Punklezmerap

Last updated
"Punklezmerap"
Punklezmerap.jpg
Single by Eprhyme
from the album Waywordwonderwill
A-side "Punklezmerap"
B-side "Where The Heart Is"
ReleasedMarch 4, 2008 (2008-03-04)
Format 7" vinyl
Genre Jewish hip hop, alternative hip hop
Length2:11
Label K
Songwriter(s) Eprhyme
Producer(s) Smoke
Eprhyme singles chronology
"Punklezmerap"
(2008)
"Shomer Salaam"
(2009)

"Punklezmerap" is a song by American rapper Eprhyme, the lead single from his debut solo album Waywordwonderwill (2008). It was released by K Records on March 4, 2008. Produced by Smoke of Oldominion and featuring Nomy Lamm on vocals, the song heavily samples from klezmer and traditional Jewish music. Lyrically, the song details Eprhyme's musical and personal evolution. At the time of its release, "Punklezmerap" was the first K Records hip hop recording in over a decade.

Eden Daniel Pearlstein, better known by his stage name Eprhyme, is an American Jewish rapper and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in a Reform family, he later found himself drawn to greater observance and became Orthodox, a change which influenced his music. While attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, he became involved with the Olympia music scene as half of the hip hop duo Saints of Everyday Failures, with which he released two albums. According to Nic Leonard of the Weekly Volcano, Eprhyme "played a major roll [sic] in the creation of the Olympia hip-hop scene." He was noticed by local independent label K Records, who released his first two singles, "Punklezmerap" and "Shomer Salaam". He then released his debut album, Waywordwonderwill (2009), through Shemspeed Records, before returning to K Records for his followup, Dopestylevsky (2011). He is currently part of the alternative hip hop group Darshan with singer-songwriter Shir Yaakov.

<i>Waywordwonderwill</i> 2009 studio album by Eprhyme

Waywordwonderwill is the debut solo album by Jewish rapper Eprhyme, released on September 8, 2009 through Shemspeed Records. It was produced by Smoke M2D6 of Oldominion. The album's two singles, "Punklezmerap" and "Shomer Salaam", were originally released by K Records as part of its International Pop Underground series, marking the label's first hip hop releases in more than ten years. A release party for the album was held in New York's East Village.

K Records an independent record label in Olympia, Washington

K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music" since the 1980s.

Contents

Music video

The video, directed by Lenny Bass, was filmed in the basement of fashion designer Levi Okunov's boutique. It features cameos from Shir Yaakov of Darshan; artist Elke Reva Sudin; fellow Shemspeed artists Y-Love, DeScribe, and Diwon; and Arrington de Dionysion of Old Time Relijun. Eprhyme said that "We wanted to recreate an Olympia basement party. We were representing underground music...literally underground. This is what hip hop looks and feels like outside the club." [1]

Sam Benjamin "Shir Yaakov" Feinstein-Feit is an American liturgist, singer-songwriter, composer, and prayer leader. He is a co-founder of the Kol Zimrah minyan and musical director at Romemu, the largest Jewish Renewal community in New York. As a musician, he has recorded three full-length albums and has performed with the groups Darshan and The Epichorus.

Darshan is an American Jewish alternative hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2008 at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, the group primarily consists of rapper Eprhyme and singer-songwriters Shir Yaakov and Basya Schechter. Their debut album, Deeper and Higher, was released in 2015, followed by a second album, Raza, in 2017.

Elke Reva Sudin is an Jewish-American painter, illustrator and lecturer. In 2010, her Hipsters and Hassids painting series premiered in New York City, comparing and contrasting her Hasidic Jewish origins and hipster Brooklyn cultures. She founded NY Drawing Booth in 2014, and is also a founder of Jewish Art Now.

Track listing

A-Side
  1. "Punklezmerap" – 2:11
B-Side
  1. "Where The Heart Is" – 4:23

Personnel

Naomi Elizabeth "Nomy" Lamm is an American singer/songwriter and political activist. Lamm has described herself as a "bad ass, fat ass, Jew, dyke amputee." Her left foot was amputated at age three, in order to be fitted with a leg prosthesis, to treat a bone growth disorder. This trauma influenced Lamm's later work concerning body image. She is also known for her activism on the issue of fat acceptance.

Related Research Articles

Digital Underground band

Digital Underground was an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Their personnel changed and rotated with each album and tour.

British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music. British hip hop was originally influenced by the dub/toasting introduced to the United Kingdom by Jamaican migrants in the 1960s–70s, who eventually developed uniquely influenced rapping in order to match the rhythm of the ever-increasing pace and aggression of Jamaican-influenced dub in the UK and to describe street/gang violence, similar to that in the US. UK rap has also been heavily influenced by US hip-hop. British hip hop, particularly that originating from London, was commercially superseded by grime. It can also be referred to as "British Rap", "UK Hip Hop", "UK Rap", and is sometimes informally referred to as "Brit-Hop", a term coined and popularized mainly by British Vogue magazine and the BBC.

Field Mob is an American hip hop music group from Albany, Georgia, composed of artists Shawn Timothy Johnson and Darion Crawford, better known by their stage names, Shawn Jay and Smoke respectively. Field Mob is currently signed to T-Pain's label Nappy Boy Entertainment and managed by La' Roc Management Group owned by Christopher King.

