Matisyahu CD/DVD To Reach Stores In Time For Boxing Day Sales

Hasidic reggae-rap artist Matisyahu wants you to have a happy Hannukah, as long as part of those celebrations include his forthcoming No Place To Be CD/DVD.

The CD portion of the set, due on Boxing Day from Epic, will feature seven songs. It includes two versions of The Police's "Message In A Bottle," a studio version recorded with producers and reggae rhythm section masters Sly & Robbie, and a dub version produced by Bill Laswell. Sly & Robbie also produced the single/video "Jerusalem (Out Of Darkness Comes Light)," which also comes in an alternate mix. Laswell produced "Chop 'Em Down" and "Warrior." The disc is rounded out with the Small Stars remix of "Youth."

The accompanying 90-minute Live In Israel DVD features a Matisyahu concert shot in Tel Aviv, Israel last December, as well as performances and interviews taped on the streets of Jerusalem.

Matisyahu (real name Matthew Miller) was first perceived as a novelty act, as he dresses in traditional Jewish garb and includes numerous Judaic references in his lyrics, but the 27-year-old Brooklyn, New York artist's sound quickly caught on with a broad range of music fans. His Youth album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 sales chart in the U.S. in March while his Live At Stubb's LP was at #36, making him the only artist to have two albums in the top 40.

Matisyahu is expected to tour extensively in the new year.

Here are the tracks on the Live In Israel DVD:

* "Rastaman Chant"
* "Lord Raise Me Up"
* "Dispatch The Troops"
* "Close My Eyes"
* "Warrior"
* "Exaltation"
* "Chop 'Em Down"
* "Late Night In Zion"
* "Ancient Lullaby"
* "King Without A Crown"
* "Heights"
* "What I'm Fighting For

Rapper Matisyahu set to release holiday treat

Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:35 AM ET

By Jonathan Cohen

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu will offer fans a holiday treat with the CD/DVD set "No Place To Be," due December 26 via Epic.

The CD sports seven tracks, among them two versions of the Police's "Message in a Bottle" -- a studio version recorded with the legendary Sly & Robbie and a dub version produced by Bill Laswell.

Also featured are the Laswell-produced studio cuts "Chop 'Em Down" and "Warrior," the Sly & Robbie-helmed single "Jerusalem (Out of Darkness Comes Light)" and alternate mixes of the latter cut plus "Youth."

A video for "Jerusalem" was recently crafted by Motion Theory, the company behind Beck's "Girl" and the Jay-Z/Pharrell Williams commercials for Hewlett Packard.

The DVD chronicles a Matisyahu concert in Tel Aviv, Israel, in December 2005, enriched with spontaneous performances on the streets of Jerusalem and interviews.

Matisyahu is expected to tour extensively in 2007, but for now, the only shows on his schedule are a December 13 gig in Washington, D.C., and Hanukkah run in his New York homebase on December 16-17 and 19 at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Reuters/Billboard

DVD: Matisyahu rocks the Holy Land

New DVD by rapper member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hassidic community to hit stores worldwide

Or Barnea

A new DVD by Matisyahu, the Hebrew and stage name of Matthew Paul Miller, a popular American Jewish reggae artist, will be available at stores internationally commencing December 26th.



The DVD was filmed at the Israeli Barbie night club in December of last year when Matisyahu came to Israel to perform in front of Israeli audiences both at the Barbie Club and at the Ma'abada club in Jerusalem.



In June of this year Matisyahu visited Israel again to give the opening act for Sting and another unforgettable performance at the Barbie Club.



The DVD titled Live in Israel includes the Tel Aviv performance along with interviews, street performances filmed in Jerusalem and a disk of Matisyahu's remixes. The majority of remixes were produced by Sly and Robbie and the veteran musician Bill Laswell, who also produced Matisyahu's last album Youth.



Rising star

The DVD includes 12 songs performed live including Chop 'Em Down, Close my Eyes, King without a Crown, and a cover version for the song Rastaman Chant by Bob Marley.



For the past two years Matisyahu has taken the music world by storm. His last album Youth captured the hearts of the American public and quickly spread to the rest of the world.



His first Album Shake off the Dust… Arise was recorded in 2004, when he also recorded an album of his live show called Live at Stubb's.