With apologies to Matthue’s blog post below (and to those who fell in the destruction of Jerusalem), I need to talk about a trend in music that I’ve noticed recently.
Have “Mazel Tov” and “L’Chaim” moved into the pop culture mainstream?
Obviously, the short answer is yes. They aren’t some obscure terms that only Jews know. In any movie where there is a Jewish wedding, you hear the crowd scream “Mazel Tov!” But in the past, the words were almost always used in Jewish contexts.
Only recently, however, have I heard two songs that use Mazel Tov and L’Chaim to describe the good times that are obviously being had…with no Jews around. Ladies and gentlemen, rap music has taken the two terms to a new level.
If you know anything about mainstream rap music, you would know that there are a lot of songs about partying and having a good time. I guess it should be no surprise then that both Jay-Z and The Black Eyed Peas would eventually take the ultimate words as their own.
Right now, I only know of these two songs. If I hear of a third, then we got ourselves a full fledged trend.
Also, warning: There is minimal swearing in both songs. As well, Fergie isn’t dressed…how shall we say…tzniusly.
