Q: Tell us about the influence of Judaism on your material
A: I have always had a passion for Yemenite and Middle Eastern music. I grew up hearing it in synagogue when I was in Israel, and it just stuck. I guess that carried through to this day.
“Whenever I hear Middle Eastern styles, I always want to ‘mash’ them with the rhythms in my head.”
“As a DJ, I love to find Middle Eastern cuts that drive people wild or inspire a sort of sonic spirituality in the person, but as a producer, I love making Middle Eastern hip-hop because it combines my two favorite styles. I worked with a Moroccan singer, and the session was surreal — something about the hypnotic rhythm that blended perfectly with the Scripture. It was a powerful balance of tradition, a contribution to world music and the Jewish music genre that made it significant, or maybe that it was important.
“I think traditions and history bring power to the medium, where as making a random hip-hop beat and laying down a synth line could be powerful but not necessarily meaningful.”
q: Go in depth about the relationship between your music and your lifestyle brand, semitic swag
A: Semitic Swag and my label, Shemspeed, go hand in hand. It’s a visual match to the Semitic hipster sounds we produce. Both are rooted in culture and tradition, both are fused with new ideas and styles, both could be seen as something visual or specific to a person.
Q: How did you choose the people to help you produce the music on “New game?”
A: Similar to my previous work, much of it was rooted in faith and Jewish elements, even though they were subtle in the music. Judaism came through in messages of positivity and mysticism, like Matisyahu.
“I find faith a motivation and mindset that underlies much of the music I was producing at that time.”
I wanted “New Game” to be an album I would be a huge fan of, something that I would play in my car over and over. This album would be something indie and mainstream fans would love, and that took time in finding the right vocalist for each track. The rappers and singers on “New Game” are artists that I am a big fan of, and making the album was a dream.
“I feel I am letting people into how I hear the world and how I want the world to sound.”
Q: So diwon, we’re curious. Will you come to Cleveland anytime soon? Do you plan to bring semitic swag to a Cleveland store?
A: I’m not sure if Cleveland is on my schedule in the near future, but I have played there a bunch and would love to again! Semitic Swag is mostly sold online, at semiticswag.com. There are only a few select stores that carry it, but we are totally open to having a few of them in Cleveland. If anyone is interested who would like to make it happen, let’s talk (info@bancsmedia.com).
Check out the official “Semitic Swag” music video here.
more on the keffiyeh…
Semitic Swag’s most popular item is the “Semitic Keffiyeh,” even though all keffiyot are Semitic, as they were worn in the Middle East by Semitic people of all regions, both Jews and Arabs. The newest style incorporates Hebrew (Am Yisrael Chai) and the Star of David.
“I think the fact that Jews and Arabs both wore keffiyeh illustrates the similarities between the cultures. I see it as something unifying.”
akaplan@jstylemagazine.com
