{"id":75918,"date":"2023-08-13T18:24:42","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T23:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=75918"},"modified":"2023-08-13T18:24:42","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T23:24:42","slug":"the-10-most-influential-jewish-rappers-of-the-past-50-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/the-10-most-influential-jewish-rappers-of-the-past-50-years\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 most influential Jewish rappers of the past 50 years"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By ANDREW ESENSTEN<\/p>\n<p>(JTA) \u2014 Since the birth of hip-hop 50 years ago, plenty of Jewish rappers have picked up a microphone and rocked a crowd. They\u2019ve spit rhymes in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, even Aramaic. Collectively, they\u2019ve shattered stereotypes about what Jews look and sound like.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75919\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75919\" class=\"wp-image-75919 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-2048x1356.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/199;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75919\" class=\"wp-image-75919 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-768x508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-beastie-boys-2048x1356.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75919\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Beastie Boys, shown in an undated photo, were early rap pioneers. (L. Cohen\/WireImage\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>But hip-hop is hypercompetitive, so the question must be asked: Who are the Jewish artists who have made the biggest impact on the culture?<\/p>\n<p>To try to answer that question, I solicited the help of some serious hip-hop heads: brothers Eric and Jeff Rosenthal, together known as ItsTheReal. They are New York City-based writers, sketch comedians and podcasters; their latest podcast, \u201cThe Blog Era,\u201d tells the story of how anonymous kids on the internet helped obscure rappers become global superstars.<\/p>\n<p>The rappers they chose for this list, which is organized alphabetically and actually includes 12 people (since the Beastie Boys were a trio), span generations and geographical regions. All of them have Jewish heritage, but they do not necessarily make use of it in their art. The only other traits they share, in the words of the Rosenthal brothers, are that \u201ceveryone loves hip-hop and everybody is authentically themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Alchemist<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Alan Daniel Maman in Beverly Hills, CA; age 45; 3 solo studio albums, 15 albums as producer<\/p>\n<p>Best known for: Producing songs for Nas, Eminem, Fat Joe, Mobb Deep, Jadakiss, The Lox, Action Bronson, among others<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: In 2015, he released \u201cIsraeli Salad,\u201d an instrumental album built around samples of Israeli songs that includes a track titled \u201cBone Thugs N\u2019 Haifa.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75920\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75920\" class=\"wp-image-75920 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75920\" class=\"wp-image-75920 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-alchemist-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75920\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Alchemist performs with Boldy James at a festival in Oslo, Norway, Aug. 10, 2023. (Per Ole Hagen\/Redferns\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cAlchemist is the guy who everybody looks up to like, \u2018Oh, s\u2014, that\u2019s an actual cool Jew in this space.\u2019 From his dress to his attitude to the music he makes, he exudes hip-hop. He lives in an apartment with his wife and kids on the westside of L.A., making beats for fun. He\u2019s independent and lives in that persona. His journey from teenage rapper in Beverly Hills to essential production partner in the seminal Queens group Mobb Deep is genuine and way more impactful than being put in a box of \u2018Jewish rapper who makes it big and sells out in some way or another.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Beastie Boys<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Core members were Michael \u201cMike D\u201d Diamond, Adam \u201cMCA\u201d Yauch, Adam \u201cAd-Rock\u201d Horovitz, all born in New York City; active from 1981 to 2012 (Yauch\u2019s death); 8 studio albums, 3 Grammys<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75921\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75921\" class=\"wp-image-75921 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill-300x296.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"296\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill-300x296.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill.jpg 500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/296;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75921\" class=\"wp-image-75921 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill-300x296.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill-300x296.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Licensed_to_ill.