Subliminal (rapper)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Subliminal | ||
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 Cover of Subliminal's Just When You Thought It Was All Over
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Ya'akov Shimoni | |
| Born | November 13, 1979 (age 27) Tel Aviv, Israel |
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| Origin | Tel Aviv, Israel |
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| Genre(s) | Hip hop | |
| Years active | 1999–present | |
| Label(s) | TACT Records/Helicon | |
| Associated acts |
TACT Family | |
| Website | TACT-Records.com | |
Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni (Hebrew: יעקב "קובי" שמעוני, born November 13, 1979), generally known by his rap name Subliminal (Hebrew: סאבלימינל), is an Israeli rap artist and music producer. He and the stable of artists on his label, TACT Records, are the best-selling Israeli musical group of all time, with over 10 #1 hit singles in Israel and over 1 million records sold worldwide to date, and TACT Records is Israel's largest music label[citation needed].
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[edit] Background
Subliminal was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to a mother from Mashhad, Iran and a father from Tunisia. Subliminal started performing music at age 12, and at age 15 met Yoav Eliasi, who would later become his performing partner under the name "The Shadow" (Ha'tzel, In Hebrew: הצל). The two quickly became friends as a result of their mutual love of hip-hop.
In 1995 the two began performing in Israeli clubs geared toward a hip-hop audience, wearing baggy clothes and gold chains. They quickly developed a following among the nation's youth, and soon put out their first album, "The Light From Zion".
After the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 the two began writing patriotic songs. They became known as creators of "Zionist hip-hop", a label still applied to them. In further contrast to the generally rebellious, "outlaw" nature of most hip-hop, they also praise army service and eschew drugs and smoking.
Their lyrical content, though pro-Israel, is not militant or anti-Arab[citation needed] and has no specific political agenda, though it is sometimes described as right-wing[citation needed]. With occasional Arabic lyrics and songs like "Peace in the Middle East", they take a stance that can be described as desirous of a better future but unapologetic about the present.
Subliminal's being the son of Jewish refugees is at the core of his hard-line politics. "In Tunisia, my father grew up with his family locking all the doors and windows whenever performing a Jewish ceremony -- out of fear of attacks." Both parents, he says, "ran for their lives" to Israel, where they spent decades recovering from the persecution they had faced.[1]
Subliminal and Ha'Tzel also helped discover the Arab Israeli rapper Tamer Nafar; they collaborated but eventually fell out over political differences. The bitter end of their musical relationship is chronicled in the documentary film, Channels of Rage.
The two currently release all their music under the record label they founded and own, TACT Records (which stands for Tel Aviv City Team). They also have a stable of artists that they produce, collaborate with and perform with: this "posse", known as the "TACT All-Stars", currently includes, in addition to Subliminal and Ha'Tzel, fellow rappers SHI 360, BooSkills, Ilan Babylon and Itzik Shamly, and singers Sivan and Gavriel Butler (a Black Hebrew who had previously performed in Israel's entry in the Eurovision song contest). [1] They have also collaborated with rappers from other countries, most notably Wyclef Jean, Joe Budden and two rappers associated with the Wu-Tang Clan, Killah Priest and Remedy; they have also collaborated with fellow Israeli Miri Ben-Ari, the "hip-hop violinist". They have opened once for 50 Cent when he performed in Israel. They plan to release a collection of singles in the United States. Subliminal has begun to pursue greater sales outside of Israel, promoting his work in foreign media. To this end, he has been a guest of Samuel Green on the Kol Cambridge radio show in the UK.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio Albums
[edit] Solo
- Ha'Or m'Zion (Hebrew: האור מציון, "The Light From Zion") (2000)
- Bediuk Kshe'Hashavtem she'Hakol Nigmar (Hebrew: בדיוק כשחשבתם שהכל נגמר, "Just When You Thought It Was Over") (2006)
[edit] With The Shadow
- Ha'Or Ve'HaTzel (Hebrew: האור והצל, "The Light and the Shadow") 2002
[edit] With TACT (Tel-Aviv City Team)
- TACT All-Stars (Hebrew: תאקט אול סטארז, "TACT All-Stars") (2004)
[edit] Singles
[edit] With TACT
[edit] Non-album singles
- Shir Shel Rega Eḥad (Hebrew: שיר של רגע אחד, "Song of One Moment") (2005)
- Yoter mi'Zeh Anaḥnu lo Tzrikhim (Hebrew: יותר מזה אנחנו לא צריכים, "We don't need any more of this!") (2006)
[edit] From TACT All-Stars
- Hineni/Viens Ici (Hebrew: הנני/VIENS ICI, "Here I am") (2004)
- Lama (Hebrew: למה, "Why?") (2004)
- Prahim ba'Kaneh (Hebrew: פרחים בקנה, "Flowers in the Gun Barrel") (2004)
- Peace in the Middle East (Hebrew: שלום במזרח התיכון, "Peace in the Middle East") (2004)
[edit] Solo
[edit] From Bediuk Kshe'Hashavtem she'Hakol Nigmar
- Hamakom Hamushlam (Hebrew: המקום המושלם, "The Perfect Place") (2006)
- Classit u'Parsi (Hebrew: קלסית ופרסי, "Classic and Persian") featuring Joe Budden and Miri Ben Ari (2006)
- Toro (Hebrew: טורו, "Toro") featuring Alon de Loco (2006)
- In Tel Aviv (Hebrew: אין תל אביב, "In Tel Aviv") featuring Wyclef Jean and The Shadow (2006)
- Lifamim ani Margish (Hebrew: לפעמים אני מרגיש, "Sometimes I Feel") featuring David Broza (2006)
[edit] Related links
- TACT Records site
- Subliminal biography at Shaister.com
- "Israeli rappers prove hip-hop will translate to any language", by Loolwa Khazzoom, Boston Globe, 1/4/2004
- Israeli Rapper Takes U.S., by Loolwa Khazzoom, Boston Globe,
- (Hebrew) Subliminal at Mooma (biography by Yoav Kutner)
