Youth (Matisyahu album)

Youth
Studio album by Matisyahu
Released	March 7, 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Reggae, reggae fusion, hip hop, alternative rock, Jewish rock
Length	46:55
Label	JDub/Epic
Producer	Bill Laswell, Ill Factor, and Jimmy Douglass
Matisyahu chronology
Live at Stubb's (2005) Youth (2006) No Place to Be (2006) Singles from Youth "King Without a Crown" Released: 2005 "Youth" Released: 2006 "Jerusalem" Released: 2006

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[2]
Pitchfork Media	(4.9/10)[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Slant Magazine	[5]
Sputnikmusic	[6]

Youth is an album by American reggae singer Matisyahu, which was released on March 7, 2006. It is his second proper studio release, as Live at Stubb's is a live album. The CD quickly shot to the top of iTunes best sellers list the day it was released (partially because iTunes ran a special promotion for pre-orders).

The first single from the album is "King without a Crown", which was also appeared on Matisyahu's previous album, Live at Stubb's. However, a different music video was shot for the Youth version of the song, whereas the version on the Stubb's concert album was accompanied by a concert video. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with over 119,000 copies sold in its first week released.^[7] A month later, the album was certified gold by the RIAA.^[8] As of September 24, 2008 the album has sold approximately 585,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[9] On December 27, 2006, Billboard announced that Youth ranked 3rd overall on the 2006 Reggae album charts, immediately behind Live at Stubb's.^[10]

The topic of the album is mostly the support and promotion of youth voice, more explicitly in the eponymous second track. The album, along with its topic, mixes Matisyahu's lyrics, which contain several references to his Jewish beliefs, with a mainstream sound.

Track listing

1. "Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth" – 3:59
2. "Youth" – 4:18
3. "Time of Your Song" - 4:27
4. "Dispatch the Troops" - 4:05
5. "Indestructible" - 4:09
6. "What I'm Fighting For" - 2:11
7. "Jerusalem" - 4:00
8. "WP" - 3:58
9. "Shalom/Saalam" - 1:06
10. "Late Night in Zion" - 3:13
11. "Unique is My Dove" - 3:24
12. "Ancient Lullaby" - 4:18
13. "King Without a Crown" - 3:42

Album Chart Awards

Personnel

• Matisyahu—vocals
• Roots Tonic—music (Aaron Dugan: guitar, Josh Werner: bass and keys, Jonah David: drums)
• Marlon "Moshe" Sobol —guest musician on "WP"
• Stan Ipcus—guest musician on "WP"
• Yusu Youssou—guest musician on "Shalom/Saalam" and "Ancient Lullaby"
• Bill Laswell—production, engineering
• Ill Factor & Jimmy Douglass—production on "Time of Your Song", "Indestructible", and "Jerusalem"
• Bob Musso—engineering
• James Dellatacoma—assistant engineering
• Michael Fossenkemper—mastering

References