Youth (Matisyahu album)

Youth
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 7, 2006
Recorded2005
Genre
Length46:55
LabelJDub/Epic
ProducerBill Laswell, Ill Factor, and Jimmy Douglass
Matisyahu chronology
Live at Stubb's
(2005)
Youth
(2006)
Youth Dub
(2006)
Matisyahu studio album chronology
Shake Off the Dust... Arise
(2004)
Youth
(2006)
Light
(2009)
Singles from Youth
  1. "King Without a Crown"
    Released: 2005
  2. "Youth"
    Released: 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic
Entertainment WeeklyC+
Pitchfork Media(4.9/10)
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Sputnikmusic
Robert Christgau

Youth is an album by American reggae singer Matisyahu, which was released on March 7, 2006. It is his second proper studio release, as Live at Stubb's is a live album. The CD quickly shot to the top of iTunes best sellers list the day it was released (partially because iTunes ran a special promotion for pre-orders).

The first single from the album is "King without a Crown", which also appeared on Matisyahu's previous album, Live at Stubb's. However, a different music video was shot for the Youth version of the song, whereas the version on the Stubb's concert album was accompanied by a concert video. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with over 119,000 copies sold in its first week released. A month later, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. As of September 24, 2008 the album has sold approximately 585,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan. On December 27, 2006, Billboard announced that Youth ranked 3rd overall on the 2006 Reggae album charts, immediately behind Live at Stubb's.

The topic of the album is mostly the support and promotion of youth voice, more explicitly in the eponymous second track. The album, along with its topic, mixes Matisyahu's lyrics, which contain several references to his Jewish beliefs, with a mainstream sound.