Jewish tradition has started to mix with Latin flavors in hip-hop, creating a dynamic mixture of urban vibes. The poster-boys for this Latin-Jewish movement are the Hip-Hop Hoodios (“judios” are “Jews” in Spanish), who mash together all sorts of genres to create a uniquely eclectic listening experience.
Combining the self-mocking tone of Weird Al Yankovic with Jewish tradition has come easy to the Hoodios. On their album, Carne Masada, songs bear titles like, “Asi Loncheamos (Two Matzoh Balls),” and “Havana Nagila.” This free-spirited music allows the Hoodios to combine the best of both traditions: Latino and Jewish.
There is a long history of Latino Jews in South and Central America. Some estimate the Argentine population alone to be 200,000 people. During the 19th and 20th century, persecutions of Jews in Europe required Jews to escape; South America proved a convenient place to go, where Jews would not be hunted down for their beliefs. As a result, significant communities of Jews remain there to this day.
The Latin flavor of the Hoodios’ music is an example of the international identity many young Jews find today. In a world where the Jewish community is spread from country to country, young travelers might find themselves lost in a foreign land without hope of home: until they find a synagogue or some other Jewish organization, which might make them feel comfortable. Jewish traditions from around the world are present in so many countries that one cannot help but feel a warm sense of familiarity whenever one sees a synagogue abroad.
Another way that young people express themselves Jewishly today is through music. Music has always been an important part of Jewish culture, but “young people’s music,” hip-hop, has only recently become part of our culture, too. Modern hip-hop producers like Scott Storch, the beatmaker behind songs like Beyoncé’s “Baby Boy,” and J.R. Rotem, the hitmaker behind Iyaz’s “Replay,” have made names for themselves behind the boards. However, few mainstream rappers, besides Matisyahu, have hit it big.
These two Jewish traditions—the Latin flavor of Judaism and the more recent hip-hop explosion—have come together in the form of the Hoodios. They encompass the change and mixture the Jewish community had experienced over the years. As Latino Jews, the Hoodios show how the Jews have mixed ethnically with other peoples to create a wonderful cultural expression. Drawing on their varied cultural heritage, the Hoodios have brought the best of both worlds to their music.
Their songs also show how similar Latin and Jewish cultures can be. In the aforementioned song “Asi Loncheamos,” the rappers discuss “the joys of eating – something both the Latino and Jewish cultures know a little about.” Another tune boasts of the size of Jewish noses. The Hoodios gleefully embrace both sides of their heritage and take the best of both to create a musical mixture worthy of truly creative minds.
