Nissim

Nissim Baruch Black (born Damian Jamohl Black; December 9, 1986) is an American-Israeli rapper, songwriter, record producer, and podcast host.

Under the stage name D. Black, he released the albums The Cause & Effect (2006) and Ali'yah (2009) and was featured on producer Jake One's debut album White Van Music (2008). He retired in 2011 to focus on his conversion to Orthodox Judaism, but soon returned under his new legal name Nissim Black and began focusing on Jewish hip hop. He appeared on Shtar's song "Rabbit Hole" (2012) and has since released the mixtapes Miracle Music (2013) and Love Notes (2020), as well as the studio albums Nissim (2013), Lemala (2017), Gibor (2019), and Glory (2024).

Early life Black was born Damian Jamohl Black in Seattle on December 9, 1986, the son of rappers Mia Black and James "Captain Crunch" Croone, members of the pioneering Seattle hip hop groups the Emerald Street Boys and Emerald Street Girls. He grew up in Seattle's Seward Park neighborhood, which also had a significant Jewish community, and Black was raised in his grandfather's Sunni Islam faith, but was non-practicing and converted to Christianity at age 14 after attending an evangelical summer camp. Prior to this conversion, he had been a member of the Gangster Disciples gang, which he would later reference on the song "Mothaland Bounce". Black also recorded with producer Bean One of Dyme Def.

In 2002, Sportn' Life Records published its first release, a split vinyl single between Black and the group Last Men Standing. The following year, Black appeared on a Sportn' Life compilation album, alongside several members of Oldominion. In 2004, the 18-year-old Black was selected by his stepfather to replace him as co-CEO of Sportn' Life, together with his father's partner, DeVon Manier.

In 2007, he released his debut album, The Cause & Effect. Jake One, Bean One, and Vitamin D contributed to the production, Despite this, the album sold over 4,500 copies regionally, and Black was invited to perform on the Vera Project stage at the 2007 Capitol Hill Block Party alongside Blue Scholars.

Ali'yah, retirement, and conversion to Orthodox Judaism (2008–2011)

After The Cause and Effect release, Black, now a husband and father, began questioning his Christian beliefs, turning to Messianic Judaism and convincing his wife to follow suit.

In 2009, Black released his second album, Ali'yah. The album spent five weeks at number 4 on CMJ's hip hop charts, while the video for its lead single, "Yesterday", also gained regular rotation on MTV. and returned to Capitol Hill Block Party. He was also one of the candidates to portray rapper The Notorious B.I.G. in the 2009 biopic Notorious, a role that ultimately went to Jamal Woolard.

No longer supporting the album's message but unable to quit his contract, he agreed to promote it, but refused to accept money outside of touring expenses and refused to perform on Shabbat.

On February 26, 2013, he released the mixtape Miracle Music, his first official recording under his new stage name and Hebrew name, Nissim. The following May, he appeared at the 2013 Sasquatch! Music Festival.

In 2016, after relocating to Israel, Nissim collaborated with Gad Elbaz on the song "Hashem Melech 2.0" and with Lipa Schmeltzer on "Bar Mitzvah Time." The following year, on March 10, 2017, he released his fourth album, Lemala, which featured collaborations with Elbaz, DeScribe, Netanel Israel, and Yisroel Laub.

Gibor and Love Notes (2018–present) Black returned in July 2018 with the single "King of the World", announced as the lead single of an upcoming fifth album entitled Gibor. That December, he performed at a charity Hanukkah concert in Brooklyn alongside Shea Rubenstein, Mendy Pellin, and Six13. Gibor was released on December 9, 2019, through Marom Entertainment, with guest features including Menachem Weinstein, Avi Kraus, and Alex Clare. This was also the first official album to credit Black as Nissim Black rather than simply Nissim (he had been using both intermittently since 2016).

In February 2020, Black released a new standalone single, "Mothaland Bounce". The song, released with a Coming to America-inspired music video directed by Leon Robinson and Joel Kipnis, addresses the relationship between the rapper's Black and Jewish identities, such as Black describing himself as "Hitler's worst nightmare". Black started his own podcast, The Deal with Nissim Black, in May 2021 through SoulShop Studios; notable guests have included Rudy Rochman, Vanessa Zoltan, Fatman Scoop, Meir Kay, Amar'e Stoudemire, Brandon Tatum, Tamir Goodman, Coleman Hughes, and Rabbi Tovia Singer. That same month, Black launched his own whisky brand, the Israel-based Hava Whisky.

