Hadag Nahash


Hadag Nahash is an Israeli hip hop/funk band, founded in 1996 in Jerusalem. The band is known for its leftist political statements in many of its songs. Some of the band's songs have been used in protests.

Name and symbols

The group's name literally means "The Fish-Snake". It is also, however, a Hebrew spoonerism on the phrase nahag chadash. In Israel, people who have only recently gotten their driver's licenses must place a tag on their back window with these words.
The band's icon, depicting a child urinating, comes from a Hebrew idiom loosely translated as I will show you from where the fish pisses meaning something akin to "I will show you how it's done."

Musical Style

Like many Israeli pop musicians such as Teapacks and the Idan Raichel project, Hadag Nahash blends Western pop music with Eastern elements to create a sound tapestry containing influences from funk and world music. The band notes that although its style is hip-hop-oriented, its music is placed in that section in Israel because marketing executives at the group's label did not know how to classify the band's style, despite it being closer to groups such as the Brand New Heavies rather than Wu-Tang Clan or A Tribe Called Quest.

History

Hadag Nahash has been a major contributor to the Israeli hip-hop scene, and is presently one of Israel's most successful bands, with eight studio albums released to date.
The band's songs call for peace, tolerance and equality, and include political and social protest. Most songs are written by Sha'anan Streett, the band's lead vocalist.
On 15 September 2000, Hadag Nahash released its first studio album "Hamechona Shel Hagroove", which was written by and composed by the entire band. The album included well-known songs such as "Lo Mevater" and "Af Ehad," which both featured Israeli singer Mazi Cohen.
Hadag Nahash's second studio album, "Lazuz", was released on 10 January 2003 and produced by Yossi Fine. The album was an immediate success and sold over 30,000 copies, with hits such as "Gabi ve Debi," "Misparim," and "Lo Frayerim." The song "Bella Belissima" was also featured on popular crime drama TV show NCIS in 2007, creating a path for Hadag Nahash music to trickle in through to the United States and worldwide. The album featured famous Israeli musicians such as Berry Sakharof.
"Gabi ve Debi" was notable for its political message. Hadag Nahash sings about meeting Gabby and Debby, characters from a children's show that was part of the Let's Learn English series, who, in the show, had a magic stick that could transport them to any time and place. They offer to take the narrator wherever he wants - as long as it has a positive Zionistic message for the children. The three visit first Herzl and then Trumpeldor, two famous promoters of Zionism, and find each to be a far cry from their idealized images. Most notably they see Herzl on drugs and offering them the same, using a paraphrase of the motto of Zionism: "If you will it, it is not a legend." This audacious and controversial song is typical of Hadag Nahash.
Yossi Fine also produced the band's third studio album, "Homer Mekomi", which was released in 2004. The biggest hit out of the album was "Shirat Hasticker", which was written by Israeli novelist David Grossman. The lines of the song are all slogans seen on Israeli bumper stickers. The opposing political slogans are juxtaposed to create an angry and ironic portrait of political and religious life in Israel. Other notable songs from the album are "Halifot," "Hakafa Metzaltzelet" and "Rak Po". The album attained platinum status and the band was named Band of the Year by Galgalatz and Reshet Gimel, Israel's leading popular radio stations.
In 2006, Hadag Nahash released their fourth studio album, "Be'ezrat Hajam", which was named Album of the Year at the Israel Music Awards. The album, recorded at In the Pocket studios in California, was the first album in which the vocals were divided equally between Sha'anan Streett and DJ Guy Mar. "Be'ezrat Hajam" contained the hit "Hine Ani Ba" written by Guy Mar about moving from his hometown Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. "Hine Ani Ba" is also an example of a song with a political or cultural message, as it depicts a cultural struggle between Jerusalem, a symbol of Israel's heritage, and Tel Aviv, a hub for young people and nightlife. One marker of its success is that this song is also featured in the Adam Sandler movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan.
In March 2008 Hadag Nahash released its first live album, Hadag Nahash Live, released both as a CD and a DVD.
In December 2009, Hadag Nahash released the first single from its sixth album, 6: a protest song against the rising internal violence in Israeli society, called "Od Ach Ehad". Further singles from the album were "Shir Nehama," which featured Israeli traditional guitarist Yehuda Keisar; "Ani Ma'amin"; and "Lo Maspik." The latter was selected by EA Games for soundtrack of The Sims 3 expansion pack The Sims 3: Late Night, and was re-recorded in Simlish.
In February 2013, Hadag Nahash released their sixth studio album, "Zman Lehitorer". This album included hit songs such as "Zman Lehitorer", "Kovlana Al Miflagot Israel", "Pizmon", and "Yom Shishi".
In March 2016, the band's seventh studio album, "Shutafim Ba'am", was released. It included songs such as "Ten Ii Mangina", which was worked on with Israeli artist Avraham Tal, "Lo Ma She Yapil Oti", which featured rapper Peled, and "Legal Eyes", which was released in both Hebrew and English.
Hadag Nahash released their hit single "Od Yihye Tov" in early 2017, and it climbed to the top of the charts instantly. Since their first album in 2000, the music of Hadag Nahash has reached worldwide, even stretching to Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Their eighth studio album, "Welcome to Israel", was released in March 2018, and it instantly took off. It features 14 brand-new songs, including the previously-released singles "Od Yihye Tov", "Matzbi'im BaRaglaim", and "Sa!". The title song, "Welcome to Israel", is an eclectic, traditional Middle-Eastern-style song, which perfectly reflects the tone of the album. This album draws influences from famed music styles such as dubstep and electronica, while still keeping in line with the traditional flavour of Hadag Nahash which audiences around the world love.

