Nissim Black facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nissim Black
Black in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Damian Jamohl Black
Also known as	Nissim Danger D. Black
Born	(1986-12-09) December 9, 1986 (age 38) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Jewish hip hop conscious hip hop hardcore hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Sportn' Life Fin Nissim World
Associated acts	Dyme Def Jake One Vitamin D Fatal Lucciano Los Serenos Sefarad

Nissim Baruch Black (born Damian Jamohl Black; December 9, 1986) is an American-Israeli rapper, songwriter, and music producer. He is known for his unique style of Jewish hip hop.

Before becoming Nissim Black, he was known as D. Black. He released albums like The Cause & Effect (2006) and Ali'yah (2009). In 2011, he decided to stop making music to focus on his journey to become an Orthodox Jew. But he soon returned to music as Nissim Black, creating songs that mix hip hop with his Jewish faith. He has released several mixtapes and albums, including Miracle Music (2013), Nissim (2013), Lemala (2017), and Gibor (2019).

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Nissim Black, born Damian Jamohl Black, came into the world on December 9, 1986, in Seattle, Washington. Music was in his blood! His parents, Mia Black and James "Captain Crunch" Croone, were both rappers in famous Seattle hip hop groups. Even his grandparents were musicians, playing with legends like Ray Charles and Quincy Jones.

Nissim grew up in Seattle's Seward Park neighborhood. He was raised in the Sunni Islam faith of his grandfather. However, at age 14, he decided to become a Christian after attending a summer camp.

Music Career and Big Changes

Starting Out in Hip Hop

Nissim started rapping when he was very young, even before he was a teenager. He used the name Danger. When he was 13, a music producer named Vitamin D moved his studio into Nissim's stepfather's basement. Vitamin D became a mentor to Nissim, helping him record his first official songs. He also worked with another producer named Bean One.

In 2002, a record label called Sportn' Life Records released some of Nissim's early music. By 2004, when he was just 18, Nissim was chosen to help run Sportn' Life Records! He became a co-CEO alongside his father's partner, DeVon Manier. While running the label, he also released his own songs like "You Need a Thug."

In 2005, Nissim released his first mixtape, Behind the Dirt. Then, in 2007, he released his first album, The Cause & Effect. This album helped him get noticed in the Pacific Northwest music scene. He even performed at the 2007 Capitol Hill Block Party, a big music festival.

A New Path: Ali'yah and Religious Conversion

Nissim Black performing in May 2013

After his first album, Nissim, who was now married and a father, started thinking deeply about his beliefs. He began exploring Messianic Judaism, and his wife joined him on this journey. His music also started to change, influenced by artists like Common and Lauryn Hill. In 2008, he contributed to producer Jake One's album with a song called "God Like," which was even played on MTV.

In 2009, Nissim released his second album, Ali'yah. The album was very popular, staying on the CMJ hip hop charts for five weeks. The music video for his song "Yesterday" was also played regularly on MTV. He performed at other major music festivals like Bumbershoot and returned to the Capitol Hill Block Party.

About six months after Ali'yah came out, Nissim decided to fully embrace Orthodox Judaism. He no longer felt his album's message fit his new beliefs. He agreed to promote the album but refused to take money from it or perform on Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest). In 2011, he officially stopped making music. He moved to a Jewish community in Seward Park and began studying to convert to Judaism. During this time, he completely stepped away from his music career.

Returning to Music as Nissim Black

Nissim Black in September 2016

Near the end of his conversion, Nissim's son became very ill and needed to go to the hospital. This was a difficult time for his family. While praying, Nissim found that a broken microphone had suddenly started working again. He took this as a sign that he should return to music.

In September 2012, he announced his return. In December, he appeared on a song called "Rabbit Hole" by the group Shtar.

On February 26, 2013, he released Miracle Music, his first official mixtape under his new name, Nissim. He also performed at the 2013 Sasquatch! Music Festival. On September 17, he released his self-titled album, Nissim. He ended that year with "The Black Miracle," a Hanukkah song.

