HBO Max recently announced their latest comedy, Motherland Bounce, based on the life of Nissim Black - who also happens to be the world's first Black Hasidic Jewish hip-hop star! Our minds are going in a million directions about what this promising young comedy will cover, and we are lovin' it. So let's take a look at what HBO has cooked up this time...
Known as one of the most successful artists in the Israeli hip-hop scene, Nissim's journey to where he is now is far from a boring one. Growing up in Seattle, Black grew up selling illegal substances at 12 years old as part of a gang - but it wasn't until an incident with a rival gang that things changed for him. The confrontation almost cost him his life, and in return, he decided to embark on a spiritual journey and discover Orthodox Judaism. Using the stage name D. Black, the artist released two albums, The Cause and Effect (2006) and Ali'yah (2009). But in 2011 he decided to take a step back from rapping to focus on his conversion to Orthodox Judaism. However, a year later, he returned to rap, saying, "When I came to Judaism, I gave up rap, I gave up everything that I knew. Slowly, Hashem gave back to me the things that were important. To ultimately help and affect the Jewish people," Black says of his music. The esteemed rappers' latest singles, Mothaland Bounce, The Hanukkah Song 2.0, and Adored, have hit #4, #5, and #21 on the Israeli charts!
His unique path to Orthodox Judaism and Israeli stardom definitely makes for a compelling story, and HBO agrees! The comedy series stems from comedian/writer Moshe Kasher and The Gilded Age executive producer/director Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Kasher is known for his behind the scene work on Netflix's Wet Hot American Summer and Zoolander 2 - as well as some on-camera action, including Comedy Central's Another Period.
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As of now, there are no further details surrounding the series development, but Black is more than excited about announcing his latest project. The star uploaded a photo with the big news writing, "hope this series brings joy," which we're sure it will. In the meantime, make sure to listen to Nissim Black's top hits, and stay tuned for more updates regarding Motherland Bounce.