Matisyahu, Hasidic Faith: Jewish Rap Reggae Singer Talks About Lifestyle Change

Leaving his old lifestyle was not an easy process, and Matisyahu explained the difficulties of it.

"I began to realize that there were a lot of things within that lifestyle that were actually holding me back, that were sort of weighing heavy down on me and keeping me from tasting a certain freedom of expression," he said. "In Judiasm there are a lot of rules –- everything from which fingernail you cut first to which side you sleep on in bed, to the way you get dressed in the morning, to actual ideas, like ideas about being chosen people or ideas about female/male and how to interact with people from the opposite sex.

He continued, "So all those things that I tried to mold myself into that never really jibed. So at a certain point ... I basically said, 'I don't need to do all these things. It's my life, I can choose how I want to worship God, what words I want to say. I can say less words.'"

Matisyahu also revealed that his new album Spark Seeker is influenced by Judaism.

"Judaism is just such a huge part of who I am," he said. "I don't think I could separate that at this point. I spent 10 years sort of really immersed heavily in the practice and in the study of Judaism. This record was made when, I wouldn't say phase out, but when I started to expand and explore and let go of a lot of that. But it's still such a part of me that it's inescapable."

Read the full interview here.

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