How a Gangster Rapper Found God

In this inaugural episode of my new podcast, No Reservations, I sit down at our unique table set on the roof of the Dan Family Aish World Center with Nissim Black, an American-Israeli rapper, songwriter, record producer, and podcast host.

Nissim shared his story with me, one that will shake you to your core. The story of a boy who grew up in a house where fried chicken came with a side of cocaine. Where kilos sat on the table, and the FBI raided when he was eight. Where his mother—a pioneering female rapper and the heartbeat of their family—battled addiction until the day she didn't wake up.

The story of a teenager who found faith through a Christian organization, who fell in love with a girl who brought out the person he always wanted to be, and who built an underground hip-hop empire that had MTV on speed dial and record labels fighting for his signature.

But it's also the story of what happened when none of that was enough. When fame felt empty. When success felt hollow. When the big break kept almost happening—and then God would pull it back at the last second.

Nissim didn't just convert to Judaism. He converted his pain into purpose. His music into a mission. His past into a platform that now reaches millions.

He walked away from an HBO deal. A Broadway musical. Record contracts. All of it.
Because he learned something most of us spend our whole lives trying to understand: God doesn't need you to be famous. He needs you to be faithful.

This isn't just Nissim's story. It's a roadmap for anyone who's ever felt stuck between who they are and who they're supposed to be. For anyone who's lost someone they loved. For anyone searching for truth in a world full of noise.

0:00 - Welcome to No Reservations
7:16 - Growing Up in a Drug House: The Reality
8:59 - His Mother: The Social Butterfly & Secret Addict
11:18 - The Night His Mother Didn't Wake Up
17:40 - Finding Prayer Through His Muslim Grandfather
23:06 - Meeting His Wife: The Girl Who Changed Everything
28:57 - From Christianity to Messianic Judaism
33:26 - The Dream at 17: A Black Suit & A Mission
36:49 - The Street Fight That Almost Destroyed Him
48:04 - Discovering Shabbat: The Documentary That Changed His Life
52:46 - "I Ain't Never Seen No Black Jews"
56:55 - Converting to Orthodox Judaism
59:19 - The Double Wedding With His Brother-in-Law
1:05:11 - Walking Away From the Music Industry
1:10:43 - His Wife Tells Him: "You Should Make Music Again"
1:14:09 - Meeting Rabbi Shmuel Brody
1:16:04 - The Hashem Melech Remix That Changed Everything
1:19:31 - HBO, Broadway & Why God Pulled It All Back
1:23:12 - Praying: "Take Away Anything That Doesn't Glorify You"
1:24:09 - October 7th & The Writers Strike
1:25:00 - "I'm Going to Do My Own Story"
1:28:18 - Post-October 7th: Why He Stopped Recording Music
1:31:36 - Kanye West, Candace Owens & Speaking Truth