Sagol 59
Encyclopedia
Sagol 59 is a Jerusalem-based hip-hop MC. Raised on a Kibbutz
in Israel, Khen Rotem took the name Sagol 59, or “purple 59,” from his personal Kibbutz laundry bag tag. After his required 3 year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, Sagol turned to music, beginning his career in blues, funk and rock before moving on to hip hop in the late 1990s. Shortly after he relocated to Jerusalem, Sagol was picked up by the city’s seminal (and now defunct) indie label, Fact Records
He appeared on the Israeli hip hop
scene with his 2000 debut (Blue Period). He has released done 6 full-length albums to date. He has collaborated with multiple artists. and had done multiple live shows in Israel and overseas (U.S, Europe).
Within the last decade, Sagol has participated in many events alongside Palestinian and Arab musicians, and has performed alongside many well known artists and overseas (Matisyahu, DJ Spooky, Kenny Mohammed The Human Orchestra, Remedy, Killah Priest
, Sole of Anticon
, Spearhead’s Michael Franti, Yitz Jordan aka Y-Love
, Taskforce
and Israeli artists such as Hadag Nachash, Coolooloosh, Mook-e, Teapacks
and many others.
In 2001 he received critical praise for his groundbreaking collaboration “Summit Meeting"(feat. Tamer Nafar of Palestinian crew DAM (band) & Shaanan Streett of Hadag Nachash), the first-ever collaborative recording featuring both Israeli and Arab MCs. He regularly hosts the Corner Prophets/Old Jeruz Cipher Hip Hop series, a cultural initiative meant to unite the diverse cultural communities located in Jerusalem through a shared interest in hip-hop. By working with Corner Prophets, Sagol’s goal is to inspire a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians that turn to art, not violence, as a means to find a common ground.
Sagol was part of the Unity Sessions featured at the 2004 Celebrate Brooklyn concert series. Unity Sessions featured internationally renowned Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, and Arab musicians in hip hop and traditional Middle Eastern music
, many of whom were performing for the first time in the United States. The Unity Sessions was produced by JDub Records
and Aliza Rabinoff.
His first American project, 'Make Room' debuted on May 6, 2008 on JDub Records. Make Room features full production by the youngest producer in Israel, 16 year old Johnny Hakatan aka Little Johnny, who first came to prominence on "Chomer MiKomi
," an album by Hadag Nachash. In August 2008 Sagol embarked on an American tour, performing concerts in New York, Denver, Cleveland and Los Angeles. American musician DJ Spooky
has remixed Sagol's track "Leeches" for the American release of "Make Room". In March 2010 JDub Records released "Sagol Remixed 2000-2010", a digital album containing remixes, b-sides, rare and unreleased tracks, celebrating Sagol 59's decade of activity. In October 2010, Sagol 59 performed at the CMJ Music Marathon
in New York, alongside rappers from all over the world. Sagol has appeared in the film "The Furious Force Of Rhymes" directed by Josh Atesh Litle and produced by ARTE, The Smithsonian Channel, Link TV, Les Films d'Ici and Furious Media, featuring rappers from the U.S, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The film had its festival premiere in August 2010 at the Locarno International Film Festival. 2011 saw the release of "Another Passenger", an album which saw Sagol return to his Blues-Rock-Folk roots. "Another Passenger", produced by Amir Estlein, featured Sagol singing and playing guitar, alongside notable Israeli musicians such as Geva Alon
, Rona Keinan, Dan Toren, poet Ronnie Someck, Jazz saxophonist Albert Begger as well as members of Red Band.
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in Israel, Khen Rotem took the name Sagol 59, or “purple 59,” from his personal Kibbutz laundry bag tag. After his required 3 year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, Sagol turned to music, beginning his career in blues, funk and rock before moving on to hip hop in the late 1990s. Shortly after he relocated to Jerusalem, Sagol was picked up by the city’s seminal (and now defunct) indie label, Fact Records
He appeared on the Israeli hip hop
Israeli hip hop
-History:Although Native Hebrew hip hop gained popularity only during the 1990s, stemming from global influences, traces of it could been found during the mid 1980s. Yair Nitzani, then a member of the Israeli rock group, "Tislam", released an old school hip hop parody album under the name "Hashem...
scene with his 2000 debut (Blue Period). He has released done 6 full-length albums to date. He has collaborated with multiple artists. and had done multiple live shows in Israel and overseas (U.S, Europe).
