I agree G. Babylon looks for the "Great White Hope" in everything that is dominated by people of color.

The man can sing what he wants but in I opinion, it is incorrect to really call it reggae music. It is more like hippie music in I opinion.

Here is an interview with Matisyahu posted by Seshata a little time ago.

Jah guide and Itect always!

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MatisyahuYouth: Hi Ed
EdinMusic: Hi Matisyahu Thanks for taking the time to speak with AOL Music
MatisyahuYouth: No problem.
MatisyahuYouth: My pleasure.
EdinMusic: Where are you?
MatisyahuYouth: I'm in Denver, CO
MatisyahuYouth: It's a nice 65 degrees out - I want to go hiking.
EdinMusic: Cool. Are you there for a concert?
MatisyahuYouth: Yeah -- we have a concert tonight at Paramount Theater.
MatisyahuYouth: I think it's sold out.
EdinMusic: Sweet!
MatisyahuYouth: and tasty!
EdinMusic: So let's go back a bit in time...
EdinMusic: During your decade-long transformation from a laid-back hippy to a devout Hasidic Jew, did you ever think you would become a successful music star?
MatisyahuYouth: I did. Since I was a kid, I wanted to be an NHL hockey player or a professional musician, even when I didn't know how to play an instrument or sing. I've always been a bit of a dreamer...
EdinMusic: So how did you find yourself making music?
MatisyahuYouth: Initially I listened to music and was just very passionate about that. Along the way, I got into performing, singing, acting, and dancing - as a kid really.
MatisyahuYouth: As my musical taste progressed into hip-hop and reggae, I began beat boxing, playing percussion, drums, writing rhymes...
MatisyahuYouth: free style rapping with friends
MatisyahuYouth: writing poetry
MatisyahuYouth: Eventually, certain melodies struck me as spiritual, and I tried to combine them with my poetry and hip-hop track ideas
EdinMusic: Your skills as a beatboxer are pretty impressive. What's the secret?
MatisyahuYouth: Spend hours alone in your bedroom with a PA system on high and a delay effects unit on the mic and just go for it
MatisyahuYouth: You need to absorb how drums actually sound in different types of music -- jam band stuff, hip-hop, electronica
MatisyahuYouth:... and then combine it with melody
EdinMusic: Tell us about the first time you performed in public
MatisyahuYouth: Do elementary school shows count?
EdinMusic: How about the first time you performed your own music?
MatisyahuYouth: I think it was when I was 17. I was in an indoor parking lot outside a Phish Halloween show. They had just did a full set of Talking Heads covers. I had a drum and I started singing the Rastaman chant and beatboxing a bit and pretty soon it turned into this crazy circus of people dancing around me and banging on things and everyone said I had a great voice
MatisyahuYouth: I tried to master that sound in my bedroom and that was one of the first times I went for it in public.
MatisyahuYouth: The band piece came later
EdinMusic: So you used to live the hippy lifestyle?
MatisyahuYouth: You could say so.
MatisyahuYouth: Everyone always focuses on this
EdinMusic: Does that bother you?
MatisyahuYouth: Not really.
MatisyahuYouth: I think people are into it because everyone had a hippie phase.
MatisyahuYouth: Searching for something.
EdinMusic: Is there anything you miss about the lifestyle?
MatisyahuYouth: Ummm... I guess I miss the raw energy and chaos. It was exciting
MatisyahuYouth: I felt like I was experiencing the world in a raw way
MatisyahuYouth: I draw on those experiences now. I'm the sum total of my life experiences and I try to convey that energy on stage, but in a healthier fashion.
MatisyahuYouth: Hopefully they love the music, but people tell me all the time that they relate to my story
EdinMusic: A lot of great things seem to be happening for you right now
EdinMusic: How does feel to become famous and successful?
MatisyahuYouth: It feels great
MatisyahuYouth: Grrreeat!
MatisyahuYouth: Like Tony the Tiger.
EdinMusic: Has there been any downside to your success so far?
MatisyahuYouth: My schedule is crazy and sometimes stressful, but that's life, and you need to work hard to reach goals.
MatisyahuYouth: There are a lot of expectations too. People forget I'm human.
MatisyahuYouth: Everyone think celebrities float on clouds, but it's a lot of work, and there are of course all the human limitations and politics in everything.
MatisyahuYouth: Basically.... it's a lot of work.
MatisyahuYouth: But I love it.
EdinMusic: Your popularity is spreading amongst other musicians as well
EdinMusic: We hear Madonna invited you to her Passover Seder. How did you react?
MatisyahuYouth: Still trying to figure out if I can make it. I really want to talk to her. Everyone asks me about her and her Judaism.
EdinMusic: It seems that many celebrities are associating themselves with a religion these days. Why do you think that is happening?
