There is certain strength in marginalization.

For the past half-century, Western media has exploited the tension between the extreme Christian right and the countercultural left. Outside of this dialogue, voices have found common ground from which they have spoken. Most relevantly in regards to Mastisyahu, Bob Marley's devotion to Rastafari and Zionism has a strong relationship to orthodox Judaic ideals.

Surprising to say the least!

This artist and album surprised the crap out of me in many ways. For one I'm no big fan of reggae, but every single lyric from Matisyahu just pulled me in for more. And to see a Jewish artist getting airplay, i can't help but smile! Each song is powerful in it's own way, whether about Jerusalem and the holocaust, or old highschool memories. Matisyahu is a force to be reckoned with, and is not compromisng to anything.

Start with Live at Stubb's

On this album, my opinions are limited to only a single comment: This album pales in comparison to Live at Stubb's. Don't get me wrong, the lyrical content of this album is just as deep and just as well-written; however, this studio album losses so much of the rawness of his live performance. The energy is simply not there and even the accompanying music lacks something of the urgency I heard in Live At Stubb's. I keep this album in the shuffle on my iPod, but I keep Live at Stubb's on a favorite playlist of mine. Bottom line: still worth the money, but prepare for a slight disappointment.