Within the last decade, Sagol has participated in many events alongside Palestinian and Arab musicians, and has performed alongside many well known artists and overseas (Matisyahu, DJ Spooky, Kenny Mohammed The Human Orchestra, Remedy, Killah Priest
Killah Priest
Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Brownsville neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious...
, Sole of Anticon
Anticon
Anticon is an Oakland based independent record label founded in 1997. It is collectively owned among six founding artists and one manager...
, Spearhead’s Michael Franti, Yitz Jordan aka Y-Love
Y-Love
Yitz Jordan , better known by his stage name Y-Love, is a Brooklyn-based African-American Hasidic Jewish hip hop artist...
, Taskforce
and Israeli artists such as Hadag Nachash, Coolooloosh, Mook-e, Teapacks
Teapacks
Teapacks was an Israeli band that formed in 1988 in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Originally the band was named after the correction fluid Tipp-Ex, but the name was then changed so as not to infringe on the well-known brand....
and many others.
In 2001 he received critical praise for his groundbreaking collaboration “Summit Meeting"(feat. Tamer Nafar of Palestinian crew DAM (band) & Shaanan Streett of Hadag Nachash), the first-ever collaborative recording featuring both Israeli and Arab MCs. He regularly hosts the Corner Prophets/Old Jeruz Cipher Hip Hop series, a cultural initiative meant to unite the diverse cultural communities located in Jerusalem through a shared interest in hip-hop. By working with Corner Prophets, Sagol’s goal is to inspire a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians that turn to art, not violence, as a means to find a common ground.
Sagol was part of the Unity Sessions featured at the 2004 Celebrate Brooklyn concert series. Unity Sessions featured internationally renowned Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, and Arab musicians in hip hop and traditional Middle Eastern music
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
, many of whom were performing for the first time in the United States. The Unity Sessions was produced by JDub Records
JDub Records
JDub Records is a non-profit record and event production company striving to build community through new and innovative Jewish music and cross cultural musical dialogue.-History:...
and Aliza Rabinoff.
His first American project, 'Make Room' debuted on May 6, 2008 on JDub Records. Make Room features full production by the youngest producer in Israel, 16 year old Johnny Hakatan aka Little Johnny, who first came to prominence on "Chomer MiKomi
Chomer MiKomi
Homer Mekomi is Hadag Nahash's third studio album, released in 2004. It features "Shirat HaSticker" , the words of which are based on bumper stickers commonly found in Israel, and were devised by novelist David Grossman...
," an album by Hadag Nachash. In August 2008 Sagol embarked on an American tour, performing concerts in New York, Denver, Cleveland and Los Angeles. American musician DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
has remixed Sagol's track "Leeches" for the American release of "Make Room". In March 2010 JDub Records released "Sagol Remixed 2000-2010", a digital album containing remixes, b-sides, rare and unreleased tracks, celebrating Sagol 59's decade of activity. In October 2010, Sagol 59 performed at the CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...
in New York, alongside rappers from all over the world. Sagol has appeared in the film "The Furious Force Of Rhymes" directed by Josh Atesh Litle and produced by ARTE, The Smithsonian Channel, Link TV, Les Films d'Ici and Furious Media, featuring rappers from the U.S, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The film had its festival premiere in August 2010 at the Locarno International Film Festival. 2011 saw the release of "Another Passenger", an album which saw Sagol return to his Blues-Rock-Folk roots. "Another Passenger", produced by Amir Estlein, featured Sagol singing and playing guitar, alongside notable Israeli musicians such as Geva Alon
Geva Alon
Geva Alon is an Israeli blues/folk/rock musician and singer-songwriter.-Biography:Geva Alon was born and raised in Kibbutz Ma'abarot. He began playing guitar at the young age of 12, and in the year 2000 became the founding member of the rock trio The Flying Baby which achieved relative success in...
, Rona Keinan, Dan Toren, poet Ronnie Someck, Jazz saxophonist Albert Begger as well as members of Red Band.
Discography
- 2000: The Blue Period (Fact Records - Israel only)
- 2002: Where Did We Go Wrong (Fact Records/MCI - Israel only)
- 2003: Reason to Die EP (9 Records - Israel only)
- 2003: The Two Sides of Purple 59 (NMC Records - Israel only)
- 2006: Hip-Hop Einstein (NMC Records - Israel only)
- 2008: Make Room (JDub Records - 1st US Release)
- 2010: Remixed 2000-2010 (JDub Records - Digital Release)
- 2011: Another Passenger (Lev Group Media / 8th Note Records)