Static in an interview for the "Culture Committee" podcast (Photography: Reuven Castro, director: Nitai Barry, sound: Ilan Levy, lighting: Yossi Adiges, production: Hagit Barak and Shay Verker, editing: Yardana Aboudi Fox)
If you ask Statik when he finally realized that he and Ben El were about to break up the musical partnership, he will point to one meeting that took place at Ben El's house.
"It was a meeting about our strategy regarding a career in the United States," he tells Walla!'s 'Cultural Committee' podcast.
culture.
"There were a lot of internal disputes between us that made everyone realize that it was close. Everyone knew that it was deteriorating to the point where it could no longer be fixed. It wasn't in harsh tones or shouting, but simply that the frequencies in the room were so different from each other, as if people were talking about other things and see the world completely differently.
"After this meeting, Ben El's recordings were published (in which he is heard cursing his ex-wife Ortal Amr and hurling harsh words at her and their shared son - N.Y.). He was very hurt by it on a personal level. Then came the message he sent me and also became famous in the film (in which Tabori wrote that he was leaving for the US and was breaking up their partnership - N.Y.) As soon as this message arrived,
If this message had not been sent and if Ben El's shocking recordings had not been revealed, could you still be together?
"I don't like to play 'what if', but maybe. Maybe it was still on the way to the end, I don't know. I do know that Ben Al's talk surprised me but not my team. He led the talk about breaking up a lot Before that. Yes, something had exhausted itself. He didn't just feel comfortable sending me such a message. He was simply the real man among us who decided to send this message."
Up here you can watch the podcast, and down here you can listen to it.
Also possible on Spotify.
Listen here to the podcast - the full interview with Static:
Statik, who went through a difficult year during which he both separated from his musical partner of the past seven years Ben El Tabori and divorced his wife Sharit Pollak, recently released his first solo album - "Liraz".
Now, after releasing his revealing and beautiful album and going long months without performing, Statik is expected to appear on the stage of Menorah Mivathim Hall on April 3rd.
In an interview for the podcast, Statik talks about the early signs of a rift between him and Ben El Tabori, about the dramatic meeting where he realized there was no escape from breaking up the duo, about the crisis following the divorce from his wife - and his decision not to talk about politics for the time being.
Here are the highlights of the conversation.
You can hear the whole thing above or watch it.
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Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"I imagine my managers telling me, 'Come on, come on.'
On the expected performance at Menorah Mitvatim Hall:
"I'm crazy excited about it. It's stressful but also in a positive way. I feel like there was a process of creation of some new static and it's like its last stage. Why specifically Menorah? Because it was important to me that for the first time I was seen and heard Performing my new songs or my songs with Ben El, it will be under my supervision, meaning it won't be at some wedding in Kneam for the first time. I wanted it to look the way I wanted it to look."
Can you imagine the moment when you go on stage and Ben El is not standing next to you?
"Every night when I go to sleep I imagine the beginning of Menorah, the first song in the concert."
And what do you see?
"In my imagination, it looks like a rocket. I also experience the pressure. I imagine my managers telling me, 'Come on, come on.' So be it. It's a pleasant feeling, it's a pleasant pressure, a pressure I enjoy."
Who is going to sing Ben El's parts in the joint songs?
"In almost all the songs it will be me. There will of course be guest appearances, but not necessarily in Static and Ben El's songs. It's not that I replaced Ben El with other singers."
About the debut album "Liraz":
"There was a lot of work of learning lessons, because in order to build something new you have to break the old, and that's what happened there. Like in the apprenticeships, where you are first broken and abused mentally and then when you are raw material they shape you however they want. This is a bit of what I did to myself musically and mentally during of the album. I crushed myself. The song 'Liraz' opens the album in a very critical and aggressive way towards me. It crushes me. From there I start to build something new."
How did your fellow rappers receive the album?
"From what I've seen, in a hug. I'll always have a bit of rap in me and something that you don't think is rap. Hardcore rap in Israel is not that successful. And those who are successful in Israel - like Tuna and Ravid Plotnik - are usually people who have found some sub-niche within rap. I believe that hip-hop is It's not Israeli culture and he has to adapt to work here. It's not just Tuna and Rabid filling lamps. World pop doesn't work here either. If someone tried to be Ariana Grande here, it wouldn't work here, but when it got the semi-Mediterranean twist with Local touches, so it works. I'll never really be a pop singer and I don't think I'll ever be the best rapper I can be."
How scared are you to start a career alone?
"The scariest thing there is, because I don't know anything else. I've never actually been alone, even when I was in a band at the age of 15 when I performed with two other rappers. Even when I released 'Ba La La Larka', it was with Gal Malka and we performed together, so I don't I know it. I'm very experienced and I've been on many stages, but even so I don't have that ability yet. I'm learning a new thing, and it's scary. There's no homework on how to do it, it's just trial and error. It's just recruiting the right team, working It's hard to pray a little."
A lot of lessons learned.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"I don't think Ben Al and I presented an exaggerated friendship. You wouldn't see stories of me and him sitting at each other's houses all day, or going out together. It was felt. People knew the truth, especially people who saw us work. They knew we weren't that close."
