Oak Park’s Jacob Plante Creates Jewish Hip-Hop for All Ages | Culture

“When people ask me to describe my sound, I say Beastie Boys meets Run DMC meets Adam Sandler.” 

Farber Day School substitute teacher and adjunct university professor Jacob Plante has a diverse career that goes well beyond academics.

As a comedian and creator of self-described “family-friendly hip-hop” with a Jewish edge, the local artist is the mastermind behind cleverly named tracks like “The Kosher Pepperoni” and “The Real Gefilte Fish.”

“When people ask me to describe my sound, I say Beastie Boys meets Run DMC meets Adam Sandler,” Plante says.

Fans of the unique twist of Jewish hip-hop and comedy can catch Plante live this summer on his inaugural Matzo Ball Tour, which plans to stop in Royal Oak, Oak Park, Detroit and Bay City. Venues will be announced in the coming weeks on Plante’s website, jdplante.com.

Discovering Judaism

The artist, who is based in Oak Park and affiliated with Congregation Dovid Ben Nuchim, discovered his passion for Judaism in a non-traditional way.

Born and baptized Catholic, Plante underwent a spiritual quest in his 20s for a religion that resonated with his values.

Attending services at a local synagogue in his hometown, Plante developed a curiosity for Judaism that soon blossomed into a love for the ancient religion and culture.

“I fell in love with the Torah,” says Plante, who is originally from Midland.

Over the years, Plante converted to Reform Judaism and is now working on his candidacy status for Orthodox conversion, a journey that’s influenced his creative style.

“Judaism was an approach that made sense to me,” he explains.

Blending Comedy with Hip-Hop

However, Plante’s passion to create stems from his childhood. As a longtime fan of Jewish comedian Andy Kaufman, he describes himself as the class clown and goofball.

“In eighth grade, we made mock resumes in my computer class for what we wanted to do when we grew up,” he recalls.

While most students created resumes for doctors and lawyers, Plante created a mock resume for a stand-up comedian, which would one day become his reality.

After moving to Detroit to live with his siblings after high school, Plante immediately hit the local comedy circuit and began performing in and around the city.

“Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle was my home away from home,” he says.

By blending his love for comedy with his experience in writing lyrics and playing guitar, Plante steadily created a niche for himself in hip-hop music with a comedic edge.

Nowadays, Plante finds inspiration in his 13-year-old son and surrounding Jewish community. In fact, Plante’s son made all of the beats and mixed the music for the Kosher Dilly album released this year, while Plante himself did lyrics and vocals.

He also finds inspiration in Jewish singer and rapper Matisyahu, who has recently been at the heart of anti-Israel protests and several canceled shows.

“Every track is diverse,” Plante says of his music. “I’m very passionate about Judaism, and I enjoy being able to follow my creativity and my passions.”

Discovering His Voice

In addition to music and comedy, Plante is also a skilled writer and has published several works of poetry and short stories available for sale on Amazon.

He holds a master of science in marketing from Yeshiva University and a master of fine arts in creative writing and is working on a master of arts in Jewish Studies from Spertus University.

His published works cover Judaism, family dynamics, the COVID-19 pandemic and the experience of having a midlife crisis. As an avid reader, Plante enjoys the works of David Sedaris and classics such as Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

Outside of work, Plante spends his time playing video games and soccer with his son. Yet for now, he’s thrilled to bring his Matzo Ball Tour to Metro Detroit this summer.

“I’m finding my voice,” he says of his unique style. “I’m exploring and having fun.”