Darshan - Lishmah

Genre hip hop Publisher Modular Moods External Links

Goodness. Imagine the chill I felt upon reading a press kit for an album that I'm about to absorb that includes the words "Hebrew Chant Hip-Hop" and"Kabbalistic Psychology". The flashes of a mercifully short dark period in hip-hop when Matisyahu was at the tip top of the charts with "King Without a Crown". I'm pretty sure there was no reason for him to have been as popular as he was other than a heavy thirst for something new. Yes, he was bringing orthodox Jew rap into the mainstream consciousness. He just wasn’t very good and the explosion that some thought was upon us turned out to be nothing of the sort. As if there was some urban synagogue just overflowing with would be MCs just waiting for their chance to shine.

So now that the stain of Matisyahu has been washed from the dirty shirt of hip-hop, can the world forgive? If Lishmah, the debut  EP by Darshan, is any indication then yes, we are well on our to way to absolution but still have a more than a few steps to go.

Darshan is comprised of two distinct talents. Rabbi Shir YaakovFeinstein-Feit is a speaker, a teacher of various theological texts, a world renowned musician and a respected and prolific poet. He is a renaissance Jew if ever there was one. The music he has created as the backdrop for the MC is one that has been delicately crafted. There is craft here. The hook for "Why Wait" is an infectious little thing that has had my brain hostage for about two days now. I’m not really sure about some of the choices, "For The Sake of The Unification" is one that comes to mind, but this is a warm up and I accept it as much.

Ephryme is a self titled radical poet and MC, a curious mix of Zach De La Rocha and Slug from Atmosphere. He has a masterful grasp of the language and manipulates it rather deftly. His lyrics aren't treading into unknown territories but his experiences  shape what he's saying and there is an honesty that quite frankly, is refreshing.

I am aware that given the pedigree of this album, the rabbi and the radical Jew, that to reconcile the two was going to be a difficult enterprise. I also accept the fact that there was going to be a certain amount of that pedigree distributed throughout the cd. It’s just that things like the chanting and the what appears to be the reading of passages don’t fit. They seem forced and kind of take away from my ability to enjoy the songs they were in. To be fair, I am a really bad Jew and should probably learn to
appreciate my heritage. If the members of Darshan have no yearning for the bright lights of mainstream acceptance and feel more comfortable operating within the niche they occupy, well, good for them. I can't help but feel that it limits them though.

Like the lead singer of Rage Against The Machine's side project debut, the self titled One Day as a Lion, this is a partnership that has its roots in reinvention. Maybe not with the wheel itself but with how the wheel can spin, what light can be cast off of its shimmering surface. What is happening in Lisham is certainly no reinvention of the wheel. It does seem to be pointing to a better place off on the horizon, though, a pin prick in the distance that seems too far too reach. Its not. It can be reached, but only through the efforts of each and every artist. Of all sorts. Of any sort. Of the sort who scowl openly at the expropriationof poetry and music, of art, of its purpose, for the exploitation of unknowing souls. The unified and very honestly talented Darshan arent
leading the charge towards a world devoid of crass rap on the airwaves. A world where the joy of being that they are alluding to in the title of the album is the only gain worth straining for. They are not out in front, no, but they certainly are worthy scouts.