When Matisyahu’s “King Without a Crown” was the big hit it felt like the Jews had finally arrived to the cool party. Sure, the Beastie Boys were Jews but would your parents ever consider buying you one of their albums? No, never, not on your life. Here was a nice Hassidic boy who looked the part and sang about God. What could be better than that? Someone you could play for your parents AND your friends was a real blessing.
Is he still cool now that he’s shaved his beard? Who are we left with now that the Beastie Boys have gone Buddhist?
Well the appeal stretched beyond coolness and so the problem isn’t coolness it’s a matter of identity. Here was a real artist who wrote brilliant lyrics that challenged very cynical notions of both song writing and and religion. He does this with a poet’s sense of words and meter and believer’s undying gratitude toward God. His whole second album “Youth” described how he found himself through becoming a devout Jew.
For such a mensch he certainly doesn’t know how to show it without his beard. Now to some, this may seem to be a superficial idea for some people but to him its not. In an interview with WNYC from December (and just now we’re all noticing this?) he says he wants to quit being a reggae superstar and start being himself. Which is great, personal growth is wonderful. No one said anything when he took years off to raise his children (who are adorable), no one cared when he didn’t want to sing with Beyonce’ on stage (because she’s a woman and he was a married Hassid), but someone will care about this.
What is great about this for him is that he is divorcing his celebrity identity to discover and enact his true identity. Hopefully this will allow him to be a better artist and a better Jew. Most of Jewish discourse is about finding the right way to experience Judaism for each person. An individual pursues an understanding of the laws and of God and of the people. Matisyahu, in removing himself from a role and identity he doesn’t want to be, is doing that. This is a similar decision as when he chose to become more religious in the first place.
Beardless, Matisyahu loses the weight of Hassidic expectations and pursues a life of fatherhood and music.
Now that he can perform with women, let the list of possible duets commence!
