- Guys, did you know that there are Jewish rappers other than Drake? It’s. True. Forbes has a whole list, though we object to the use of the term “rap” in reference to whatever it is Mac Miller is doing. The Beastie Boys’ possession of the top spot may not be surprising, but we have to ask: have they been relevant since 1998?
- Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist formerly of the band Sleater-Kinney and currently writing and starring in the hipster-skewering television show Portlandia, is having a moment: her show’s gearing up for its second season, and she’s helming a new band called Wild Flag. You’re making the rest of us look bad, Brownstein.
Jews and rap music should not surprise anyone. Rap has made its way into the society at large, including the Jewish milieu. Other African-American music at different times has taken off, from soul to the early elements of rock. The Beastie Boys, very early performers of White and Jewish rap, forged new paths in the realm, delving into teenage angst in the iconic song, “You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right to Party.” FYI: best cream-pie throwing scene in the video since the Three Stooges!