Group members

Current Members

Discography

Studio albums

  1. HaMekhona Shel HaGruv
  2. #Lo Mevater
  3. #HaMekhona Shel HaGruv
  4. #Shalom Salaam Peace
  5. #Jerusalem
  6. #Trumpeldor
  7. #Mebit
  8. #Af Ehad
  9. #Avaryan
  10. #Tza'atzua'
  11. #HaVolyum Ole
  12. #Ha-Dag Nahash
  13. #Kusamamak
  14. Lazuz
  15. #Kamti
  16. #Lazuz
  17. #Sod HaHatzlaha
  18. #Misparim
  19. #Lo Frayerim
  20. #Frayerim
  21. #Gabi VeDebi
  22. #Gan Eden
  23. #Gan HaTut
  24. #Bela Belisima
  25. #Belis Dub
  26. #Mekhonat HaTut
  27. #Ze Lo Ani
  28. Homer Mekomi
  29. #Mithamem
  30. #Bereshit
  31. #Shirat Hasticker
  32. #Halifot
  33. #Johnny HaKatan
  34. #HaKafa HaMetzaltzelet
  35. #HaPe Liftoah
  36. #Shvita
  37. #Muzika
  38. #Yatziv
  39. #Rak Po
  40. #Melodika
  41. #Ma Na'ase?
  42. #Ratziti SheTeda'
  43. Be'ezrat HaJam
  44. #Lotus
  45. #California
  46. #Ma SheBa Ba
  47. #Hine Ani Ba
  48. #Kol HaCucot
  49. #Lehitchalek Ba'Ir
  50. #Statistika
  51. #Saga
  52. #MehaBama Lehaftzitz
  53. #Tiraga'
  54. #Eize Keyf
  55. #Lehavi' Et HaMaka
  56. #Shabhi Yerushalayim
  57. 6
  58. #Super Groove
  59. #Ani Ma'amin
  60. #Lo Maspik
  61. #Shir Nehama
  62. #BaSalon Shel Salomon
  63. #Od Ah Ehad
  64. #Little Man
  65. #Many Lights
  66. #Jambalaya
  67. #Ma'arbolet Shel Hol
  68. #War
  69. #Super Groove
  70. #That Ain't What It's All About
  71. Zman LeHit'orer
  72. #Mistovev
  73. #Mabsut
  74. #Zman Lehit'orer
  75. #Meir Ma'Ir
  76. #Koblena Al Miflagot Yisrael
  77. #Eineni Boged
  78. #Pizmon
  79. #Hakol Yistader
  80. #Noga'at
  81. #XL
  82. #Maher
  83. #Ilu Ze Haya
  84. #Yom Shishi
  85. Shutafim Ba'am
  86. #Ten Li Mangina
  87. #Ad HaSof
  88. #Shutafim Smuyim
  89. #Ra'ada HaAdama
  90. #Shemesh
  91. #Lo Ma SheYapil Oti
  92. #Resisim El HaHof
  93. #Af Itakh
  94. #Hakol Hozer
  95. #Ezrah Shel HaOlam
  96. #Legal Eyes
  97. #Marvadim
  98. Welcome to Izrael
  99. #Sa
  100. #Welcome to Izrael
  101. #Matzbiim Ba Ragalim
  102. #Tipot Shel Or
  103. #Ana Anachnu
  104. #Seret Milhama
  105. #Yotse Laderech
  106. #Meshahrer
  107. #Yomuledet 40
  108. #Bua
  109. #Od Yihye Tov
  110. #El Hazipor
  111. #Bayamim Balaylot
  112. #Etsba Meshuleshet

    Live albums