Born Matthew Miller in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Matisyahu spent his youth as an itinerant hippie, following Phish and searching for meaning in his life. On a trip to Israel, Matisyahu rediscovered Judaism. After penning a play entitled "Echada," about a boy who meets a Hassidic rabbi in Washington Square Park in New York, Matisyahu's life oddly imitated his art, and he met a Lubavitch rabbi in the park, spurring his name change from Matthew to Matisyahu, one of the heroes of the Chanukah story. After a few false starts, Matisyahu became deeply immersed in the Hasidic tradition of mystical singing. It took just a few leaps to arrive at his current incarnation, as what may be the world's first Hasidic reggae singer.