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75921\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beastie Boys&#8217; &#8220;License To Ill&#8221; album. (Sony Records)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Best known for: \u201c(You\u2019ve Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party),\u201d \u201cIntergalactic,\u201d \u201cSabotage,\u201d \u201cNo Sleep Till Brooklyn\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: In \u201cShadrach,\u201d a song on their 1989 album \u201cPaul\u2019s Boutique,\u201d the Beastie Boys compare themselves to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Jewish men who defied Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, in the Book of Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cThe Beastie Boys are the blueprint. They came from a punk background. They were hanging out with Rick Rubin, and shifted their love of punk and anti-authoritarianism across cultural lines. They\u2019re notable for being early, obviously, and being part of that blueprint, but also for taking hip-hop into such weird and crazy places, fusing it with skate life and being progressive heroes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>BLP Kosher<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Benjamin Landy Pavlon in Broward County, Florida; age 23; begins a national tour (\u201cThe Dreidel That Never Stopped Spinning Tour\u201d) in September<\/p>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cSpecial K,\u201d \u201cJew on the Canoe,\u201d his unique hairstyle (a combination of Orthodox Jewish and Haitian styles)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75922\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75922\" class=\"wp-image-75922 size-thumbnail lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-350x350.png 350w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75922\" class=\"wp-image-75922 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-blp-kosher-copy-350x350.png 350w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75922\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">BLP Kosher (Screenshot from YouTube)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: Every part of his rap persona references Jewish culture, from his MC name, to his nickname (\u201cDreidel Man\u201d), to the Star of David necklaces he\u2019s always wearing, to the title of his new album, \u201cBars Mitzvah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cBLP Kosher is the future. He doesn\u2019t have a huge catalog. I don\u2019t know who his music is for, or who the joke is supposed to be on, if there is a joke. Honestly, he seems sincere, so give him the benefit of the doubt. But his existence flies in the face of every other trend. We live in a time now where there are a lot of stereotypes, antisemitism, and violence, and for him to be proudly and outwardly Jewish, to be accepted by the rougher edges of Florida and to be out there on a stage calling yourself that, I respect that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Doja Cat<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini in Los Angeles; age 27; Ashkenazi Jewish and South African heritage; 3 studio albums; in the top 50 most streamed artists in the world on Spotify<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/a>Best known for: \u201cSay So,\u201d \u201cGet Into It (Yuh),\u201d \u201cMooo!\u201d and her combative social media persona<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75928\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75928\" class=\"wp-image-75928 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-300x219.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-1536x1120.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat.png 1941w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/219;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75928\" class=\"wp-image-75928 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-300x219.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat-1536x1120.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Doja_Cat.png 1941w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75928\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Doja Cat performs at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 11, 2019. (Scott Dudelson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: In an episode of season 2 of the FX series \u201cDave,\u201d the character played by Jewish rapper Lil Dicky matches with a character played by Doja Cat on a dating app. His father asks if she\u2019s Jewish, and he confirms that she is after consulting her Wikipedia entry.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cThere\u2019s a small number of Jewish rappers who have broken through, and there\u2019s an even smaller number of Jewish women who rap. There\u2019s a Jewish stereotype where you get painted as not tough, but Doja is extremely tough, brazen, confident. She is somebody who has built up this massive audience and isn\u2019t afraid to lose them if they don\u2019t follow her lead. That\u2019s brave. That\u2019s exciting. That\u2019s very punk. Two spaces she occupies, L.A. and pop music, can be so soulless, but she is bringing a realness to both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Drake<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Aubrey Drake Graham in Toronto; age 36; Ashkenazi Jewish and African American heritage; former child actor on \u201cDegrassi: The Next Generation\u201d; 8 studio albums, 5 Grammys; Spotify\u2019s most streamed rapper, with more than 72 million monthly listeners<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1\/1;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-large wp-image-75923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-doja-cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75929\" style=\"width: 246px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75929\" class=\"wp-image-75929 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-236x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"236\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-806x1024.jpg 806w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-768x976.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake.jpg 944w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 236\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75929\" class=\"wp-image-75929 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-236x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"236\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-806x1024.jpg 806w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake-768x976.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-drake.jpg 944w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75929\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Drake in Atlanta in 2022. (Prince Williams\/Wireimage\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cHotline Bling\u201d (1.9 billion views on YouTube), \u201cGod\u2019s Plan\u201d (1.5 billion views), and dozens of other hits<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: It\u2019s a tie between his 2014 SNL skit, \u201cDrake\u2019s Bar Mitzvah,\u201d and his music video for \u201cHYFR (Hell Ya F\u2014 Right),\u201d which was filmed inside Miami\u2019s Temple Israel.