A year and a half ago I interviewed you and Ben El and asked you where you see yourselves in another decade.
You said to me, 'I wish we could both be together and make good music.'
With a hand on your heart, did you really believe what you said or did you deep down fear that this split could happen?
"I always feared that this split could happen. You didn't ask me then what I believe will happen, but what I wish would happen. With my hand on my heart, this is what I wished for us to happen. I wish it would have continued like this. To this day I say it. I do not regret Statik and Ben Al, I have no regrets, everything happened exactly as it should have happened and if it were possible to have many more good and beautiful years - then I would have chosen it, but that is unfortunately not the case. On the other hand, today, when I am already in hindsight, after the crises that happened, I say to myself, 'Okay, it's not the worst that could have happened. You can still live like this,' but then? Surely that's what I'd prefer."
Have you sometimes felt that you are hiding your fights from the environment and the media?
"On the one hand, yes, because I knew what everyone was thinking. On the other hand, no, because I don't think we showed excessive friendship. You wouldn't see stories of me and Ben Al sitting at each other's houses all day, or going out together. It was felt. People knew the truth , mainly people who saw us working. They knew we weren't that close."
I don't think the general public knew that a rift had opened between you.
"True, because a lot of it is interpersonal stuff. Maybe because people didn't suspect that there was such a thing, they didn't see it, but anyone who sat on Instagram for a while would find out on their own and would see that we weren't together. We were only together at work and outside From that, my life and his were disconnected."
How did you feel when you saw yourself in the movie?
"Difficult. Revealing the message was not difficult for me, but it was difficult to watch the film. I would not watch this film for fun."
Were you in doubt whether to display the personal message from Ben Al?
"I don't think it's a personal message in which he wrote something that hurts him. It's not his conversation about his child or anything like that. What I had to do overall, and it was critical, was to change the narrative. While I didn't respond to the stories, all kinds of Theories related to me. One of the theories is that I left Ben El. This was the popular opinion in Israel. That I dumped him just when he was having a hard time. That was not the truth. It was important to me that they know 'guys, I didn't dump anyone'. This is a choice he made and I I accepted it. That's the truth. I'm in favor of being judged for what I'm guilty of, but not for what I'm not."
Everyone thought I left Ben El.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"The story of Ben Al congratulating me on the occasion of the release of the album moved me very much. I didn't see it coming. I think he expected something much worse and realized that no one was trying to harm him at all. He was very afraid of the build-up, and it moved me, but we didn't talk word since"
Have you ever made musical compromises with Ben El?
"No, I enjoyed every moment of creating with this man. I had fun with him, and I think we did amazing things together and I love them and him to this day. I wouldn't be against a session with Ben El."
Walla?
"Yes".
What about the career abroad?
"As of today, I am still part of Haim Saban's company and I am still considering what I do and what I want to do."
Can we guess that you lost quite a bit of money following the separation from Ben El?
"Of course, unequivocally.
I haven't appeared in a long time either.
Until Menorah it will be seven months without performances."
Concerts that were canceled, campaigns that were dropped. That's a lot of money.
"That's right, there is a financial part here.
Sure."
Do you have some kind of agreement with Ben El that states that he or you are not allowed to sing certain songs?
"No. We're 50-50 on most things. I'd like to hope it's mutual, but I don't think anyone will ever put a foot on someone with what they can perform. Static and Ben El is a creation of both of us and it doesn't really matter who wrote what. I'm in favor May we both succeed as much as we can."
You released the album two weeks ago and Ben El also blessed you with a story, was there a continuation of that?
"The story moved me very much. I didn't see it coming. I think he expected something much worse and realized that no one was trying to harm him at all. He was very afraid of the build-up, and it moved me, but we haven't spoken a word since."
Have any of you tried to get in touch?
"No".
Why?
"I didn't try because he feels inaccessible to me. And he didn't try, I guess because he's not interested."
Ben Al's story moved me very much.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"Many times I had anxiety. It once happened to me in the middle of a shooting day for 'The Next Star'. In the middle of someone singing his song, I got up and left without saying anything. I realized that I was going to lose consciousness if I stayed there. There was drama, but ten minutes after that I returned"
On the anxiety attacks from which he suffered:
"I feel it coming and know how to control it because I have the tools. The body goes into a state that says 'there is danger.' People experience it to different degrees. Some people experience it harder than me. I avoid pills, but I have tools. My psychologist tells me that the solution is in my head. This is true for me and it sure doesn't work for everyone."
Is your work damaged or donated during times of anxiety?
"I was hurt. My ability to work was affected. I was often anxious. It once happened to me in the middle of a shooting day for 'The Next Star'. In the middle of someone singing his song, I got up and left without saying anything. I realized that I was going to lose consciousness if I stayed there. There was drama, but ten minutes after that I came back. There is also a moment in the film when I break down in tears and then immediately after that I come to my senses and put on my make-up. It's like a machine. It says a lot about this profession, that you are as if in your most intimate moment you crash, within a minute you have to Return".
Is advertising difficult for you sometimes?
