AROUND TOWN

Sara Idea, 2

Bloomfield,

Bloomfield

Rott, 22, of

Above: Aaron Scheinfield, 27, of
Troy, Alexis Pone, 24, of
Farmington Hills and Alexandra
Shaye, 24, of Birmingham

Left: Jodi Millman, 33, of Troy,
Scott Hutten, 36, of Novi and
Laura Hutten, 35, of Troy

erg, 35, of
nd-Aaron Jaffe,

Time To Rap

Young adults pierce the inner circle of hip-hop.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

Margo Collins, 34, of Southfield and Zhanna
Rosenberg, 28, of Royal Oak

Gary Graft Paul Rosenberg and MC Serch

1 8 •

JULY 2005 • JNPLATINUM

edge — and if you look at Jews
in music, we always have been,"
Graff said.
Both Rosenberg and Serch, whose
real name is 'Michael Berrin, were can-
did about their Jewish upbringings,
their love of hip-hop music and their
different paths to success. Serch, who's
The two Jewish pioneers in the
an
active member of Congregation
music industry sat down for an intimate
Shaarey Zedek, was one of the
discussion with
first white rappers in the coun-
about 100 young
try. He has two gold albums
adults at Edison's
and a gold single with his
in Birmingham for
group 3rd Bass.
an event called
"I think music speaks to
"Mic Check: One
people spiritually, and I
Two ... One
ROBIN
S
CHWARTZ
think Jews are spiritual
Jew" sponsored
COLU MNIST
people," Serch said.
by the Young
Rosenberg agrees and
Adult Division
says he was drawn to hip-hop at the
of the Jewish Federation
early age of 11.
of Metropolitan Detroit.
"It just felt like the right thing for
Music journalist Gary
me — it really got under my skin,"
Graff of the Oakland
he said.
Press, whose work has
Rosenberg now lives in New York
appeared in Rolling Stone
City
but grew up in West Bloomfield
and People magazines,
and graduated from Michigan State
moderated the conversation.
University and the University of
"We're hip people; we're cutting

hey have the raw, uninhibited
rhythm of hip-hop coursing
through their veins, but MC
Serch of WJLB-FM radio and Paul
Rosenberg, manager for rap superstar
Eminem, are both just "nice Jewish
boys" at heart.

Detroit Law School. He discovered
Eminem and helped launch the
rapper's incredible career.
"It was a beshert connection," said
his mom, Carol Rosenberg of West
Bloomfield, about her son's friendship
and partnership with Eminem. The
executive director of West Bloomfield-
based Jewish Home and Aging
Services, she attended the event and
was filled with pride.
Also spotted in the crowd at the
June 9 event were: Nathan Silverman
of Bloomfield Hills, Jeremy Crane of
West Bloomfield, Aaron Jaffe of
Farmington Hills, Adam Cohen of
Huntington Woods, Gershon
Askenazy of Detroit and Scott Atler
and Margo Collins, both of
Southfield.
.Many of the participants said hip-
hop's powerful beat also touches them.
"It's fun music, it's fresh and inven-
tive," said Graff.
"I like the lyrical acrobatics,
I love poetry, I love words ... it moves
me," added Zhanna Rozenberg of
Royal Oak.

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