Matisyahu

Matisyahu is the US born reggae musician known for his blend of rock and reggae, and raps which reflect his Jewish beliefs.

The young Matthew Paul Miller was a fairly typical teenager who rebelled against his background, quitting school to follow his favourite band, Phish. He eventually realised that his love of music and his religion need not be mutually exclusive, and he embarked on a career to express both. He spent his early days performing with Pey Dalid before going solo and releasing his debut album which, although a critical success, was not a big seller. After extensive touring round the US, his fanbase increased and his reputation spread. His follow up, Live at Stubbs, went gold, helped in part by his appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee in 2005.

The Youth album, which was produced by established musician/producer Bill Laswell, was nominated for the Best Reggae Album Grammy, while the single, King Without a Crown, made it to the Top 10 of the Modern Rock charts and helped earn him the award for Billboard's Best Reggae Artist in 2006.