004 TACT: Making Zionism Cool
TACT: Making Zionism Cool
By Byron brunswick
First published 2005/2006
Finally, after many years of suffering the Israeli Occupation of the Israeli radio airwaves by music that preaches an extreme secularism, self-hatred, and anti-Israeli nationalism, a light from Zion has shone forth.
In 2000, Arafat authorized a genocidal guerilla war campaign against Israel known as the 2nd Intafada, and it was during that tense time that Israeli Rap / Hip-Hop artist Kobi Shimoni, known on the street as “Subliminal”, released his first CD, “The Light From Zion”, under Shimoni’s new label, TACT (which stands for Tel Aviv City Team) Records. His partner in crime was another Rap / Hip-Hop artist named Yoav Eliasi, otherwise known as “the Shadow”. The album “The Light From Zion” was recorded shortly after “Subliminal” completed his compulsory three-year army service, and “The Shadow” had completed his service.
When the album “The Light From Zion” was first was released, it caused a tremendous stirring and controversy in the country because of a few reasons: firstly, it sounded really good, secondly, Subliminal’s music was Rap / Hip-Hop, which was a musical genre’ just beginning to become popular in Israel. Thirdly, Rap and Hip-Hop were popularly perceived as an import of violent American gang music, but more so due to the fact the Subliminal’s lyrics were perceived to be” too nationalist”, or in other words, too proud. Fourthly, his music resonated with millions of Jews around the world because of its overtly strong, proud to be Jewish, proud to be Israeli style.
Instead of rapping about useless issues, or about how bad Israel is and other typical self-hating themes on Israeli radio, Subliminal rapped about how “the state was dangling like a cigarette in Arafat’s mouth”, that “Israel is ours and we have to be proud of her”, that “those that rise up against her in order to destroy her, must be vanquished without remorse or misplaced mercy.” For the first time as in as long as anyone can remember, a Jew in the Israeli music business stood up, with a big Magen David on his chest proudly and said in a clear voice, “enough”, “ I am proud to be a Hebrew” and “Israel is ours”! Lyrics like “With a Jewish star until the last day of my life”, “Its not a dream to salute your flag”, “HaTikva (national anthem of Israel) in my heart/we are a strong nation/we won’t surrender” And to the absolute surprise and horror of the Ashkenazi and self-hating leftist establishments, his tens of thousands of fans stood up with him and said, “Amen”.
The immediate reaction of the left wing establishment was to him was to defame and sideline him as “fascist”, “extremist”, and “fanatic”. This is the same tactic that the same establishment’s predecessors used against Jabotinsky, Begin, Shamir, Lieberman, Kahane, and Sharon. But the masses refused to accept this smear campaign and day after day they demanded to hear Subliminal on the Radio until he finally was on the every radio across the country.
In 2001, “Subliminal” and “the Shadow”, released their second CD called “The Light & The Shadow”. The cover dramatically shows a muddy fist clutching a Silver Star of David pendant. Three songs on the second CD HaTikva, HaFinaly, and Yeled Rehov have since become massive radio hits. When asked about the cover, Subliminal said, “Two years back, the Magen David was like a mockery. It was kept hidden under people’s shirts. Nobody would walk out like that and have been proud of it. We helped make into a cool thing, that it’s ok to be Jewish and to be proud about it by showing it off”. Indeed what Subliminal said is true, because Jewelry makers in Israel are confirming that they have noticed a dramatic upswing in sales of Magen David necklaces.
Subliminal and The Shadow have apparently hit the right nerves with their music and their message because the CDs, “The Light From Zion” has hit Gold level sales, and “The Light & The Shadow” has touched on double platinum. TACT recently published the third album titled TACT All-stars, where Subliminal and The Shadow focused on the conflict. The TACT All-stars CD features guest appearances by Killah Priest and Remedy of Wu-Tang Family, Shadow, Guy BooSkills, SHI 360 and Israeli superstar Sarit Hadad.
Subliminal was subject of an award winning documentary directed by Anat Halachmi called “Channels of Rage” which documents Subliminal and an Arab Israeli rapper named Tamer Nafar. In the beginning, we see Tamer and Subliminal getting along until, Tamer at one point, proudly identifies himself with suicide bombers and with Palestine, and then everything gets very tense from that point. Subliminal’s behavior in this movie earned him a lot or respect on the Israeli streets. Subliminal is no Jewish pussycat begging to be loved by the Arabs and the U.N.
TACT has recently recorded with such artists as Ashanti, Wycleff, Killa Priest and Miri Ben-Ari for their 4th upcoming album. Subliminal also has a clothing line, under the logo “T.A.C.T.,” Baseball caps, hooded sweatshirts and baggy pants are emblazoned with a Star of David and the words “The Architects of Israeli Hip-Hop.”
You can be sure that you will hear more about TACT in Jewish Mayhem Magazine.
