By DCist contributor Abby Lavin

If you weren’t at Unbuckled last Thursday, your only excuse is that you were over at the 6th and I St. Synagogue checking out rising Israeli hip hop stars, Hadag Nahash (Snakefish). Listening to rap in a synagogue, engulfed in a mob of 15-year-olds, we felt like we were at the coolest bar mitzvah we’d never been to.

A little bit Bob Marley, a little bit Rage Against the Machine, the seven-man group have built up a global following since forming in 1996, putting out four chart-topping albums along the way. Their diehard D.C. fans came out in throngs last night, bobbing their heads ecstatically and chanting along with the group’s call-and-response. The fervent devotion of the fans, along with the venue, created the feeling that a Hadag Nahash show is a somewhat spiritual experience.

“Hip hop” is the easiest category to place the group in, but they borrow from a hodge-podge of genres, from reggae to electronica to elements of jazz and funk. Guitarist Amir Ben Ami’s meandering riffs conjured up an acid trip, but in a good way. The 90-minute set list spanned crowd-pleasing hits from all of their albums. We don’t speak Hebrew, but apparently Hadag Nahash are socially-conscious rappers, and their lyrics address women’s rights, class issues, and the loss of loved ones in the crossfire of Israel-Palestine fighting.

One of the best songs of the evening is named for the Hebrew phrase, “Everything’s going to be alright.” DJ Guy Mar juxtaposed the comforting refrain with the sound of ambulance sirens, evoking the somber reality to which many Israeli youth have become accustomed. But the group managed to keep the tone of the show uplifting, sandwiching the down-beat elements between poppy, danceable songs. And of course, the guys performed the song that made them a household name in Israel, “Shirat Ha’sticker,” (The Sticker Song). A compendium of bumper sticker slogans seen around Israel, the song puts a tongue-in-cheek spin on the country’s heated political climate. The song made quite a splash in Israel, even inspiring university courses on the topic of political bumper stickers.

The group has a long-standing rivalry with another Israeli rapper, Subliminal. But it’s not your garden-variety, Biggie/Tupack-style rivalry. The rhymes from both camps are overtly political, with Hadag Nahash on the Left, and Subliminal representing the Right-wing “Zionist hip hop” movement. The two not only have different politics, but different personas as well. While Subliminal embraces bling, Hadag Nahash have more of a hackeysack-hippie thing going on.

The group incorporates traditional Middle Eastern influences, so it makes sense to put them in the “world music” category. But these guys are best when they stick to rapping; when they veer too far in the world music direction, they sound vaguely like Ricky Martin. Yikes. That (and some of the questionable hair-styling choices the group members had made) was our only gripe about the evening.

Lastly, we would like to lobby for more concerts to be held in places of worship. The members of Hadag Nahash joined us in bewailing the absence of alcohol. But on the plus side, ladies can set their purses down and forget about them for the evening. Who would dare steal from their brethren when there is a gothic inscription on the wall behind the band, reminding us, “Remember Ye the Laws of Moses”?

Photo be Menachem Wecker/David Sendor