Jewish Rapper Moshe Reuven Changing the Hip Hop Norm
Every now and then something or someone comes along and changes the narrative for the norm.
In 1988, Hip Hop had a new artist making his debut. Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem broke racial barriers as a white artist, a typical for this genre. Since that time, he has sold over 220 million albums, has won countless music awards and has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Fast forward to 2022 when another Hip Hop newcomer caused a stirr. Moshe Reuven, a Hassidic Jew from Morristown NJ took to the mic and began his rap journey. Before long, his single “You Are Not Alone” made it to the #22 slot on Billboard Music Charts.
He also released “Say”, another song featuring reggae artist Julian Marley, son of Bob Marley.
Recently, I sat down with Moshe to learn more about his background and where his passion for Hip Hop started…
Tell me a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, school, etc?
I grew up in Cooper City, Florida and attended school in Cooper City until college when I went to the University of Central Florida in Orlando and The Rabbinical College of America in Morristown. I grew up conservative Jewish, later becoming Orthodox primarily beginning throughout the end of high school and the beginning of college.
Do you remember the first time you heard Hip Hop music? Tell me about it.
My earliest vivid memory of listening to Hip Hop was when a family friend was taking my brothers and I to school. We were carpooling and I believe I was in kindergarten and a big song at the time came on. I just recall that I had already known who the artist was.
Who are you most influenced by in the music industry?
Its changed over the years. At various stages of my growth I’ve been inspired by different artists. I think today, the Youth album version of Matisyahu. What he accomplished as a religious Jew is a very good example of what a religious Jewish artist should be aiming for. It’s a person being involved in music for a higher cause, in a way that aligns with Jewish values.
Tell me about your first single. How did you think the music world would respond to a Jewish rapper?
My first single, “You Are Not Alone” was huge, thank G-d, for my start as an official artist. It charted in 5 countries. It’s now a Billboard certified single. Millions of viewers & listeners. It was a huge gift from above. How did I think the world would respond to a Jewish rapper? Well, I just somehow knew that if I do my part G-d will handle the rest. That if the world could hear me do what I do, at a high level, there’ll be people who vibe with it. I do think I understood at the time that there’s going to be haters along the way. Especially since there’s people that are antisemitic in the world, there would be people that if they ignore the music itself, they may not like me. Yet, that it’s possible and even likely that many, many people would like me and my music. There’s a concept that words that come from the heart enter the heart. It’s my aim in general to speak words that are sincere to more, and make music that’s sincere to me. I believe the best music is sincere, because people feel real music, that comes from the heart or soul, or both. Additionally, I do believe G-d has blessed me. He’s blessed me with a gift. I’ve seen for years even before officially releasing music that reaches millions of people, that when I’m at my best, people are impacted — regardless of their background. And, I don’t believe it’s because I’m at my best. I believe it’s from above. When I say “when I’m at my best”, I mean especially when I translate that gift to others effectively. I think now more than ever, the world is ready for me in all my uniqueness. I believe that G-d has His timing, and He chose now and G-d willing, many years to come. Millennials and younger are naturally against being against anything. For better or worse. I happen to think that can be for the better. Meaning, more people today would be willing to give my music a listening ear, than prior generations would be so open minded to. That’s statistically speaking, of course, anything could happen at any time, if fate permits. I guess you can say, I’m uniquely optimistic about the world’s ability to appreciate someone from a different background that’s a rapper, especially today. The world is good, and people are good. The proof is in the pudding, millions of people have appreciated me and my music already and they are from all different walks of life.
How has the feedback been?
Very positive. People commonly complain that they want more music. I’ve had people DM that my music saved their life. I’ve seen reposts of my songs that this song changed their day for the better. I want to have a positive impact on the world. The feedback has shown that it’s happening.
What is next for you?
Tons of songs, shows, music videos, and good things on the way.
Follow Moshe and his journey…
