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Black Bar Mitzvah
He’s Black, Orthodox Jewish, and a Dope-Ass Rapper
Seattle-born Nissim started out a Black Gangster Disciple — then became a disciple of the Torah
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
A trap beat fills the air, an African chant winding its way among the drum and bass. On the street, two groups of men approach each other: one in contemporary streetwear, the other clad in African dress and ornaments. The crews bump chests, ready to throw hands, but then yet another group appears to break up the impending battle — dressed in traditional Hasidic garb.
A stocky Black man appears on the screen. He’s wearing the furry shtreimel hat and the swaying tzitzit tassels of a Hasidic Jew; he’s also spitting absolute fire. “He said it’s God’s plan, but I’m God’s man,” he raps, shouting out fellow Jewish rapper Drake. This is Nissim Black — or, as he calls himself a few moments later, “Hitler’s worst nightmare.”
Shalom, y’all.
The new single, “Mothaland Bounce,” marks a turning point for the 33-year-old Seattle-born rapper and not just because its video has garnered nearly two million views in the month since its release. Since converting to Orthodox Judaism nearly a decade ago, Nissim has made music for predominantly Jewish audiences, collaborating with Jewish pop singers and recording melodic, inspirational, and comparatively saccharine records. But with “Mothaland Bounce,” he wanted to let folks know where he came from — and that he was bringing bars with him.
“The fact that I’m dressed in a way that reflects my religious beliefs doesn’t change anything about who I am as an African American. Not only does it not change anything, but I’m proud: Just like I’m proud of being a Yid, I’m…
