Rinat Gutman (Hebrew: רינת גוטמן) (born 1980) is an Israeli Orthodox Jewish rapper, singer, and songwriter. One of the first religious female rappers in Israel, she has also performed in the United States, England, and India,[1] and has appeared with artists like Y-Love, Kosha Dillz, and Roi Levi of Shotei Hanevuah.[2][3]
Rinat Gutman רינת גוטמן | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 Nehalim, Israel |
| Origin | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Genres | Jewish hip hop, reggae, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
| Years active | 2008–present |
Early life edit
Gutman was born in 1980 and grew up on the moshav of Nehalim.[4] She comes from a family of rabbis, most notably her grandfather, former rosh yeshiva and Knesset member Rabbi Yosef Ba-Gad.[5]
Gutman's mother enrolled her in piano lessons when she was six, and she began composing melodies at a young age.[2] Raised on Hasidic artists like Avraham Fried, she was exposed to secular music when her parents, working as emissaries for the Jewish Agency for Israel, moved the family to Canada while she was in middle school. She was introduced to hip hop through the soundtrack to the 1995 film Dangerous Minds.[1][5] In her early twenties, Gutman drifted away from religious observance, although she later became a baalat teshuva.[1][5]
Career edit
Gutman began her career as a singer-songwriter playing jazz and folk before turning to hip hop and reggae.[1][5][6] While living in New York City, she would perform at the local jazz clubs.[1][5] After moving back to Israel, she began performing locally with some rappers who had moved there from the United States and wrote her first song about her cousin, who was killed in a terrorist attack during the Second Intifada, and performed it for her family.[2]
In late 2009, while visiting England, Gutman collaborated with David Dan, a Jamaican Jewish reggae singer, on the song Agas ("Pear"), for which they also shot a music video. The song, with lyrics in Hebrew and English, describes a complicated romantic relationship.[1][2]
In 2010, she performed at the sixth annual Jewlicious Festival alongside Matisyahu, Moshav, Rav Shmuel, Electro Morocco, and Kosha Dillz.[3]
After a five-year hiatus, Gutman returned in 2015 with the song and video Shirat Ha'asavim Hashotim ("Song of the Weeds"). Written shortly after a local Orthodox rabbi had been accused of sexual harassment, the song uses dark humor to attack male authority figures taking advantage of women. The video features Gutman playing nine characters, including a rabbi, a policeman, a singer, a politician, and their respective victims. The song was produced by Hatikva 6 members Amit Sagie and Lior Shulman, the latter of whom also raps on the song, portraying the male authority figures.[1][5]
In April 2020, Gutman posted a new song, Shirat HaLechem ("The Chametz Song"), to Facebook and Instagram, with lyrics reflecting the COVID-19 lockdown.[7][8] In March 2021, Gutman shared a preview of an untitled new song to Instagram.[9]
Musical style edit
Gutman performs hip hop with elements of reggae and jazz.[5] Her influences include Adele, Lauryn Hill, Aretha Franklin, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Tanya Stephens.[1] Her lyrics often deal with her personal life and social protest, and occasionally incorporate quotes from scripture.[1][2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Abigail Klein Leichman (September 30, 2015). "Religious rapper delivers a powerful punchline". ISRAEL21c. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Yoav Friedman (December 29, 2009). "כי מבא-גד תצא ראפרית" (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ a b Ryan Torok (February 24, 2010). "Rav Shmuel, Moshav, Electro Morocco and others join Matisyahu at Jewlicious". The Jewish Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Molly Livingstone (August 20, 2015). "Breaking Down Stereotypes" (audio interview). Voice of Israel. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tali Farkash (August 10, 2015). "פרשת לא תשתוק: שירת העשבים השוטים" (in Hebrew). Ynet. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Ben Bresky (October 24, 2010). "Israel's First Religious Female Hebrew Hip-Hop Rapper" (audio interview). Arutz Sheva. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- ^ Gutman, Rinat (April 10, 2018). ""...״שבוע טוב, משתפת את "שיר הלחם״ בהשראת הסגר שהיה". Facebook (in Hebrew). Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ Gutman, Rinat (April 18, 2020). "The "Chametz Song"". Instagram. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ Gutman, Rinat (March 19, 2021). "טעימה משיר חדש ומרגש שכרגע ברחם..." Instagram (in Hebrew). Retrieved January 8, 2022.