Laivy Miller can only laugh when people ask him about his Instagram posts with frequent comments by Jewish rapper and former hassid Matisyahu.
“They ask, ‘how do you know him?’ and I tell them ‘it’s my Dad!’” said the 18-year-old singer who professionally simply goes by Miller.
Living in Israel, Miller is making his mark with collaborations with top Israeli performers, performing with his father earlier this year at the International Convention Center (Binyenei Hauma), competing in the next season of Hakochav Habah, and launching a bright musical future.
Runs in the family
Matisyahu spotted Miller’s talent, interest in music, and determination at a young age.
“He grew up spending a big portion of the time on the tour bus, at venues, in the green groom, hotels, around the stage, packing up. It was always comfortable for him. He got a passport at age two and went with us as a baby to South Africa, Australia, and Europe,” Matisyahu recalls. “He always had a super powerful voice – at 3, in Crown Heights at 770 [Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters], his voice soared over the top.”
Miller thinks his interest in music may date back to before he was born.
“Right out of the womb, my dad was beatboxing next to me in the hospital,” he told The Jerusalem Post from Jerusalem’s Old City, where he has been living.
Miller recalls loving music from a young age.
“I would always sing with my action figures and do creative songs,” he said, adding that his father supported his interest in music, bringing him on stage at age three and setting up a small red drum set next to the band’s drummer.
“I would always be sidestage at his shows, singing along.”
Miller treasures the accepting, encouraging, and supportive attitudes he encountered growing up on the road with “wild musicians” who were “diverse” and “not your average crowd.”
“People taught me to embrace my passions and complete my dreams. These days, that is not a priority as people follow stiff plans over dreams.”
The COVID pandemic may have inadvertently helped Miller pursue his dreams. Not taking well to Zoom learning, he downloaded Garage Band on his Mac and learned to make and produce demos.
“When I showed them to my dad, he liked them and thought I should show them to a real studio,” he said.
Matisyahu offers a slight clarification of how Miller’s songwriting career started.
“One day he went up to the attic, opened his laptop, and started working on music. He wanted Logic [Logic Pro for Mac – a proprietary digital audio workstation developed by Apple Inc.]. I told him to learn Garage Band first. He came down with a track after a few months. ‘You did a good job. Let’s do it if you want.’ He started coming to all of my recording sessions.”
Matisyahu thinks Miller has a wide range of skills that may help him make it big in the music world.
“He was always a strong talent – connecting with people, street smart, a good judge of character, always motivated, a tough [hockey-playing] kid – fending for himself a lot in Crown Heights.”
In addition, Dad reports proudly, “He is an incredible kid with a huge heart. A real love for music and for the people in his life. A special human being and talented artist. He is willing to be coached and he is a good learner. He creates emotions and he is a deep thinker.”
Miller, out of respect for his traditionally Jewish observant mother, agreed to spend the year studying in a yeshiva in Israel. After experimenting with two different programs, he gravitated to full immersion in the music world and is now back to balancing his studying and music. He is working with Doli and Penn, a top Israeli songwriting and production duo who produce famous Israelis such as Omer Adam and Eyal Golan. In addition, Miller, Matisyahu, Doli and Penn, and Ishay Ribo are working on a song together.
“I got cast for Hakochav Habah [The Next Star]. I am in final auditions now,” said Miller, adding “If I win, I get to represent Israel at Eurovision, which is something I really want to do. I think it would be incredibly cool to represent the country.”
Matisyahu is pleased with Miller’s decision to come to Israel and to remain during this challenging year.
“He wanted to learn and has found himself in Israel,” says Matisyahu, noting that there was some pressure from managers and others in the music business for him to stay in the US this year. “He has really found himself during this transformative year for all Jews in the world.”
Matisyahu and Miller have been outspoken and unwavering in their support for Israel.
Miller sounds rabbinic as he thanks his father for teaching him to appreciate the musical gifts he has.
“My dad taught that music is giving and that we have to be a vessel if you have it – everything is from Hashem. If God gives you the gift of a voice, it is for a reason.”
As Miller continues, he sounds wise beyond his 18 years.
“If you are in a position of giving, you must give as much as you possibly can.”
Miller is already at the point of people recognizing him around Israel.
“If I have opportunities and people recognize me in the street, I have to remember it is not about me. I have to be a vessel and good things will come.”
Miller also appreciates that his father taught him to be humble and to control his anger.
“You need to block anger out to be humble. If you are calm and positive, you don’t get angry.”
Miller lists a wide range of musical influences including Kid Cudi, Drake, Justin Bieber, Glaive, The Beatles, and the music his father listened to while he was growing up, including Bob Marley and jam bands.
In addition to inviting his father to join him on stage at his own concerts, he has recently opened shows for his dad in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
“It is cool being on stage with your father. I loved sharing the stage with him and pulling him up for my original songs. He is the one who inspired me to do all of this, to share the stage and sing together has always been a dream!”
Miller has released eight singles to date and two videos – “Peace Of Mind” and “Serenity.” Miller attempts to describe the type of music he creates.
“I think my music is pop, at the end of the day. It incorporates a lot of styles – jazz, indie, and rock.”
He is signed with 10K Projects for a distribution deal. He is considering releasing an EP this summer.
Miller said he will put out “single after single for a while – until I have a true core fan base.” He describes current fans as “teens to older people.”
Miller is particularly proud of his recent activism. He and Matisyahu performed at MIT in the We Will Dance Again Festival. “It was super cool to meet Idan Raichel – I am a big fan of his music,” notes Miller.
He also performed at a recent ZOA event in Times Square.
“It is cool to be a voice of the youth!”