Album Notes

Steve ‘The Gangsta Rabbi’ Lieberman is a prolific songwriter with this release being, I think, number 16 for him. I’ve lost track of how many of them I’ve reviewed, it’s either 4 or 5, including this one.
If you’ve never heard his music before the first time you hear it you’ll either want to cut off your ears or appreciate all of the lo-fi goodness that it offers up. His own website bills him as, ‘The Most F-CKIN’ Controversial ‘artist’ in the World.’
Some of his previous releases include titles like, Psych Ward, Overthrow the Government, Last of the Jewish Pirates, and Shake The Missile Base.
The Gangsta Rabbi is a one-man band playing all of the instruments found on Diaspora, along with performing all of the vocals.
The music that The Gangsta Rabbi offers up is lo-fi at its finest. His songs are filled with overdriven/distorted guitar parts, tinny sounding drum machine beats and flute parts, along with the occasional sound from, whistles, recorder, steel drums, and beats. The odd ball in that grouping is the very well done flute work that is often a major part of The Gangsta Rabbi’s sound. Although I heard a lot less of it in this release when compared to other releases of his that I’ve reviewed.
This release is loaded with 18 tracks, including one instrumental track, that adds up to just over one full hour of music. Most of the songs have references to Books found in the Old Testament. The songs lyrics deal with the plight of the Jewish people.
The releases title, Diaspora comes from a term referring to a permanently displaced and relocated collective of people. The first mention of a Diaspora created as a result of exile is found in Deuteronomy 28:25 “thou shalt be a dispersion in all kingdoms of the earth.” It has become a term used to show the plight of the Jewish people over the years.
Stylistically the songs found on this release range from world beats, to folk, rock, and punk.
The Gangsta Rabbi makes no secret of the fact that he is bi-polar, his release Psych Ward was built around his time spent in one. That being said his music isn’t for everyone, if you willing though to take a trip into his musical world you just might find that you’ll enjoy the journey.