Matisyahu shaved his beard. “No more Chassidic reggae superstar” says the formerly fuzz-faced singer responsible for hits such as “Miracle”, “One Day” and “King Without A Crown.”
According to a blog post accompanying a picture of the newly shaken singer, Matisyahu was having trouble coming to terms with the importance of individuality and organized faith.
Read the full text below:
“Sorry folks, all you get is me…no alias. When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice. My journey to discover my roots and explore Jewish spirituality–not through books but through real life. At a certain point I felt the need to submit to a higher level of religiosity…to move away from my intuition and to accept an ultimate truth. I felt that in order to become a good person I needed rules–lots of them–or else I would somehow fall apart. I am reclaiming myself. Trusting my goodness and my divine mission.
Get ready for an amazing year filled with music of rebirth. And for those concerned with my naked face, don’t worry…you haven’t seen the last of my facial hair.”
Fans, although a bit riled at first, have been mostly supportive, flooding his Facebook page with messages of love and inspirational comments from the Torah. Some conceivably understood the shaving as a denouncement of the faith, however Matisyahu clarified all the controversy by saying he would continue to worship and attend Jewish religious services.
Bearded or not, Matisyahu’s currently prepping two new albums for release in 2012. The first, Akedah: Teaching to Love, is based on the Biblical story Isaac being bound by his father, Abraham, to prepare as a sacrifice to God, and the second is a more hip-hop oriented collection with producer Kool Kojak.
Personally, I think we’re all making a big deal over nothing though it will be interesting to see if his fan base remains as vibrant after the loss of his “Chassidic reggae superstar” image.
Article By: Chris Castro