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cHe\u2019s from Toronto, Canada, he\u2019s half singing, half rapping, and he\u2019s Jewish. Those are all these things that are traditionally outsider-ish. And for him to come on the scene, for him to be accepted the way that he has, and for his music to cross over and become as dominant as it has \u2014 that\u2019s a testament to who he is. He weaves his Jewish identity and his sense of humor into his videos and his output in a very smart way. Today, Drake is still the goofy, fun-loving, boastful half singer, half rapper that he was at the very beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>El-P<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Jaime Meline in New York City; age 48; 3 solo studio albums, 2 albums with rap trio Company Flow, 4 albums with duo Run The Jewels<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75930\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75930\" class=\"wp-image-75930 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/214;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75930\" class=\"wp-image-75930 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-el-p-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">El-P, right, performs with Killer Mike as Run The Jewels in Reading, England, Aug. 28, 2022. (Simone Joyner\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cLegend Has It,\u201d \u201cOoh LA LA,\u201d producing songs for a variety of artists<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: He has said he \u201cgrew up loving Jewish deli food\u201d and was an investor in Frankel\u2019s, a deli in Brooklyn that opened in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cHis whole movement is about independence: independent record label, not going along with the mainstream, really concerned with staying true to who he is. That influence is so much greater than any of his solo albums or any of his work in Run The Jewels, which by the way has been super successful. Today, with so many people doing it on their own, because now technology has caught up \u2014 you can record music on your own, you can distribute it on your own, you can publicize it on your own \u2014 there\u2019s a lot more stuff that El-P was early on that you see the influence of today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mac Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Malcolm James McCormick in Pittsburgh; died of a drug overdose in 2018 at age 26; 6 studio albums; Spotify\u2019s 19th-most-streamed rapper<\/p>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cSelf Care,\u201d \u201cBest Day Ever,\u201d his 2018 Tiny Desk concert (which has 105 million views)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75931\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75931\" class=\"wp-image-75931 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-300x230.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"230\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-1024x785.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-768x589.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller.jpg 1107w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/230;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75931\" class=\"wp-image-75931 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-300x230.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-300x230.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-1024x785.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller-768x589.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mac-miller.jpg 1107w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mac Miller in 2018. (Scott Dudelson\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: In a 2010 interview with his hometown Jewish newspaper, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, he talked about his \u201cchai\u201d tattoo and said the best Hanukkah present he ever received was a keyboard. \u201cBut the worst, and every Jew can relate to this, was being all excited to open up the present, thinking it\u2019s going to be something big, and it\u2019s socks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cHe was a generational talent, and there\u2019s a reason why he\u2019s been lionized, and it\u2019s not only because of his death. At the beginning of his career he was looked at with skepticism because he\u2019s a white rapper, a frat rapper, and he lived in that world. But he didn\u2019t want to. Much like the Beastie Boys \u2014 whom Mac studied, just like he did Biggie and DJ Premier \u2014 he evolved. He decamped to L.A. and forged a tight and genuine community. His home became the hub for an emerging sound: Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy, Odd Future. Everybody wanted to work with him because he was talented and true. He used his powers for good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>MC Serch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Michael Berrin in New York City; age 56; 1 solo studio album, 2 studio albums with rap trio 3rd Bass (with Pete Nice and DJ Richie Rich)<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75933\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75933\" class=\"wp-image-75933 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-2048x1318.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/193;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75933\" class=\"wp-image-75933 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-1536x988.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mc-serch-2048x1318.