"I don't allow myself to say that word, it sounds ungrateful to me. Not everything is easy about it, but it's not hard for me. It's not that I'm suffering. I don't get up in the morning and say, 'Wow, how hard it is to be me.' There are many people who have it hard To be them. But yes, it's not easy because it has consequences."
Lots of selfies for sure.
"I enjoy it. I have no problem at all. I love it to excess. I was just at a partner's event, and I believe I took about 800 photos there."
Enjoying the selfies.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"It must be said to Sarit's credit that she believed in me from the first moment and did not doubt me. She did not make me feel that there was any problem, so I was very comfortable with her. There were moments of crisis. There was a moment when we were in Berlin and I cried on her shoulder because it is hard when you are attacked like this and you don't have the ability to protect yourself"
On life with Sarit Polk while Madina Shlomo is spreading a rumor that he cheated on her:
"To Sarit's credit she believed in me from the first moment and did not doubt me. She didn't make me feel that there was any problem, so I was very comfortable with her. There were moments of crisis. There was a moment that we were in Berlin and I cried on her shoulder because it's hard when you're attacked like that and you don't have the ability to defend yourself. I'm a sensitive person. I'm half machine but also half human."
And this is precisely where the difficulty of being a famous person lies.
that everyone writes and refers to it.
"This is how my life unfolded and I don't like to sit and write about it and complain about it. I said at the end of the film that I think I deserve it. Everyone gets what they deserve. I accept the story of my life and I no longer look at what happened and how much I was judged and how much I was told , but what will happen and how do I change myself for the better."
How is single life?
are you on apps
"I don't have a single life at all, bro."
No dates?
"Nothing, nothing, nothing."
because you don't want to?
Because you're rehearsing for Menorah?
"No, I don't have it in mind. I don't even know how to approach it. I don't have a game. I've been in long-term relationships for so many years, I don't know how to handle the situation. I feel that I'm also attracting things that I don't want, and I feel that I'm still on the rebound. I don't want to catch the rebound, I want to run all over the court."
I don't have a single life.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
You've always made it clear that you're not protesting in your music, and your solo album doesn't have any political protest either.
In light of the events of the last period, is there a chance that you will change your mind and talk about the situation?
"First of all, it could be. I'm never fooled. I didn't deal much with politics. I feel that today politics is much more topical even for people who don't normally deal with politics. Today it touches every home. Today you can't escape it. It's everywhere . So maybe something will change and maybe not. I think I'm short of being a leader of a political opinion. I feel that the power given to me is to make people smile. I don't think I'm the right person to convince people to change their political opinion. That's not my vocation today, so I avoid talking and writing about it ".
But do you have an opinion about what is happening in Israel?
"Of course I have. If I feel that speaking is my only way for something to happen here, then I will speak. Right now I feel that there are better people than me who are involved in this."
Were you surprised that Ravid Plotnik took sides and supported the protesters against the legal revolution?
"No. He needed enough water. It wasn't just that he was procrastinating. He was debating what exactly to write, and that's perfectly fine. I'm not there yet and maybe I'm waiting for water to reach me. It's hard to predict the future. Right now I'm still avoiding it."
So we won't see you at the demonstrations right now?
"I don't think so. Demonstrations are not for me."
Avoid talking about politics.
Static (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"My album is a breakthrough in its field. You can't compare it to any other album. It doesn't sound like another album, there is no other rapper in his genre who sits on the same slot. If you put me next to Tona or Ravid, you won't find a correlation other than that that it's rap. That's why I think he's groundbreaking"
Aren't you afraid that a little less people will be able to connect with you like they were able to connect with Static and Ben El?
I mean, will you be another one of the existing coaches?
After all, Static and Ben El was a trailblazer, which led many to connect with it.
"Static and Ben El was groundbreaking and when it started there was nothing that sounded like it. Over the years, artists were added who sounded like it. At some point it was one of many. My album is groundbreaking in its field. You cannot compare it to any other album. It is not Sounds like a different album, there is no other rapper of his genre, who sits on the same slot. If you put me next to Tuna or Ravid, you won't find a correlation except that it's rap. That's why I think he's groundbreaking. I think over the years he won't be out An exception and then we'll have to invent a new version of Static."
Do you read reviews written about you?
If so, which review of the album made you the happiest?
"I read reviews and I also read talkbacks. I read everything. It interests me. I believe that this is part of my connection to the audience. Many times critics write substantive things that interest me and that I didn't even catch. There are those who just want to bash, but if they tell me 'the production here is poor ', so it interests me. To your question, I was most pleased that they wrote that it was nice to hear me alone and that no one was missing. It moved me. A year ago they thought I couldn't sing and now it's a step in the right direction."
How was the last song on the album born - "Dance"?
"It was written the day I got divorced. I came back from the rabbinate very sad. I didn't have a muse to write. I was sitting with Itay Shimoni and the word 'Machul' came to mind. I said I wanted to talk about the criticism without criticizing it. I felt that the best way to do it was to put You're all behind me. The only way I could really come to terms with what happened to me was to say I forgive everything.
"Yes, but really. With a whole heart. Today I truly forgive everything. I don't hold a grudge against anyone involved in anything."
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