I never got around to writing a full article about Socalled like I had wanted to. I tried back during his hip-hop Passover Seder album, but I saw a lolzcatz video and got distracted.
Anyhow, now I don’t have to! Because luck would have it, a documentary about him is out on Hulu for free. But there is a catch — it is only available until September 2 at 11:45PM!
I’m not big into documentaries. I’m not big into musical documentaries either. Psych! Hipsters eat that shit up like mice eat cheese.
But this one is pretty awesome. Josh Dolgin (Socalled) plays the accordion like any good nerdy Jewish boy should. He enjoys his hip-hop/funk and klezmer, and has been able to blend the three into an incredibly unique and exciting sound.
On top of that, he’s hilariously sarcastic and good humored. He creates films. And comics. And does magic tricks. Has played his music around the world. And somehow through all of it he is a mensch, as humble as Yoda himself.
“The stuff that I got into, I didn’t get into it because I want people to listen to old Klezmer music. I snuck into the world, I hear it, I think wow, everyone should hear this beautiful melody. So it’s not political it’s not religious, its just music…I guess the politics are that people should get along….and maybe you’ll see people coming together, and putting aside differences. And bringing out differences. And celebrating differences. And commonalities between all people. And uh I’m like fucking – I’m like the Mohandas Gandhi of hip-hop…I guess…you could say. Except that I’m- I’m uh not as skinny. Um, no. come on, ask me a serious question now.”
Music lovers: You will not regret it. And at your next Hillel singles mixer you have something else to show your hip Jewish cultural knowledge.
Watch the movie’s entirety here.