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75933\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">MC Serch, left, with the other members of 3rd Bass in New York City in 1989. (Al Pereira\/Getty Images\/Michael Ochs Archives)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cThe Gas Face,\u201d \u201cPop Goes the Weasel\u201d (a 3rd Bass diss against Vanilla Ice), \u201cBack To The Grill,\u201d executive producing the classic Nas album \u201cIllmatic\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: In a 2018 VLADTV interview, he talked about growing up in a Conservative family in the heavily Jewish Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens. He recalled how he was asked to perform the duties of a Shabbos goy for his Orthodox neighbors. \u201cTo ask another Jew to break Sabbath because you don\u2019t see them as being Jewish enough, it\u2019s crazy foul,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know until later that\u2019s lashon hara, that\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cWhite groups were so rare back then [in the late 1980s]. The Beastie Boys were the white crew, and then 3rd Bass showed up and they became the cool, white Jewish guys. Even more than the Beastie Boys, MC Serch lived all the early elements of hip-hop culture. He could battle somebody in a cypher and get busy on a dance floor. He\u2019s gone on to have this career in lots of different lanes, including television and radio and as an executive, helping put Nas on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mike Posner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Background: Born Michael Robert Henrion Posner in Detroit; age 35; 4 studio albums<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75934\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75934\" class=\"wp-image-75934 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-1024x818.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-1536x1227.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-2048x1636.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/240;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75934\" class=\"wp-image-75934 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-1024x818.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-1536x1227.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-mike-posner-2048x1636.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75934\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Posner performs in Cleveland, July 8, 2010. (Joey Foley\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cI Took A Pill In Ibiza\u201d (a remix of which has been streamed 1.7 billion times on Spotify); \u201cCooler Than Me\u201d; writing songs for Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, and Big Sean, among others; walking solo across the continental United States \u201cto remind people your life is now\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: During his Walk Across America in 2019, he told the Detroit Jewish News that his bar mitzvah speech was about the role Jews played during the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cMike\u2019s path was as unique as his sound \u2014 one that grew out of freestyling with his childhood friend Big Sean and turned into a rap\/singing hybrid \u2014 and it hit at the right time. He was booked at college after college and earned such a loyal fan base. Unsurprisingly, Mike Posner copycats turned up by the dozens not long after. He wrote songs for a lot of people that he didn\u2019t get recognized for, and his musical influence can still be heard today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Shyne<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75936\" style=\"width: 272px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-shyne.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75936\" class=\"wp-image-75936 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-shyne.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"262\" height=\"250\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 262px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 262\/250;\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75936\" class=\"wp-image-75936 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8-10-23-shyne.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"262\" height=\"250\"><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-75936\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shyne, born Jamaal Barrow, now serves in the Belize House of Representatives. (Royal Shyne\/Flickr)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Background: Born Jamaal Barrow in Belize, he legally changed his name to Moses Michael Levi Barrow after converting to Orthodox Judaism in 2010; age 44; 2 studio albums; currently serves in the Belize House of Representatives<\/p>\n<p>Best known for: \u201cBad Boyz,\u201d his gravelly voice, his involvement in a 1999 nightclub shooting that resulted in his serving 9 years in prison<\/p>\n<p>Most Jewish moment: Telling The New York Times in a 2010 interview in Jerusalem, where he was living at the time, \u201cMy entire life screams that I have a Jewish neshama [soul]\u201d and \u201cThere\u2019s nothing in the Chumash [text of the Torah] that says I can\u2019t drive a Lamborghini.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ItsTheReal says: \u201cWhat a voice, what an attitude, what a swagger. He was sent to jail at the height of his superstardom. It\u2019s hard to know how anyone could bounce back from that, evolve, reset. For Shyne, at life\u2019s most trying intersection, he found Judaism. After he converted, there were lots of jokes \u2014 we made a lot of them \u2014 because it was so unlikely. But jokes aside, there\u2019s no question that Shyne is the best Jewish rapper of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"The%2010%20most%20influential%20Jewish%20rappers%20of%20the%20past%2050%20years\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":75919,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7137],"tags":[81,13260,11022,13261,13265,9604,13262,13263,8522,13264],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75918"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75918"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75937,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75918\/revisions\/75937"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}