December 23, 2011 | 3:45 pm

Matisyahu – Rapper, Spitter, Kicker

Posted by Ilana Angel

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Matisyahu

Jewish rapper Matisyahu has been in the news a lot lately.  It all started when he shaved off his beard.  He took to Twitter to share the news and it was a big deal.  Most fans were shocked, and many were confused about what it meant in terms of his faith.  Most were supportive of the changed look, and shared that they were excited about the new chapter in his life.

At the same time he shaved, he appeared in an episode of Chef Roble & Co. on Bravo.  He was having a party for friends and family and the story was about the chef facing the challenges of a kosher meal for the first time. Matisyahu appeared with his wife and new baby, along with his mother. Actually, it could have been his mother-in-law.  I’m not really sure.

At the end of the party they were all thrilled with the food and in some sort of expression of their happiness, Matisyahu and his friends started to spit out their drinks at each other.  There was wine being spit at everyone and it was disgusting.  His mother comes over to tell him how lovely the party was, and he spits wine in her face.  It was really very strange.

Today came word that Matisyahu kicked a female photographer in the face. It happened in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.  Apparently, there was a photographer in the front row and when she took a picture, Matisyahu kicked her in the face and broke her camera.  She did what anyone would do under the circumstances, she tweeted what happened.

The photographer is Rebecca Smyne and after she tweeted about the kick, she wrote again to say the cops had come and Matisyahu’s manager gave her a “fat stack” of cash to cover damages.  After the show Matisyahu tweeted the photographer saying he was sorry. He said he snapped, and it was not a kick as much as him simply stepping into the crow.

He also reminded her that as a photographer she knows that a flash can be distracting to a performer.  The thing is, the photographer is saying she barely used a flash, and is calling Matisyahu out on his claims that it was not a kick.  She insists it was a kick, was done on purpose, and that it hurt.  Forget about the money to fix the camera, what about the violence?

Matisyahu is a big deal in the Jewish community, and these things are unfortunate.  That he spit wine in his mother’s face, and kicked a girl in the face is disappointing.  He may be talented, but he’s not looking to cool to me right now.  He said his shaving his beard was part of his spiritual journey.  Maybe he needs to grow it out and go back to keeping the faith.