Is a Matisyahu without a beard like "A King Without a Crown"?
Yesterday, in a sudden move that shocked every member of Planet Earth's Hasidic reggae community to the etsem (or bone for all you non-Hebrew speakers), everyone's favorite Jewish emcee, Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller), shaved off his famous facial hair.
Fans and followers were forced to confront Matis's clean-shaven look on the morning of December 13 when he tweeted two iPhone photos of his newly naked mug, alongside a cryptic lyrical couplet ("At the break of day, I look for you at sunrise/When the tide comes in, I lose my disguise") from 2009 track "Thunder."
A few hours later, the emcee explained his actions by issuing an official facial hair statement via matisyahuworld.com. "This morning I posted a photo of myself on Twitter," he wrote, emphatically adding, "No more Chassidic reggae superstar.
"Sorry folks, all you get is me ... no alias," Matis continued. "When I started becoming religious 10 years ago it was a very natural and organic process. It was my choice ... I felt that in order to become a good person I needed rules -- lots of them -- or else I would somehow fall apart.
"I am reclaiming myself. Trusting my goodness and my divine mission."
Naturally, Matis's people began to panic, thinking his beardlessness, lost side locks, and uncertain words were signs that he'd renounced his faith. However, the Hasidim can relax. This emcee's still chillin' with Jehovah. He even tweeted, "For all those who are confused: today I went to the Mikva and Shul just like yesterday."
It's even possible that this little shaving incident's merely the birth of a new beard. "For those concerned with my naked face," Matisyahu reassured the worriers, "you haven't seen the last of my facial hair."
Matisyahu. Thursday, December 29. Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $9.90 to $45 plus fees via ticketmaster.com. Call 561-686-7000 or visit kravis.org.
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