Remedy, the Jewish Wu Tang Clan affiliate, performed at Carnegie Mellon on Saturday, October 4 in Rangos. His concert was co-sponsored by Hillel JUC, AEPi, AEPhi, Tartans for Israel, Panthers for Israel, SPIRIT, SALSA, Hasbara Fellowships, ZOA, and Chabad House on Campus. 

Remedy, the Staten Island native, brought fellow New York rappers Lounging Lo, Killah Priest, and JoJo Pelegrino (JJP), as well as their DJ, Finan, and his overseas manager Lucas Brenowitz. The six-person collection has strong bonds with each other that they express through both laughter and support for each other's work.

As a white Jewish man in the rap world, Remedy is a minority and is often judged by his religion and race before he is judged by his skills as a rapper and producer. However, he said that this does not bother him.

"I don't get mad at people just seeing me as 'the Jewish guy.' If that's how they want to perceive me, they can do that. And I mean, you can tell that I'm Jewish because if I go from the side and see my nose," joked Remedy. "No, I'm just kidding. When I was at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, people thought I was Puerto Rican, so you never know. My faith is very important to me, so that's why I rap about it. But I rap about other things too, like being a white boy from Staten Island."

The pro-Israel, socially-conscious rapper does not consider himself to be the most devout Jew. "I'm not completely kosher," he confessed. "I mean, I don't eat pork but I will eat a cheeseburger."

Nonetheless, Hillel organizations decided to bring Remedy to campus because of his pro-Israel lyrics.

"We were trying to figure out a way to bring someone pro-Israel," said Deirdre Downnoff, a University of Pittsburgh sophomore. "We decided that Remedy was the best way to reach a lot of people and unify all of the organizations."

The group of rappers has performed around the world and is particularly influenced by their trips to Israel. "Going to Israel, going to historical sites. We performed to all-Jewish audiences," said Killah Priest. "It was sick."

When Killah Priest was asked if his faith was as important as Remedy's, Remedy interrupted and asked, "Have you ever heard any of his lyrics? Man, this guy is deep."

Remedy was very critical of the current state of rap music: "It's so artificial; it's like knitting a sweater. It's like Americans are sitting there with their mouth open and they're pouring all types of crap into it and they're just taking it."

He is also very critical of how technology has made producing easier. "Now with Protunes, any fool with a computer can make a beat," said Remedy. "One of the greatest recording studios in New York closed down, because everyone's making beats in their basement."

Remedy is both a rapper and producer and takes each profession seriously. "Producing is like a whole 'nother chamber. But I can't say I prefer one over the other, they go hand in hand. In fact, I got to start producing some more."

The performance itself attracted a modest crowd, which made for an intimate interaction with the performers. The majority of the crowd was not familiar with Remedy's music, but went to the show out of curiosity.

"I've never heard of him, but I'm a fan of the Wu Tang," said CIT first-year Paul Jones. "I'd assume a Jewish rapper is not very good, but at least up to par. I knew CMU wouldn't get Method Man or someone like that."

Lounging Lo and JJP were very high-energy performers and brought the most enthusiasm possible from the small crowd. When the background music was too loud and unbalanced, causing the rappers to sound muffled, JJP solved the problem by performing a cappella. JJP, a rapper of Italian descent from Staten Island, addressed Italian-American stereotypes by acting them out. His lyrics touched on organized crime and Fila velour sweat suits, and he used the term "foggedaboutit" during one of his songs.

Lounging Lo, the most eccentric and humorous of the four rappers, danced around the stage and jumped on speakers as he represented the Park Hill projects in Staten Island. He also performed his signature chant of "lolololololo."

Killah Priest and Remedy addressed more serious topics. Their performance was more low-key with intense lyrics. Killah amazed the audience with his continuous a cappella verse that addressed the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal and other religious topics without taking a breath. His quiet and laid-back demeanor comes through his performances, which compliments the many levels of his lyrics. The audience was not distracted by stage antics and could really listen to his lyrics and appreciate the message he got across.

When Remedy began his set, he repeated that he "represents the real hip hop," and he did just that during his performance. Remedy performed a few songs, including "The Book of Life" and "Never Again." The chorus of "The Book of Life" reminded listeners to "Stop, look, listen, read. Think, feel, move, breathe." "Never Again," his most famous song and what he considers his best work so far, is an account of the Holocaust.

"It took me like three weeks to actually write that song," said Remedy. "I did extensive research. I read books, talked to actual survivors. That's how I found out my great uncle got shot in the back, I found out who made it and who didn't in my own family. It's amazing that it happened only 60 years ago. Not just for Jews, but for all of humanity. I've seen grown men cry because of that song, it's powerful." 

Remedy was very interactive and alternated between the front of the stage, standing on the speakers, and running through the crowd. He repeated the phrase "My name is Remedy, I represent humanity and my nationality is reality."

After his performance of "Never Again," the concert took on a lighter turn. Remedy gave out free CDs, brought female audience members on stage to dance, and let the audience perform. Ohav Shomrony-Cohen, a sophomore from Capa High School, had the opportunity to perform in front of one of his favorite rappers.

"I came for my love for hip-hop and Wu Tang," said Shomrony-Cohen. "Remedy is one of my greatest influences. He ain't trying to appeal to anyone. He has a message. Performing with him on stage, that was hot. I'm going to remember this forever."

	story images

JoJo Pelegrino (JJP) gets down near the front of the stage during the Remedy concert.	Remedy and special guests came to Pittsburgh on October 1 to perform a live concert in Rangos, sponsored by Hillel JUC.
CFA junior Amos Levy of the CMU Turntablists keeps the crowd entertained while waiting for the show to start.	Special guest JoJo Pellegrino raps at the concert sponsored by Hillel JUC, headlining Remedy from the Wu Tang Clan.
Killah Priest was among the few special guest appearances at the October 1 concert headlining Remedy from the Wu Tang Clan.	Remedy from the Wu Tang Clan raps in the middle of the crowd during the high-energy and interactive October 1 concert in Rangos, sponsored by Hillel JUC.
JoJo raps while some audience members dance onstage.	After inviting students to dance up on stage, special guest JoJo raps with Remedy from the Wu Tang Clan at the October 1 concert sponsored by Hillel JUC.
Remedy of the Wu Tang Clan (right) and special guest JoJo rap off together during the October 1 concert held in Rangos and sponsored by Hillel JUC.	JJP invites an audience member onstage to perform an Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB) song in memory of the rapper who died last fall.
The crowd at the Remedy concert responds back to the performers.

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