Y-Love
Encyclopedia
Yitz Jordan better known by his stage name Y-Love, is a Brooklyn
-based African-American Hasidic Jewish
hip hop artist. He rhymes in a mixture of English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, Latin
and Aramaic.
and Public Enemy’s Chuck D
.
Jordan first became interested in Judaism at the age of seven. "I saw a commercial that said, 'Happy Passover from your friends at Channel 2,'" he said, "and I went drawing six-pointed stars
on everything at my mother’s house." In his teen years, he began attending Jewish services at Johns Hopkins University
. He approached the synagogue’s Rabbi about studying for a conversion, but his request was denied on the basis of his young age. A few years later, Jordan enrolled in Ohr Somayach
in Jerusalem, where he began to study for his Orthodox conversion. It was at the yeshiva
where, at the age of 21, he first began rapping, with his learning partner, a Jewish MC known as Cells-1, using the art form as a tool to help memorize Jewish scriptures. Jordan had an Orthodox conversion in 2001.
Jordan has read the Quran, believing that familiarity with a variety of religious texts will help bring understanding.
Y-Love released his first mixtape in 2005, DJ Handler Presents Y-Love: The Mixtape, leading to his winning an award for Best Hip Hop Artist at Heeb’s 2006 Jewish Music Awards.
In the Spring of 2008, Y-Love teamed up with beatboxer Yuri Lane
to record the a capella album, Count It (Sefira). The vocals-only offering can be listened to by Orthodox Jews year-round, including the period between Passover
and Shavuot
, when it’s not permitted to listen to musical instruments.
In the Fall of 2008, Y-Love released his first solo full-length album, This Is Babylon. XXL
said the album "balances Jewish spirituality with party rhymes and political commentary in an effort to spread [Y-Love’s] message of global unity."
His 2011 EP See Me (produced by Diwon
) debuted as a "New and Noteworthy Release" on the front page of the iTunes
Hip Hop page. The music video for the EP’s single "This Is Unity" was called "awesome" by URB. This is Unity is also the name of Y-Love's upcoming album, set for an early 2012 release.
. "You freestyle and wait until something hot comes out," he says.
The Columbia News Service called Y-Love “part of a new school of hip-hop revolutionaries who are trying to raise social consciousness and spirituality through their music.” The Jerusalem Post
called Y-Love a “spiritual, rapping guru” who is “front and center in a trending hip-hop revolution."
Y-Love was named to The Jewish Week
s 2009 36 Under 36, an annual list of 36 notable Jews under the age of 36. "I’m using hip hop to elevate," Y-Love declared. "That’s what I’m about."
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
-based African-American Hasidic Jewish
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
hip hop artist. He rhymes in a mixture of English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Aramaic.
Personal life
Jordan, an only child, was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, to a Christian Ethiopian father and Puerto Rican mother, occasionally attending a Baptist church. As a youth, Jordan was a fan of the conscientious rhymes of KRS-ONEKRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
and Public Enemy’s Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
.
Jordan first became interested in Judaism at the age of seven. "I saw a commercial that said, 'Happy Passover from your friends at Channel 2,'" he said, "and I went drawing six-pointed stars
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
on everything at my mother’s house." In his teen years, he began attending Jewish services at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He approached the synagogue’s Rabbi about studying for a conversion, but his request was denied on the basis of his young age. A few years later, Jordan enrolled in Ohr Somayach
Ohr Somayach, Jerusalem
Ohr Somayach was founded in 1970. It is a yeshiva based in Jerusalem, Israel, catering mostly to young Jewish men, usually of college age, who are already interested in learning about Judaism...
in Jerusalem, where he began to study for his Orthodox conversion. It was at the yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
where, at the age of 21, he first began rapping, with his learning partner, a Jewish MC known as Cells-1, using the art form as a tool to help memorize Jewish scriptures. Jordan had an Orthodox conversion in 2001.
Jordan has read the Quran, believing that familiarity with a variety of religious texts will help bring understanding.
Career
After moving to Brooklyn in 2001, Jordan began performing at open mics around the city as Y-Love. He received a measure of criticism from the local Jewish population for also being a member of the hip hop community.Y-Love released his first mixtape in 2005, DJ Handler Presents Y-Love: The Mixtape, leading to his winning an award for Best Hip Hop Artist at Heeb’s 2006 Jewish Music Awards.
