestinian state; Spanish Foreign Ministry and festival organizers later apologized
Released album Undercurrent, continuing his musical evolution beyond his earlier Hasidic persona