The 10 most influential Jewish rappers of the past 50 years
Some are household names, others are long-forgotten pioneers
Hip Hop
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Music Klezmer techno music? This 22 year-old is making it a thing
With Kleztronica, Kaia Berman-Peters blends klezmer elements with electronic dance music
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Music RIP Coolio, who breathed new life into a familiar psalm
The 'Gangsta's Paradise' rapper repurposed Psalm 23 to reflect his own reality
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The Schmooze Is Azealia Banks Jewish now?
Hip-hop artist Azealia Banks proudly posted her engagement ring on Instagram Monday, announcing conceptual artist Ryder Ripps had proposed to her. Unlike most women, who might be showing off a large rock, Banks’ finger was adorned with a chunky gold ring featuring a relief of a menorah. The photo was captioned “I’m Jewish now. MAZEL…
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News Nick Cannon and Public Enemy’s Professor Griff were both called antisemitic. Only one recovered.
Editor’s note: In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Forward is resurfacing some of our recent coverage related to the Black-Jewish experience and racial justice. This article originally appeared in September, 2020. In 1989, the rapper known as Professor Griff made anti-Jewish comments that derailed his career. More than 30 years later, when…
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Culture The Secret Jewish History of Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur, who died on this day in 1996 at the age of 25, may seem an unlikely candidate for consideration in our pages. At one time, Vice President Dan Quayle said Shakur’s music “has no place in our society”; Shakur was a convicted felon who in a few years was in and out of…
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Fast Forward Jewish Rapper Mac Miller Found Dead At 26
(JTA) — Rapper Mac Miller was found dead of an apparent drug overdose on Friday, TMZ reported. The 26-year-old struggled with substance abuse for years, including during a high-profile relationship with pop star Ariana Grande. According to TMZ, Miller was found by police in his home in the San Fernando Valley, Calif., and pronounced on…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Jewish Rapper Shyne Announces Birth Of Daughter
Orthodox Jewish rapper Moses Levi, better known as his stage name Shyne, announced the birth of a new child this week. In an Instagram post, Levi thanked the “Creator of the universe” for a safe delivery and revealed that his daughter is called Naomi, a biblical name from the book of Ruth. “Welcome our princess…
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Fast Forward Germany’s antisemitism czar says slogans like ‘From the river to the sea’ should be illegal
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Fast Forward There’s something missing from John Fetterman’s memoir: Israel
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Looking Forward How a Russian samovar connects me to the old country — and my black market dealing great-great-grandmother
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Fast Forward Mark Mellman, pollster who championed Democrats and Israel, dies
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