{{Short description|Israeli musical artist}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Yair Elitzur | background = | image = אלייצור 3.jpg | image_size = | caption = | native_name = יאיר אליצור | native_name_lang = he | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|03|28|df=y}} | birth_place = Rehovot, Israel | death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} | genre = | occupation = Singer and songwriter | instrument = Guitar and piano | associated_acts = | website = | years_active = 2011–present }}
'''Yosef Yair Elitzur''' (Hebrew: יאיר אליצור; born 28 March 1989), known by his stage name '''Yair Elitzur''', is a rapper and singer belonging to the Breslov Hasidic sect.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ערוץ 2000 – חדשות, יהדות ועדכונים שוטפים |url=https://www.tv2000.co.il/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.tv2000.co.il |language=he}}</ref>
== Early life and education == He was born in Rehovot to a nationally religious family of Persian origin. His father, Shlomi, is a musician by profession, and his mother is a kindergarten teacher by profession. He served in the Israel Defense Forces at the Tel Aviv headquarters as a commander Head of the Office of Communications and Intelligence.
When he was between the ages of 15 and 20, he came out and returned to religious life during his military service, following his rabbi, Rabbi Shalom Arush's book, "The Garden of Faith".<ref>{{Cite web |last=גולדפינגר |first=רבקי |title=עניין אישי והפעם עם יאיר אלִיצוּר – אלייצור |url=https://www.inn.co.il/news/654412 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=ערוץ 7 |language=he}}</ref> He has been a member of Breslov Hasidism ever since. He began singing at 14 but has also worked in media, hosting a radio show on Campus Voice and as a field reporter for Channel 10.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-27 |title="כשהופעתי במועדונים בתל אביב לא האמנתי שיום יבוא ואערוך את ספרי הרב ארוש" |url=https://www.hidabroot.org/article/1125364 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.hidabroot.org |language=he}}</ref>
== Style == Elizur sings in classical, rap and hip-hop styles. Following his conversion, he often speaks in his poems about it, the values of Judaism, and the meaning of life, with the aim of encouraging others to do the same. Among his songs, one can find lyrics characteristic of Breslov Hasidism, such as "Loneliness," "Father, I Love You," and similar songs.
==Music career==
At the age of 14, he began his career as a rapper and performed in several clubs. During this time, he joined the band Sesame Street and released the songs "Yona's Wings," "Operation 101," "In Honor of Nevo," "Kohav," and "You'll Be Back".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-04 |title=הראפר עם הפאות המסולסלות |url=https://www.makorrishon.co.il/culture/383363/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=מקור ראשון |language=he-IL}}</ref>
At the age of 15, Elitzur produced the "Happy Days" line, which featured performances by a variety of Israeli rappers, including Fishy the Big, Shay 360, Noa Faran, Nechi Nechi, Tuna, Roy Edri, the Takt Family, Subliminal, which took place at the Gispot and Sublime clubs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-20 |title=יאיר אליצור בסינגל בכורה: "לרוץ אחריך" |url=https://www.hidabroot.org/article/238652 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=www.hidabroot.org |language=he}}</ref> Over the years, he has made notable collaborations with rappers Tuna and Ravid Plotnik, for whom he wrote the song "Ravid." After his conversion, in November 2016 he began recording his debut album, "In Another Place in the World," which was recorded at Sayyata Deshmia Studios. Adapted by Lior Moshe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=שאקי |first=אבנר |title=היפ־הופ של אמונה |url=https://www.inn.co.il/news/539777 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=ערוץ 7 |language=he}}</ref>
In April 2017, Elitzur released the song "Run After You," which became a hit and was covered by many. The song played on Galgalatz and other radio stations, and with the covers, it reached around 13 million views. In 2018, he released four more songs: "Free and Happy," "I Asked Why," "David's Brother," and "Somewhere Else in the World."
