Jews control Rap music.
Considering Jews in hip-hop is kind of like finding a stoop sale with a couple of interesting eye-catchers on the sidewalk, and a trove of far more significant treasures further up the stairs. The eye-catchers are the usual suspects-- the Beastie Boys, Remedy of the Wu-Tang Clan, Blood of Abraham, Paul Barman-- MCs whose skills vary and whose Jewishness defies the hip-hop norm. But, their presence on wax is nothing compared to what goes on behind the scenes. Indeed, some of the biggest names in the business are Jewish-- Lyor Cohen of Def Jam, Steve Rifkind of Loud Records, David Mays of The Source-- to say nothing of those who course throughout the industry as label executives, entertainment lawyers, agents, publicists, producers, clothiers, and jewelers. An inquiry to one inevitably references five more: “Oh, have you talked to Gottleib at FUBU? Or Sonenberg who handles Wyclef?” The Jewish presence in hip-hop is huge, and, for the most part, offstage.
From block parties to the height of pop culture, hip-hop’s 20-year ascension has been remarkable for its speed, adaptability, and broad appeal. It has exploded into a global phenomenon with enormous social implications and an economic tsunami with infinite marketing possibilities. Likewise, the cultural input into hip-hop has become dizzying. Japanese kids with perfectly coiffed dreadlocks breakdance to lyrics they don’t understand. Jay-Z raps for peace over a Punjabi beat. Jamie Kennedy gets such shine from portraying a corny rapper named Gluckman that he finds himself at nightclubs with real rappers named Li’l Kim and Fabolous. Kids from all backgrounds feel the film Ï8 Mile-- the money shot of which has a white kid defeating a black kid in a battle by outing him for his bourgie-ness. In this climate, it makes sense that Jews are up in the mix, with a role that can perhaps only be discussed, not decoded.
Paul Rosenberg is a giant in the industry. Both figuratively-- he’s Eminem’s manager, president of Goliath Records, and vice president of Shady Records, to which both Eminem and 50 Cent are signed-- and literally: he’s 6 feet 5 inches tall, and 300 pounds. Like Eminem, Rosenberg is from the Detroit area, although from the suburbs rather than the city. “People weren’t checking for hip-hop back then in the suburbs like they are now,” he says. During his senior year of high school and freshman year of college, Rosenberg began rapping, going by the name MC Paul Bunyan in a group called Rhythm Cartel that played Detroit’s few hip-hop venues. After a couple years of moving back and forth between the classroom and the stage, he chose to go to law school rather than pursue a career as a rapper. When asked why, he jokes that being Jewish, he had to. He quickly rescinds the joke, and speaks in earnest about his educational goals. I’m struck by his change in career path and the implications that came from it. Rosenberg was-- and is-- extremely passionate about hip-hop, and he certainly had the desire to be a rapper. But he somehow ended up a contributor to the music’s framework more than the music itself.
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