So after my marvelous tour through Australia, I was utterly surprised to get an email from an Australian radio show two days after I got back to LA. I naturally assumed that it was related to my being there in some way, but it turns out, it wasn’t at ALL. The guys from a show called “Sunday Night Safran” were writing to MC Happyjoel, because they came across the hyper-specific, Jewish rap song I wrote a few years back called “A Bissel Rap.” At this point I would like to shout out to my DJ, DJ Dour. DJ Dour, consider yourself shouted.
A weird coincidence, but I was only too happy when they asked if they could call me and interview me on the radio about the song. I don’t know anything about the show, what they talk about, where they are based, and because I got the day wrong (international date line and all that) I was accidentally, totally drunk when the interview happened. Still, I don’t sound like a total douchebag if you check the podcast starting at 1 hour 13 minutes in.
The strangest part of this, is that I was chosen as their “Religious Song of the Week,” but my lyrics are so specifically Jewish, that even 80% of Jews don’t get all the references. To give you an idea, the song starts with:
“I wanna make sure Jews and non-Jews don’t hate / But I slaughter MC’s with the precision of a shochayt.”
Or how about this classic rap line:
“I run through other rappers lines cause their rhymes are fucking porous / And I spin busters round in circles like I’m shlugging capporus.”
(A shochayt is a Jewish butcher, and shlugging capporus is when you swing a chicken around your head at Yom Kippur to put your sins in it. You know, normal every day Judaism.)
But by far the most exciting thing was that I was referred to on the show as “Jewish hip-hop artist from Los Angeles…” without any irony or mocking. In the world of Jewish rapping, I think that’s basically as big as you can get.
PS – Matisyahu can go fuck himself. (trying to start a Jewish-rap war if anyone wants to forward this to him!)
Interesting. I’ve also been exploring Aussie happenings, particularly in the world of kangaroo boxing, as well as koalas, Barry Crocker, and Matthew McConaughey over at the Rodeo.
I’m just catching your bit on Sunday Night Safran; I’ve been listening to the program about two years now. It doesn’t have much traction in the US, but it’s impressively up-to-date on cultural events, things of interest, and odd entertainments such as a legitimately Jewish rapper from LA (an unsubtle dig at Natasyehu).
Were you impressed at how much Father Bob knew? The man’s a genius. If you’re not a fan now, give them a few listens; perhaps you will be eventually. (By the way: nice going on bringing up “come” when talking to a Catholic priest. What would your rabbi say? Besides “go take a shower.” I’m surprised they didn’t bleep out that stuff on the podcast.)
Anyhow, yeah: you did sound a bit pissed, but only after you mentioned it here. I think you did great. You were a credit to ‘Merica.
Good luck to you. And good luck getting to that last continent.
dm
Last thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C62momglFPQ