In 2016, Nissim and his family moved to Israel. There, he worked with other artists like Gad Elbaz on "Hashem Melech 2.0." On March 10, 2017, he released his fourth album, Lemala, which included more collaborations.

Other Projects

Nissim Black has explored other areas beyond music.

• In October 2020, he was a guest on a podcast hosted by commentator Ben Shapiro. Nissim defended hip hop music during their discussion.
• In May 2021, Nissim started his own podcast called The Deal with Nissim Black. He has interviewed many interesting people on his show.
• That same month, Nissim also launched his own whisky brand, called Hava Whisky, which is based in Israel.
• In April 2022, it was announced that HBO Max is developing a comedy TV series based on Nissim's life! The show is called Motherland Bounce.

Family Life

Nissim Black and his wife, Adina, first got married in 2008. After they both converted to Orthodox Judaism, they had an Orthodox Jewish wedding ceremony in 2013. They shared this special day with Nissim's childhood friend, Yosef Brown, and his wife, Chana, who also converted.

Nissim and his family continued to live in Seward Park, the neighborhood where he grew up, until 2016. That year, they made aliyah (moved to Israel) and settled in Jerusalem. Nissim follows a Jewish group called Breslov Hasidism. He travels to Uman every Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) for a special pilgrimage.

In 2018, Nissim shared that his children faced racial discrimination when they were not accepted into some local Jewish schools because they are Black. He sought advice from a respected rabbi, who told him that "Being black is your mayla (advantage) and not a chesaron (disadvantage)." Because of the discrimination they experienced, Nissim and his family moved to the nearby city of Beit Shemesh.

In July 2020, Nissim got COVID-19 and was hospitalized in Jerusalem. He and his family had to quarantine. After recovering, he changed his diet and reduced his coffee intake.

Nissim has also shared his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement. He believes in unity and tries to avoid political or religious arguments.

Discography

Albums

• The Cause and Effect (2007)
• Ali'yah (2009)
• Nissim (2013)
• Lemala (2017)
• Gibor (2019)

EPs

• The Blackest Brown EP (2011)

Mixtapes

• Behind the Dirt (2005)
• Miracle Music (2013)
• Love Notes (2020)

Compilations

• The Sportn' Life Compilation Vol. 1 (2003)

Singles and Music Videos

Guest Appearances

• Jake One, White Van Music (as D. Black) (2008) - "God Like"
• Diwon, New Game (2013) - "Try Stopping" ft. Mikhael, Open Mike Eagle
• Shtar, Boss EP (2012) - "Rabbit Hole"
• Lipa Schmeltzer, "Bar Mitzvah Time" (2016)
• Gad Elbaz, "WeR1" ft. Alliel, DeScribe, Refael Mirila (2016)
• Gad Elbaz, "L'Chaim" (2017)
• Six13, "Lo Avater" (2017)
• Otsar, "Hashem Shomer" (2018)
• Yoni Z, "Home" (2019)
• Avi Delanti, "Peace In The World" (2019)
• Chaim Dovid Berson, "Kulanu Nezamer" (2020)
• Aharon Wyne, "Born for This" (2020)
• L'Chaim OG, "Ani Po 2.0" (2020)
• Own3r, "Once in a Lifetime" (2021)
• R' Shua Bitton, "Upside Down" (2021)
• Shlomo Katz, "Chayot Hanohamot" (2021)
• Shuki Salomon, "Shir Hachatunot" (2021)
• New York Boys Choir, "Bring It On" (2021)

Production Credits

• L.V. and Prodeje, The Playground (2002)
• C-Blunt, Julius Ceasar (2002)
• South Central Cartel, South Central Hella (2003)
• Wicked, One Out of Many (2006)
• Lil Al, Hood Raised (2006)
• Fatal Lucciano, The Only Forgotten Son (2007)
• Brownside, 13 Reasons (2008)
• Brown King, Back to Jesus (2008)