Midwest hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. In contrast with its East Coast, West Coast and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants in style or production.

Kurupt American rapper

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown is an American rapper and actor, better known by his stage name Kurupt. His career began in the early 1990s when he was signed to Death Row Records and shortly after formed the duo Tha Dogg Pound with Daz Dillinger. After leaving Death Row in 1996, he signed with A&M and released his debut studio album, Kuruption! in 1998. He is also a member of the hip-hop supergroups The HRSMN and Diirty OGz.

Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check single by Busta Rhymes

"Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" is a song recorded by American hip hop artist Busta Rhymes. The song was his debut single as a solo artist, from his album The Coming (1996).

Get Low (Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz song) 2003 Single by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins

"Get Low" is a song by American rapper Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, featuring American hip hop duo Ying Yang Twins, released as a single in 2003. It first appeared on the 2002 album Kings of Crunk. The song reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 behind "Baby Boy" by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul and number 20 on the US Hot Digital Songs. It was number five on the top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs of 2003. It is also known as a breakthrough single for the crunk genre, as the song's success helped it become mainstream. It is #99 on Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop.

Brethren is an Australian hip hop duo from Sydney formed in 1989. The group comprises Matthew Peet a.k.a. "Mistery" and Claude Rodriguez a.k.a. Wizdm. They have released two albums, two EPs and a number of singles and collaborations. They have performed live locally, notably at festivals including The Big Day Out, Livid and Blackstump Music Festival.

Big K.R.I.T. American rapper and record producer

Justin Scott, better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T., is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he started his musical career in 2005. After signing with Def Jam Recordings, K.R.I.T. gained notable recognition following the release of his single, "Country Shit", which featured Ludacris and Bun B on the remix. In June 2012, he released his debut studio album, Live from the Underground, which debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart.

Solillaquists of Sound, often shortened to Solilla, is an American hip-hop quartet based in Orlando, Florida. Its line up currently consist of MCs Alexandrah and Swamburger, poet Tonya Combs and producer/composer Divinci. Solillaquists utilize elements of melody and harmony in their vocals. The two lead vocalists also frequently employ a style of delivering many punctuated syllables in rapid succession sometimes in tight synchronicity. Most of their song lyrics feature socially conscious content based on life-affirming, justice oriented views held by the group. They have attracted a dedicated following in underground Hip Hop for their sophisticated musical compositions as well as their unique vocal delivery and politically aware lyrics.

The Brotherhood were a pioneering UK hip-hop group with a solid following across the UK from the early 1990s. Releases with seminal UK Hip Hop label Bite It! Recordings were followed by a later move to Virgin. The 1996 album Elementalz has been described as one of the best UK hip hop albums ever made and "a staggering achievement in British music". The band finally split in 1998 and have since been credited as one of the most influential bands on the 90s UK hip-hop scene.

Shemspeed American independent record label and promotional agency

Shemspeed is an American independent recording label and promotional agency, working primarily in the genres of hip hop, dancehall, pop and world music. Shemspeed was started in 2007 by Erez Safar. Shemspeed injects a Hebrew word for God, "Shem," to mean "Godspeed," or "good luck."

<i>Underground Luxury</i> 2013 studio album by B.o.B

Underground Luxury is the third studio album by American rapper B.o.B. The album was released on December 17, 2013, by Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album was supported by five singles "We Still in This Bitch", "HeadBand", "Ready", "John Doe" and "Throwback". The album features guest appearances from Future, 2 Chainz, T.I., Juicy J, Priscilla Renea, Ester Dean and Chris Brown among others.

<i>Dopestylevsky</i> 2011 studio album by Eprhyme

Dopestylevsky is the second studio album by Jewish rapper Eprhyme, released on April 26, 2011 by K Records. It is notable as the label's first hip-hop album in a decade, as K Records is typically known for punk and indie rock. A video for the album's lead single, "Life Sentence", was funded by Kickstarter and released on November 7, 2011.

Electro Morocco is an Israeli American electronic music band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2007 by members of Nanuchka, they have released two EPs, Electro Morocco (2008) and Low Ride (2010) and were featured on the Shemspeed compilation album Sephardic Music Festival Vol. 1 (2010). They have remixed and produced songs for Y-Love, DeScribe, and Eprhyme. They are noted for their unusual blend of electronic, rock, and Middle Eastern music.

<i>All Your Friends Friends</i> 2014 compilation album by Various artists

All Your Friends' Friends is a hip hop compilation album released by K Records on November 11, 2014. It was produced by Thee Xntrx and pairs verses from various Pacific Northwest rappers with samples from older K Records artists, including punk and indie rock bands. Rappers on the compilation include The Chicharones, MG! The Visionary, and members of Oldominion, while samples are taken from Mirah, The Microphones, and Jeremy Jay.

Andrew Thomas, better known by his stage name Yung Simmie, is an American hip hop recording artist from Miami, Florida. Thomas has been performing since 2009 and has till date brought out a catalog of mixtapes and freestyle renditions, apart from making a few guest appearances in music videos of other artists. He has also been a member of SpaceGhostPurrp's hip hop group, Raider Klan. With over 10 recordings to his credit, Yung Simmie has toured several parts of Europe and the United States independently and as a member of Raider Klan.

References

  1. Roth, Matthue (August 19, 2009). "Eprhyme: The "Punklezmerap" Video Deciphered". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 18 October 2015.