Known for his witty lyrics and his powerful message and stage presence, Nosson Zand blends Hasidic Judaism with the gritty sound of Hip-Hop music. Nosson has performed across the United States, Europe and Israel.
For more information, visit www.kosherhiphop.com and for booking contact kosherhiphop@gmail.com.
"Nosson Zand is a Brookline - bred hasidic Jew who puts his faith to a beat and knows how to tear up a stage." -- Anita Davis, April, 2007, Boston Herald
"His delivery is confident, his cadence is precise and most importantly, he sounds good as a rapper -- not just a Jewish one." -- Vladimir Shvorin, April, 2008, The Jewish Advocate
"Nosson Zand is the real thing. In the world of "Jewish Music" and Jewish rappers there is absolutely no one who if they asked me to write a recommendation quote, I would get behind, with the exception of Nosson. Religious Jew or not he can hold his own with an authentic style. The fact that he represents our people and his lyrics carry weight is unique in this age of the prostitution of hip hop music and the unyielding emptiness and spiritual death that is drowning American youth." --Matisyahu, February, 2008
"Whatever their reasons for coming, the guests roundly applauded Nosson Zand..." -- Saki Knafo, March, 2007, NY Times
NOSSON AND MATISYAHU AT CENTRAL PARK'S SUMMERSTAGE '09 IN NY
NOSSON AND MATISYAHU IN SALT LAKE CITY, UT (SMASH LIES)
NOSSON AND MATISYAHU FEAT. ASHER ROTH IN NY
NOSSON AND MATISYAHU IN NYC
NOSSON AND MATISYAHU FEAT. J-RED IN BURLINGTON, VT
WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT NOSSON ZAND WON THE INDIE SOUL BEST ACTOR AWARD AT THE BOSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN "SONG OF DAVID".
READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON NOSSON IN THE BOSTON HERALD:
THE EDGE
MUSIC ; Orthodox hip-hop
By ANITA DAVIS
12 April 2007
BOSTON HERALD
Take part Brookline gangsta, a pinch of Paris and a whole lot of Torah. Mix in a snare drum and lace it with a heavy bass line and you get Nosson.
Nosson Isaac Zand (formerly known as NIZ) - is a Brookline- bred hasidic Jew who puts his faith to a beat and knows how to tear up a stage.
Zand, 25, said when he started rapping as a Jewish teenage hooligan, he never dreamt his basement hobby would attract record companies and earn accolades from his beatboxing inspiration, Matisyahu.
"No one looked at me and thought I would perform at Avalon, including me, for sure," Nosson said. "People would see me and say, "a little Jewish white boy trying to rap - that's cute, but don't quit your day job.' "
And don't call Nosson a copycat. While he and Matisyahu infuse their rhymes with spirituality, Nosson is pure hip-hop, Matisyahu a reggae icon. Nosson's first CD is slated to debut this summer, and he recently returned from Los Angeles where he was given the lead role in a short film about, what else, a Jewish rapper.
Record execs say Nosson is fresh. Yet his style recalls the early '90s New York sound, with biting, witty lyrics like those of Nas and Wu-Tang.
"Stuck between wrong and right like I'm walking the tightrope," he raps in "My Desert Song, "I cope in cold times and in the dark of the night I put a flame to the game and brought a spark of the light."
Some of Nosson's lyrics also reflect his religious beliefs. But five years ago, before he kept kosher or wore a yarmulke, he never would have guessed that he'd be rapping about Judaism.
After graduating from Clark University in 2004 with a degree in French, Nosson flew to Paris, where he made friends with a brother and sister, both orthodox Lubavitch Hasidic Jews and huge hip-hop fans. They inspired Nosson spiritually and musically.
"It's all divine providence," he said. "G-d found me. I fully admired and wanted to be part of their way of life at a time when I really didn't know what it was about."
As Nosson strengthened his faith, his music changed. His lyrics became more spiritual and he stopped swearing. And he became a regular performer at a Paris nightclub, La Villa, where he found that people really loved his music.
"Whatever I said, they gobbled it up," Nosson said.
He returned to the United States in 2005 and became involved in the Kenmore Square Chabad House. His rabbi introduced him to Matisyahu, who asked Nosson to perform with him at his Boston show last December. He raved about Nosson's mix CD to Dan Seliger, co-founder of Jewish hipster label 12 Tribe Sound.
"When we find something like Nosson Zand, we're very happy," Seliger said. "Nosson has got the goods."
Even with Matisyahu's breakout success, there are only a few Orthodox Jewish beatboxing performers. Nosson, Seliger believes, "has the best chance to explode."
Menachem Shapiro, a rapper with the duo Ta Shma who performed with Nosson in New York, said, "with his rhymes and music skills he's above the rest. He has the biggest attention right now."
And Nosson hopes to make the most of it.
"I pray to G-d this will get big," Nosson said. "I have two missions. One, to bring Jews closer to their roots. And two, I want to make good music."
CHOSEN ONE: Nosson Isaac Zand is enjoying success as rap star Nosson, who expresses his Orthodox Jewish beliefs in his songs. Here he wears tefillin, boxes containing scripture with leather ties, donned by men for morning prayer.
really one of your fav places on tour, i felt embarrassed and sad a lot of people were so drunk....to say the least. if you do make it back ill be there for sure. thank you so much for writing back it means a lot to me.keep up the great work i love your music and it messages. may you always have peace. lacie
Omg im sorry! Ha! I dont know why I put an a instead of an o! Of course we enjoyed the show. It was amazing. Ya never let us down! :) Hope to see ya soon! One of these days I wanna see a concert in Dallas where the whole night is just you & Matis. That would be amazing! Peace&Love to you.
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