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An Israeli Hip-Hop Playlist

A companion to our features on Israeli hip-hop

by
November 12, 2012
Nechi Nech(MySpace)
Nechi Nech(MySpace)

The Israeli hip hop scene, which we cover today in a piece and a podcast, is exploding.

Here are seven of the better tracks:

Nechi Nech, “Boom Shaka Lak”:
The song’s key line says it all: “I like my rap New York style, you’d think I grew up in Flatbush or in Crown Heights.” The leading light of the new cadre of MCs, Nechi Nech is just as good as anyone coming out of Brooklyn or anywhere else.

Nechi Nech, “Godzilla”:
Sampling Nigel Ha’admor, Israel’s first rapper, Nechi proves his genius by rhyming hava nagilah and Michael Jackson’s thriller.

Peled and Nechi Nech, “6 Foot 7 Style”:
Was there ever a greater diss then “your flow has no tehini sauce, it’s dry”? Is there a better Lil’ Wayne tribute?

Z.K. featuring Nechi Nech, “Shaolin”:
The Wu Tang’s favorite kung fu school inspires rappers from Staten Island to Petach Tikva.

Hadag Nachash, Ortega, and the P.R. Troopers, “Hitting It”:
Many of Israel’s most talented contemporary MCs, conveniently gathered on one stage.

Produx, “Ichiban”:
A chubby Ashkenazi kid, two Ethiopian dudes, and a producer whose family fled Teheran and who grew up on traditional Persian music got together, sampled Fiddler on the Roof, and made one of the greatest hip hop albums in Israel’s history.

Lukach, “Brandon Walsh”:
Mad, frantic, intensely creative, fluent in three languages and four cultures, and named after a character from Beverly Hills, 90210. Behold Lukach, “the fastest man who ever weighed a ton.”

Related: Fat Man Saves Israeli Hip-Hop [Tablet]
My Hip-Hop Nation [Vox Tablet]