LUCIDMEDIA

Y-Love a Jewish Rapper

Written by Lisa M. Knapp Tuesday, 18 August 2009 12:23

It’s not very often you come across unorthodox musicians. Yitzchak Jordan, also known by his stage name as Y-Love, is an one such musician: an orthodox Jewish rapper. Raised Baptist but later converting to Judaism, he surrounded himself with a faith-filled life including becoming a Shabbos goy as a child. Jordan has always been a major fan of heavy metal and punk rock, which is surprisingly not the musical path he chose. But while studying in Israel he became interested in hip-hop and after awhile found himself translating his world view into freestyle rhymes and dance beats for a very diverse audience. Y-Love’s musically devoted life tied in with his faith has bent bridges that the music community never thought possible. This Lucid Writer had the opportunity to have an email chat with Y-Love.

Lucid Media: I've read a lot about you and your past but what attracted you to becoming a Jew and was it a difficult journey to achieve for you?

Yitz: I wanted to be Jewish my entire life - ever since seeing a TV commercial that said "Happy Passover from your friends at Channel 2" which triggered an instinctive response of "Mommy, I want to be Jewish". Period. I never questioned the truth of Judaism or Torah, but I can't say that the transition to Orthodox Jew was totally easy. I encountered a lot of racism during the conversion process, racism which would largely be transformed into acceptance over the years to come.

LM: I noticed that you are quite multilingual, do you find you use various languages often or just in your music?

Y: All of the languages I use are considered holy languages by some group of people in the world. In Jewish learning, I had to use Hebrew, Aramaic, and Yiddish on a daily basis as these are the languages used in the yeshivas and rabbinical schools. I pursued Aramaic specifically for music because of my love for the language; it gives an insight into another world through its expressions and usages. Things like urban dialects and idioms give insights into aspects of the ancient Sages' personalities and worldviews.

Arabic I would learn to read and write as a way to do my own web searches for news, when one relies on the media one also relies on their translators. Latin I learned in school in 5th and 6th grades. This also gives insight into an ancient world. Things like the fact that graffiti existed in ancient Rome, ancient Babylon had drug addiction, I find these things fascinating. Nihil novum sub solis est / ein chadash tachat ha'shemesh – there really IS nothing new under the sun.

LM: Tell me about your musical experience...have you also always been musical since you were young?

Y: I grew up listening to punk rock and metal, my favourite punk band in college and to this day is Conflict. I always wanted to do music, but didn't really find my place until I found hip-hop while rhyming in yeshiva. I once wanted to be in a punk band and began to write lyrics but I guess this part of my life had to come from God, the lyrics I wrote before Jewish learning pale in comparison to what I would write after learning Scripture. I used to sing in the church choir when I was like 12. None of that would have an impact on what I do now, though.

LM: Do you tend to write the songs according to the languages you want to use at the time?

Y: The languages literally happen organically. Once I was at a freestyle cipher in Manhattan at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. There were many VIP people in the building – deejays, emcees, producers, etc. – and I happened to meet a group of people in the basement. After telling them I was an emcee and ‘bigging’ myself up a bit, they wanted to hear me freestyle. I began to freestyle a few bars and began to flow choppy and stopped and said, "I'm sorry, I really can't flow as well if I don't throw in at least a little Aramaic" and, taken aback, the guys go "uh, okay..." and I proceeded to spit a hot 16-bar verse. It's the moving between languages freely that I find fuels my creative process a lot.

LM: Would you say your songs come from you or are they more scripture based?

Y: My songs come from all over. Lately they've been coming from me more than Scripture (not a fact of which I'm proud, I do need to devote more time to Torah study) but when they do come from me, they come from my outlook on the world, much of which was shaped by what I've learned as a Jew.

LM: Would you still be part of a punk band if you had the opportunity or are you sticking with what you do now?

Y: One hundred per cent, most definitely I would still be part of a punk band if I had the opportunity, and I would jump on stage with a hardcore band without a second thought. However, hip-hop was initially the way I learned Torah in yeshiva, as long as, God willing, I remain connected to spiritual undertakings, I'm going to keep rhyming. Nothing for me is mutually exclusive with hip-hop.

LM: What are your future plans?

Y: I plan on releasing this new album, "This is Unity," a precursory EP, and a mix tape in the near future -- with a tour to follow. Ultimately, I would like to branch beyond music, however. One need only look to Chuck D or Mos Def for examples of rappers who have made their voices heard in the politico-cultural arena, an arena in which I would very much want one day to express my opinions. Bow Wow was on CNN, Kanye's "Bush doesn't care about Black people" was a cultural shot at the GOP which still resonates with some voters. I hope to able to make myself a voice to be heard even without a microphone.

LM: Where can your fans find more information on you?

Y: Follow me on twitter - @ylove! And I'm going to be in Maryland in September, and then off to Europe again in the fall -- all my tour information is at shemspeed.com and myspace.com/ylove