In the Spring of 2008, Y-Love teamed up with beatboxer Yuri Lane
Yuri Lane
Yuri Lane is a beatboxer especially known for beatboxing through a harmonica. He has made a movie, Compulsory Breathing, in which he plays a beatboxer. He has also done some other acting, including in the movies The Principal, Farmer & Chase and Playing Mona Lisa...
to record the a capella album, Count It (Sefira). The vocals-only offering can be listened to by Orthodox Jews year-round, including the period between Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
and Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
, when it’s not permitted to listen to musical instruments.
In the Fall of 2008, Y-Love released his first solo full-length album, This Is Babylon. XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
said the album "balances Jewish spirituality with party rhymes and political commentary in an effort to spread [Y-Love’s] message of global unity."
His 2011 EP See Me (produced by Diwon
Diwon
Diwon is a Brooklyn-based Orthodox Jewish producer and DJ who performs all over the world. Under his legal name, Erez Safar, he serves as CEO of Shemspeed, an American independent record label & promotional agency operating in conjunction with its sister label, Modular Moods.-Personal life:The son...
) debuted as a "New and Noteworthy Release" on the front page of the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Hip Hop page. The music video for the EP’s single "This Is Unity" was called "awesome" by URB. This is Unity is also the name of Y-Love's upcoming album, set for an early 2012 release.
Artistic Style
Y-Love generally comes up with his rhymes through extensive freestylingFreestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
. "You freestyle and wait until something hot comes out," he says.
The Columbia News Service called Y-Love “part of a new school of hip-hop revolutionaries who are trying to raise social consciousness and spirituality through their music.” The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
called Y-Love a “spiritual, rapping guru” who is “front and center in a trending hip-hop revolution."
Y-Love was named to The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week is an independent weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. The Jewish Week covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC and has world-wide distribution.-Editorial staff:...
s 2009 36 Under 36, an annual list of 36 notable Jews under the age of 36. "I’m using hip hop to elevate," Y-Love declared. "That’s what I’m about."
Albums
| Release date | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2008 | Count It (Sefira) (Y-Love & Yuri Lane Yuri Lane Yuri Lane is a beatboxer especially known for beatboxing through a harmonica. He has made a movie, Compulsory Breathing, in which he plays a beatboxer. He has also done some other acting, including in the movies The Principal, Farmer & Chase and Playing Mona Lisa... ) |
Modular Moods/Shemspeed Shemspeed Shemspeed is an American independent recording label & promotional agency, working primarily in the genres of hip hop, dancehall, pop and world music.-Company History:... |
| October 27, 2008 | This Is Babylon | Modular Moods/Shemspeed |
Extended Plays
| Release date | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2010 | Change (DeScribe & Y-Love) |
Modular Moods/Shemspeed |
| May 17, 2011 | See Me | Shemspeed |
Singles
- "Change" - DeScribeDeScribeShneur Hasofer , better known by his stage name DeScribe , is a Hasidic Jewish musician. His music combines elements of dancehall, reggae, hip hop and R&B...
& Y-Love. Released May 14, 2010. - "Boom Selecta" - Shemspeed MCs vs. Electro Morocco (feat. Y-Love, DeScribe, Kosha Dillz & Eprhyme). Released July 12, 2010.
- "Move On" - Y-Love feat. DeScribe. Released August 10, 2010.
- "The Takeover" - Y-Love feat. Tj Di Hitmaker & Andy MilonakisAndy MilonakisAndrew Michael "Andy" Milonakis is an American actor, writer, rapper, and comedian of Greek descent best known for creating and starring in The Andy Milonakis Show on MTV and MTV2.-Life and career:...
. Released October 18, 2011.
TV Appearances
- London & KirschenbaumLondon at KirschenbaumLondon et Kirshenbaum is an Israeli current affairs news show on Israeli Channel 10. It is hosted by two veterans Israeli journalists, Yaron London and Moti Kirschenbaum.-Overview:...
- Israeli Channel 10 (July 2007) - BBC World TV (September 2008)
- Late Night with Conan O’Brien - with Erran Baron CohenErran Baron CohenErran Boaz Baron Cohen is a British composer and trumpet player. He is the brother of the actor Sacha Baron Cohen.-Work:...
(December 12, 2008) - The Jewish ChannelThe Jewish ChannelThe Jewish Channel is a cable television channel available on Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, and Cox Cable. Approximately 45,000 households subscribe to the channel.-External links:* *...
(multiple appearances since 2008) - "Faith, Music and Culture" - CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Special (June 7, 2009) - Fox 2 Detroit (March 25, 2011)