David Spector
After being thrown out of festivals, dropped by his manager and railed against by anti-Israel mobs, reggae star Matisyahu says the backlash over his support for the Jewish state hasn’t slowed him down at all.
In fact, the 45-year-old Jewish performer says he’s “busier than ever.”
“The Jewish community has been really appreciative and I’ve felt inspired by it,” the pop star, whose birth name is Matthew Miller, told The Post on the deck of his rustic upstate New York home overlooking the Hudson River.
Matisyahu admitted it hasn’t been all peaches and cream — he’s had concerts in Arizona, New Mexico and Chicago canceled after anti-Israel demonstrators threatened to picket the venues.
He was also dropped by his manager after he refused to change the lyrics to his song “Ascent,” which contains phrases about dancing on Hamas terrorists’ graves.
“We’re living in a time where I have to make decisions, like ‘do I need to bring security’. … It’s a dangerous place but luckily for me it’s been a smooth run,” he said.
The reggae star — known for the Top 40 hit in the US “King Without a Crown” — also says that young people are attracted to the “darkness” of Hamas.
“It’s very sexy [to them] … these terrorists are ‘freedom fighters’ and whatever happens to ‘the oppressor.’ … they have it coming to them,” he said about Hamas’ appeal. “There’s something very tantalizing about it, the darkness of it, but the Jewish people are light.”
But his diverse group of fans have stuck with him throughout the tumultuous year since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,200 unsuspecting Israelis at a music festival, Matisyahu said.
For his Jewish followers, his concerts have become a refuge.
“I’ve always felt my music serves a purpose, but now more than ever,” he told The Post. “The protests have been difficult but they usually fade.”
“It can be frustrating dealing with antisemitism and morons, the music should be a refreshment for that. It feels good to be able to provide that for people. It feels like a responsibility as well. People are really in pain, really hurting.”
Eager to release a new album and get back on the road with his band on a West Coast tour, the New York native says he has 25 songs ready to go, some of which touch on the horrific Hamas attacks.
Matisyahu says he thinks about the hostages still captive inside Gaza “day and night.”
“Every Jew that has a Jewish soul inside of them is completely destroyed by this.”
He is scheduled to perform at the Bergen Performing Arts Center on Sept. 16 in a benefit for Israeli’s first responders, United Hatzalah.
This post was originally posted by NYPost
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