In February 2021, he released the song "No Return to the Streets," which became a hit among the ultra-Orthodox religious public and received one million views on YouTube.<ref>{{Cite web |title="לא חוזר לרחובות": הזמר הברסלבאי גרף מעל מיליון צפיות |url=https://actualic.co.il/%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%97%D7%95%D7%96%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%95%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%9C%D7%91%D7%90%D7%99-%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%A3-%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%9C/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=אקטואליק |language=he-IL}}</ref> The clip won fifth place in the "Clip of the Year" category at the Kikar Hashabbat website's "People of the Year in Music 2011" parade. She then released the song "The Keys of the Shackles".<ref>{{Cite web |title= אלו אנשי השנה במוזיקה לשנת תשפ"א|date=22 September 2021 |url=https://www.kikar.co.il/401542.html}}</ref>
In November 2023, he released the song "No Comfort," which deals with the War of the Iron Sword and the return of the abductees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-26 |title=הראפר אלייצור כותב בלב שבור ובגרון חנוק: "אין נחמה" |url=https://www.hidabroot.org/article/1188844 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=www.hidabroot.org |language=he}}</ref> In June 2024, he released the song "Tamid Ohev Oti." Written with his rabbi, Rabbi Shalom Arush, with the words: "May God, blessed be He, always love me, and I will always have only good, and even better, and even better".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-02 |title=How 'Tamid Ohev Oti' became an unlikely Israeli anthem of 2024 |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-831529 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en |issn=0792-822X}}</ref>
The song became a viral phenomenon on the internet. Singers Sasson Ifram Shaulov, Kobi Peretz, and Itzik Dadia released versions of the song, with Shaulov version receiving greater exposure than theirs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=עמית סגל: זו דעתי על השיר "עוד יותר טוב" |url=https://www.srugim.co.il/1071748-%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%A1%D7%92%D7%9C-%D7%96%D7%95-%D7%93%D7%A2%D7%AA%D7%99-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A8-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%93-%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%A8-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%91 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=סרוגים |date=20 December 2024 |language=HE}}</ref> The song won year-end charts on Haredi radio stations and topped the Hitlist, the official Galgalatz chart, and other charts for several weeks. The song has over 29 million views on YouTube. Many rabbis, scholars, and journalists have criticized the poem's worldview.<ref>{{Cite web |last=צמאה |first=בשיתוף |title=מוצאי שבת של צימאון ורוחניות בבנייני האומה בירושלים |url=https://www.inn.co.il/news/585509 |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=ערוץ 7 |language=he}}</ref>
Later that same December, he released the single "Tate T'tahar," the first episode of Eleazar new web series, "Yerushalim 02." The single reached number nine on the official Galgalatz chart, and in January, Elizur released a duet version of the song with Ben Tzur.<ref>{{Cite web |last=מערכת |date=2025-03-04 |title=סיפורי צדיקים: אודיה עם מיני-אלבום חדש ומפתיע |url=https://reganews.co.il/culture/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%97%D7%94-%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%9C/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=רגע NEWS |language=he-IL}}</ref>
== Personal life == Elitzur is married to Leah and they have five daughters. He lives in the Beit Israel neighborhood of Jerusalem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ספרים |first=הרב אברהם סתיו הרב אברהם סתיו הוא ר"מ בישיבת ההסדר מחנים ומחבר |date=2021-08-22 |title=להיזכר שגם אני, באמת־באמת, רוצה להיות צדיק יסוד עולם |url=https://www.makorrishon.co.il/opinion/388747/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=מקור ראשון |language=he-IL}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links== {{commons}}
* [https://youtube.com/channel/UCu3EnsblzJsaLa5cqNxRqeQ?si=mdOphEYWp1xy40G5 Yair Elitzur] on YouTube
{{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Elitzur, Yair}} Category:1989 births Category:21st-century male rappers Category:21st-century Israeli composers Category:21st-century Israeli male singers Category:Living people Category:Israeli male rappers Category:Jewish Israeli rappers Category:Breslov Hasidim Category:Israeli people of Iranian-Jewish descent Category:Baalei teshuva Category:Entertainers from Rehovot Category:21st-century rappers