MatisyahuYouth: I think that many stars get to a point in their careers where there is still a void even if they are really successful.
MatisyahuYouth: Looking to religion for answers is natural.
MatisyahuYouth: The thing is, that people are attaching themselves to a religion publicly.
MatisyahuYouth: Or the press is.
MatisyahuYouth: Everyone is searching and wants everyone else to know about it.
EdinMusic: I suppose they all want to find a higher ground...
EdinMusic: While most of your fans are inspired by your lyrics and the spirituality in them, others may be attracted to the novelty of a Hasidic rapper.
EdinMusic: Does that concern you on any level?
MatisyahuYouth: Nope.
MatisyahuYouth: This is me.
MatisyahuYouth: If someone thinks it's a novelty they should close their eyes and listen.
MatisyahuYouth: They should come to one show and decide on their own whether or not it moves them.
MatisyahuYouth: I'm really not defensive about it, cause I think people can decide for themselves...
EdinMusic: Excellent answer!
EdinMusic: So, moving on, we hear you have a special affinity for the Beastie Boys?
MatisyahuYouth: Mike D and AdRock just did remixes for me
MatisyahuYouth: They're amazing.
MatisyahuYouth: We got to hang out at Sundance and I saw their show. I had never seen them...
EdinMusic: What was it like to work with P.O.D?
MatisyahuYouth: Working with P.O.D. was a great experience. Those guys are really nice and professional. Their session went like clockwork.
EdinMusic: Any plans to work with other artists that would surprise us?
MatisyahuYouth: Lot's of surprises...
EdinMusic: Any you can share?
MatisyahuYouth: Not yet.
MatisyahuYouth: Hoping for more remixes though.
MatisyahuYouth: A lot of them
EdinMusic: We'll stay tuned then
MatisyahuYouth: My son Laivy is yelling -- sorry for the delay there...
MatisyahuYouth: My wife and son are with me on the road this week.
EdinMusic: no problem Dad!
EdinMusic: That has got to be different - what is it like?
MatisyahuYouth: It's great -- keeps me grounded
EdinMusic: Well, speaking of staying grounded, some people are curious to know why you gave up stage diving during your shows…
MatisyahuYouth: I got dropped at one
MatisyahuYouth: Kidding.
EdinMusic: heh heh
MatisyahuYouth: There's a restriction that men may not touch women with the exception of wife, mother, daughter, grandmother...
MatisyahuYouth: Touch is holy. It's a respect thing and NOT a disrespect thing
MatisyahuYouth: When I stage dove in the videos, the director made sure I jumped into guys.
EdinMusic: It must be quite a challenge to maintain your religious disciplines when you are on tour. What is it like to keep kosher on the road?
MatisyahuYouth: Not so bad. There are rabbis and kosher restaurants all over the world. Really, the network of Chabad rabbis has been really hospitable.
MatisyahuYouth: Only tough when you're at a rest stop in the middle of the night and you ate all your crackers
EdinMusic: Any special rituals before you go on stage?
MatisyahuYouth: I warm up my voice for about 45 minutes, meditate on whatever G-dly concept I've been learning, and hang out with my band.
MatisyahuYouth: No one ever asks me about the band...
MatisyahuYouth: It's all Phishead stories they want...
MatisyahuYouth: Kidding with you...
EdinMusic: hahaha. So, tell us about the band!
EdinMusic: 8-)
MatisyahuYouth: Aaron Dugan is the most amazing guitarist in the world. He really put the band together. He knew the equally great bass player, Josh Werner....and Josh knew Jonah, our power drummer.
MatisyahuYouth: He's tapping in the background right now.
MatisyahuYouth: Always playing his drum pad on his knee.
EdinMusic: What is the craziest thing that has happened to you on tour?
MatisyahuYouth: Last night...
MatisyahuYouth: we had...
MatisyahuYouth: milk...
MatisyahuYouth: and cookies!
EdinMusic: Heavy stuff!
MatisyahuYouth: Seriously though, we don't really party.
MatisyahuYouth: We're getting into competitive bowling.
MatisyahuYouth: Our bass player is talking about buying his own bowling shoes.
MatisyahuYouth: Crazy!
EdinMusic: Tell us about your new album, "Youth." What is the inspiration behind it?
MatisyahuYouth: There are many inspirations.
MatisyahuYouth: Primarily the inspiration is G-d.
MatisyahuYouth: Any particular song?
EdinMusic: How abut the title track?
MatisyahuYouth: "Youth" came from the Lubavitch Rebbe's writing that youth and rebellion.
MatisyahuYouth: He said that "the youth will reject a hollow spirit of falseness, like the body rejects poison."
MatisyahuYouth: I thought that was dope.
MatisyahuYouth: Defining for me for sure.
MatisyahuYouth: Rebellion isn't the fault of those actually doing the rebellion; it's that something is off, and needs to be fixed.
EdinMusic: Well said
MatisyahuYouth: Thanks Ed
MatisyahuYouth: Gotta run to soundcheck...
EdinMusic: Hey thanks for your time good luck. Mazel Tov!
MatisyahuYouth: Peace.