In April 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that HBO Max was developing Motherland Bounce, a comedy series based on Black's life, with comedian Moshe Kasher announced as showrunner, Black as story writer, Salli Richardson as director, and all three as executive producers.

Personal life Black and his wife Adina, with whom he has seven children, were initially married in 2008; they re-married in an Orthodox Jewish marriage ceremony in March 2013 at the Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation after both had converted. The marriage was a double ceremony shared with his childhood friend Yosef Brown and Yosef's wife Chana, both fellow converts. Black and his family continued to live in Seward Park, the Seattle neighborhood where he grew up, until making aliyah to Israel in 2016 and settling in Jerusalem. He self-identifies as a follower of Breslov Hasidism

In an August 2018 interview with Menachem Toker of Radio Kol Chai, Black revealed that his children had been subjected to racial discrimination when they were denied admission to several local Haredi yeshivas explicitly because they were black. He also said that he had sought advice on the matter from Rav Chaim Kanievsky during a meeting and was told, "Being black is your mayla (advantage) and not a chesaron (disadvantage)." Due to discrimination they experienced in the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem, Black and his family relocated to the nearby city of Beit Shemesh.

Black contracted COVID-19 in July 2020 and was hospitalized at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem; he and his family remained in quarantine until Tisha B'Av. After recovering from the disease, he reduced his coffee intake and adopted a ketogenic diet. and what he called their "support [of] Palestinians over the Jews". Despite this, he has said he prefers not to be involved in political or religious disputes and has encouraged unity in the Jewish community.

Discography Albums The Cause and Effect (2007; re-released 2009) Ali'yah (2009) Nissim (2013) Lemala (2017) Gibor (2019) Glory (2024)

EPs The Blackest Brown EP (2011)

Mixtapes Behind the Dirt (2005; re-released 2010) Miracle Music (2013) Love Notes (2020)

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

Singles and music videos +YearSongAlbumDirectorNotes2006"Get Loose"The Cause and EffectThe Note2009"Yesterday" (ft. Marissa)Ali'yahBryan Campbell2012"Ricochet"Non-album single2013"Unbelievable"Miracle Music"Chronicles"Zach Grashin & Sam Chasan"Live for Now" (ft. Bonhom)NissimNissim & Altrac Productions"Sores" (ft. Rabbi Simon Benzaquen)Nissimlive studio video"Revered"Nissim & Altrac Productions"The Black Miracle"Non-album singleBiG ProductionsHanukkah video for Aish.com2014"Yerushalayim" (ft. Eric Gestenfeld)"Falling Star" (ft. Gabriel Mintz)2016"Zman Cheruteinu"LemalaSawyer Purman & Ben Anderson"Tagid Todah" (ft. Netanel Israel)"A Million Years" (ft. Yisroel Laub)Aharon Orian"Hashem Melech 2.0" (ft. Gad Elbaz)Daniel Finkelman2017"Fly Away"2018"King of the World"Giborlyric video"Mercy"Sawyer Purman & Ben Anderson2019"Wings" (ft. Menachem Weinstein)"Hold On" (ft. Avi Kraus)Aharon OrianPSA for Amudim"Eight Flames"Nataniel Khafizov"Never Forget"Non-album single2020"Mothaland Bounce"Leon Robinson & Joel Kipnis"Win"Love NotesNissim Black & Liron Afuta"Best Friend""Rerun"Non-album single"Love Letter""Smile""The Hava Song"Nissim Black & Liron Afuta"Honest""All Black""Let It Go"2021"God's Baby""Lean on You""Only One""Tears""Willing to Lose""Be True""Milagros" (ft. Yosef Daniel)"Hope""Higher"Nissim Black & Yaakov Citron"Change""The Hanukkah Song 2.0" (ft. Kosha Dillz)Matthew Kyle LevineRemix of Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song""Brooklyn"Daniel Finkelman"Adored"Nissim Black & Yaakov Citron2022"Lifted" (ft. Levi Robin)"Human Greatness 2.0" (ft. Dustin Paul)"Away From Here""Victory"Liron Afuta2023"Fired Up"Yael Bohbot"Hu Hamelech" (ft. Gad Elbaz)Zvika Bornstein"SCREAM"Nissim Black & Liron Afuta"LOVE ME" (ft. Oryahh)2024Speed Dial

Guest appearances Jake One, White Van Music (as D. Black) (2008; Rhymesayers) - "God Like" Diwon, New Game (2013; Bancs Media) - "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)