Jewish rapper extraordinaire Kosha Dillz has teamed up with Matisyahu for “Dodging Bullets,” the first single from Kosha’s upcoming album, What I Do All Day & Pickle, which comes out July 15.
Matisyahu and Kosha are no strangers to the road life. Having both toured all over the world, they share a few things in common that have really help them bond. Lots of people like their freestyles, while others love them for rapping about spirituality and representing who they are in heritage.
Unfortunately, people often take shots at them because of their heritage, including the Spanish Festival. Matisyahu trended three times on social media after they uninvited him to a festival based on his views of Israel. His performance eventually went on, but he was attacked with signs of “Naziyahu” and pelted with shoes during his performance. The anti-semitism was so strong, security was needed to make sure no literal shots were taken.
“‘Dodging Bullets’ started as a reference to the anti-Semitic attacks against Jews and Israelis by the BDS movement [The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement], but its meaning extends beyond that,” Matisyahu explains. “It is in reference to an event that occurred to me last summer in which the BDS chapter in Valencia, Spain applied pressure to a Spanish festival demanding that I write a letter or make a video of political intention in essence denouncing the state of Israel. When I refused to reply as they demanded I was thrown off the festival just days before the event and while I was already touring in Europe.
“This particular ‘bullet’ backfired on the BDS movement as Jews and non-Jews spoke up about the injustice of the only publicly recognized Jew on the festival line-up being called out to promote a political agenda,” he continues. “The outcry from fans of all backgrounds grew loud enough that even the country of Spain itself denounced the festival for giving into the BDS movement and as a result the festival asked me to perform again.”
During a year of full of senseless tragedies like Paris, Brussels, Orlando, and most recently Istanbul, a song like “Dodging Bullets” is aptly timed. The song is the stand up answer to all the hatred that came out of moments like last summer when Matisyahu was attacked in Spain. In a society lacking gun control and experiencing a consistent barrage of hate via social media, those things can sadly happen at any time.
Check out www.matisyahuworld.com and www.koshadillzworld.com for more information.
