Jewish Reggae Star Matisyahu Shocks Fans With New Look

December 13, 2011 3:41 PM

Matisyahu in a Twitter photo posted on Dec. 13, 2011 (credit: Twitter); Matisyahu on Dec. 9, 2009 in New York City (credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Fans of a Jewish reggae star from Westchester got quite the shock Tuesday morning.

Matisyahu shaved off his signature beard and payos.

“No more Chassidic reggae superstar,” he wrote to his fans in a message on his website.

The 32-year-old showed off his new look on Twitter, posting two photographs of his clean-shaven face with the caption “at the break of day I look for you at sunrise, when the tide comes in, I lose my disguise.”

He later released a statement explaining that the beard was part of his spiritual journey that he took on 10 years ago after feeling the need to submit to a “higher level of religiosity.”

Matisyahu said that now he is “reclaiming himself” and “trusting his goodness and divine mission.”

He’s telling fans to “get ready for an amazing year filled with music of rebirth.”

Matisyahu has four New York dates on his Festival of Light tour: he will be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Dec. 19, 20 and 21 and at Webster Hall on Dec. 22.

The reggae artist hit mainstream fame with his single “King Without A Crown” in 2005. He has released three studio albums, two live albums and two remix albums.

What do you think? Let us know below…

Jewish Reggae Star Matisyahu Shocks Fans With New Look

Shea

This guy must be smoking something but don’t know what. ITS A CHILLEL HASHEM
VT

This does not bode well for this career – he looked much more picturesque the old way…
Meme Meyagi

what is done about 7 million mooslime terrorists living in usa?
jerseyjoey

A reggae Jew, interesting hey mun mun muney
Ash Andersen

Go Mati!!! Moderation is the key… God won’t punish you if you are a good person at heart. We under estimate the intelligence of The higher being…. He is more intelligent that us.

Oh btw the rules of any religion were created by MAN to control the masses.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Clearly this Jew has smoked to much weed
Pyatt

Hard to believe, but he looks more like a terrorist in the picture on the left than on the right. Maybe just the bad lighting.
notgay

He just admitted he is Gay…..classic sign shaving the head for men and women…
Huh

“Jewish Reggae Singer Shaves Beard”…wow, must be a really slow news day…
imababyboy

I don’t know much about Judaism, but he just sounds confused to me. Reclaiming himself? That doesn’t sound good. As far as the shaving? To each his own. I cover my head even though I don’t label myself with any organized religion.
Fred

Sad. A mixed up guy to start with – trying to combine two very different worlds – the sanctified and the profane. Today, just a further manifestation of same.

Jennifer

Nicely put, Fred
Laura

Clearly you have never listened to his music. It is far from profane. And most reggae isn’t profane anyway.

CHAIM

COLLIVE.COM
CHAIM

IMH
J. Goodman

Zevi – Repent not ‘repend.’
I don’t believe this is a classic chillul hashem. Clearly, this guy felt forced into a role within orthodox judaism that he was unprepared for. So he shaved off his beard and payos. Big deal! He can still be as spiritual as the most devout man, just without the physical sacrifice that is typical of frum jews. Women cover their hair and men grow their beards and payos. Shearing his locks is not a chillul hashem; expecting more from a bal teshuva is!

smgm3

Well isn’t it true he was mekadish shem shmayim when he went on jimmy k show and said he wouldn’t b mechalal shabbos for any amount!? (I really am not following what he does or doesn’t do I like his music though)

Jimmy Ellis

Yeah, what Zevi said!
Zevi

I’m not worried at all you will come back. You are only flesh and blood. At the break of your life you are gone and will give din vecheshbin for the chillul hashem. Lets hope you repend prior to that.