An African American born in Seattle, Nissim Black stepped back from a promising career as a rapper several years ago to undertake conversion to Judaism. He then achieved stardom among his fellow Orthodox Jews, recording religiously themed music with hip-hop influences. But while these works remained very much within the conventions of contemporary Orthodox music, Black’s most recent album, Mothaland Bounce, is an unapologetic work of rap that has left many of his fans unsettled. Henry Abramson takes a historical view of Black’s critics, arguing that the album “may be Black’s most authentically Jewish work” thus far:
Even the title is an expression of the quintessential Jewish experience. “Bounce” . . . is slang for “leave suddenly, escape,” and in some contexts, “expel” (think “bouncer” at the door of a nightclub). Who knows more about “bouncing” from adopted “mother lands” than the Jews? We’ve been bouncing for a very, very long time. On the upside, we’ve picked up a lot of valuable cultural influences along the way.
For example, when the Baghdad-born Hebrew poet Dunash ibn Labrat arrived in Cordoba in the 10th century, he brought with him a remarkable artistic innovation: by adding Arabic-style meter to Hebrew, he was able to craft a dramatic new form and inject staid, static Hebrew poetry with an unsettling new vibe. Traditionalists, led by the aged Menachem ben Saruk, were scandalized by Dunash’s adaptation of foreign, goyishe meters, and riots broke out on the streets of Cordoba. (Ah, to live in a time when Jews literally came to blows over poetry!)
It took several centuries for the dispute to resolve itself, but Jews voted with their tongue—Dunash ibn Labrat’s Arabic style was enthusiastically absorbed into the art of the greatest Sephardi poets, from Solomon ibn Gabirol to Yehuda ha-Levi. Jews are still singing ibn Labrat’s ethereal, Arabic-inflected Dror Yikra [“Call Out Freedom”] around their Sabbath tables 1,000 years after his passing.
Like his bold predecessors, [Nissim Black] cross-fertilizes Jewish culture and revitalizes it, keeping it fresh and relevant for the new generation. . . . Mothaland Bounce is not just an example but a celebration of Jewish cultural syncretism.
Read more on Jewish Telegraphic Agency: https://www.jta.org/2020/02/24/culture/nissim-blacks-mothaland-bounce-is-the-most-authentically-jewish-song-youll-hear-this-year