Aviad Cohen is setting a new standard within the music industry, bringing Messiah-centered music to all four corners of the globe through an innovative, explosive, controversial and one-of-a-kind audio experience.
Prior to his current musical endeavors, he was celebrated worldwide as the Jewish Hip-Hop artist 50 Shekel, spotlighted in New York, Q, Maxim’s Blender, The Wall Street Journal and other publications, along with national and international television appearances, including VH1, ESPN2, Germany’s ARTE and Israel’s YES! TV. Esquire magazine awarded him the #1 spot for “Best Jewish Rap Lyrics.” But an encounter with Yeshua changed the course of his life. Now, Aviad masterfully fuses various genres of music and Hollywood-style sound design-driven Scripture readings, exposing listeners to a truly unique style.
Aviad was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and raised in a Conservative Jewish home in New York and New Jersey. Although this musical prodigy only took a few lessons in formal piano training, he always felt drawn to the piano and synthesizer. Raised on classical music, 1980s Synthpop groups and artists such as Duran Duran, Mr. Mister, Genesis, Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel as well as being heavily influenced by Jan Hammer, music composer for the hit television series, Miami Vice, and Hans Zimmer, music composer for numerous films such as Rain Man and Gladiator, Aviad was able to hear a song and play it by ear – without knowing how to cite read. He realizes now that it was a gift from God.
While studying at college, he further developed this talent by scoring award-winning projects for Hofstra University’s Television Department. Aviad was also mentored in Manhattan’s “SoHo” district by the owners and staff composers at the prominent Tomandandy music and sound design production company, whose prestigious clients include Nike, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus, Microsoft, Tommy Hilfiger and Coca Cola. While scoring commercial demos for Miller Life, Motorola and Comedy Central, he also served as Post-Production Supervisor on composer demo reels submitted to top ad agency clients. Aviad was well on his way to a prodigious career.
After graduating from Hofstra University with a B.A. in Communications, and a concentration in film production, he moved to Los Angeles, where he acquired a wide variety of skills. Through numerous freelance assignments, he worked as an assistant to the Production Coordinator and Production Manager on the Warner Bros. Television sitcom, Step By Step. He also served as a Director’s Assistant and Post-Production Supervisor to acclaimed Music Video Director, Diane Martel on Christina Aguilera’s Genie In A Bottle and What A Girl Wants. Other projects included working as an assistant on music video productions for Jermaine Dupri, The Beatnuts, Michael Fredo, All-4-One, Tonic and other music artists and groups featured on MTV.
Aviad also served in front of the camera as an actor on numerous film and television productions, acting with top-billed stars such as Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillippe (Playing By Heart) and Garry Marshall (Never Been Kissed). As an up-and-coming talent in the entertainment industry, he achieved global notoriety when he splashed onto the airwaves as the Jewish Rapper, 50 Shekel with In Da Shul, a parody of 50 Cent’s In Da Club. It became an overnight sensation on the Internet, peaking the interest of established national and international publications, television networks and radio stations.
Among an onslaught of e-mails, Aviad inadvertently overlooked an invitation from the staff at The Howard Stern Show to appear alongside 50 Cent as he was being interviewed as a guest on their show. The idea was to bring on 50 Shekel, dressed up in his Jew-Unit gear and “kosher bling bling,” performing In Da Shul while in the presence of 50 Cent. Even though it was a missed opportunity, coincidentally as time went on, Eminem’s manager, Paul Rosenberg had the DJ play 50 Shekel’s holiday hit “Chanukah Jam” on Eminem’s Shade45 broadcasted on Sirius Radio. It was a humbling experience for Aviad to know that those connected to 50 Cent and G-Unit warmed up to the phenomenon of 50 Shekel. Aviad would come to an understanding of God’s plan of salvation for both Jew and Gentile, in this case for 50 Shekel and 50 Cent.
Based on the influence of key religious rabbis within New York City’s Jewish community, Aviad found himself on the verge of seriously converting to Orthodox Judaism. Several Christian “50 Shekel fans” had begun planting seeds of truth, sharing the Scriptures with Aviad. Waking him on his clock radio, Aviad would listen to sermons talking about Moses and Jesus. God’s Word does not return void and it was coming in loud and clear. Torn between rabbinic Jewish traditions and the possibility of a “real” relationship with God through Yeshua Messiah, Aviad attended a Jews for Jesus ingathering in Pennsylvania. After reading the Bible and learning more about Yeshua, Aviad realized that He is indeed the promised Messiah foretold by the ancient Jewish Prophets. Aviad had to make a decision: to continue as 50 Shekel on a path that would bring continual fame and riches, or follow Yeshua, which would result in being ostracized and persecuted by the Jewish community at large. To be used as God’s vessel, he would have to risk losing everything—friends, his reputation, his career, finances and perhaps even his life.
“During the late 1990s my Jewish grandfather, who escaped from the Treblinka death camp during the Holocaust, planted a very important seed. Out of nowhere, he looked at me and said, ‘Aviad, always tell the truth. Always be honest.’ He never mentioned this to me before but during this brief time we had alone together, it seems rather evident that his statement was a God-led overshadowing of things to come. Once I found out that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah, I had to do just that.”
A few years after Aviad became a follower of the Messiah, he prayed for his grandfather’s salvation alongside his hospital bed the day before he passed away. “Even though he didn’t seem aware of what was going on, and was in excruciating pain, I whispered in his ear that Yeshua is the promised Jewish Messiah. He said to always be honest and tell the truth…so I told the most important truth to him the day before he died.”
According to Jewish tradition, at the age of 13 Aviad was called up to read from the Torah at his synagogue. Sixteen years later, he chose to become a follower of Yeshua. God had now called him to proclaim the Good News to both Jews and Gentiles. Aviad set aside the 50 Shekel persona and began to write lyrics and produce songs that speak about the real thing – the true love of God. No longer a parody music artist, he would have to get through to his current and future audience with a groundbreaking innovative sound and a bold, uncompromising message. He counted the cost. His life was worth more than 50 Shekels. He would embark on a challenging musical journey where he would pick up where Bob Dylan left off. The difference was that Aviad had serious credibility, especially among the Jewish youth and their parents. How could a young man who had become a musical Jewish celebrity become a supposed traitor to the Jewish people? As the religious authorities, counter-missionaries and their spin doctors were making a public spectacle of Aviad’s new faith in the Messiah by, discrediting him, disseminating falsehoods through the press, loose talk and rumors in the Jewish temples, schools and youth groups, it looked as if a court trial was in order. The Jewish community at large had allegorically put him on the stand in front of a jury and now he was called to testify…the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Combining euphoric electronic evangelical dance anthems, lively praise and worship songs expressing his testimony and Scripture readings put to cinematic music and sound design, this would be the start of something revolutionary.
Aviad’s first album, Hooked on the Truth, is an energetic Synthpop style testimony-driven album. It was a daring move – especially for a new Jewish believer. DJs began to play it on radio airwaves and it began to circulate in rotation on Internet radio stations. Audiences were drawn by the beats, but their lives were touched by the message.
After the release of Hooked On The Truth, Aviad was invited to appear on Sid Roth’s television program, “It’s Supernatural,” and personally invited by Carman to be interviewed on TBN’s “Praise The Lord.” Tour engagements followed, leading to a cooperative effort with Joffi Denmark, who arranged a 17-event music ministry tour for Aviad to share at Christian boarding schools throughout Denmark. “I was the first Jew that the majority of the youth had ever met, let alone a fellow brother in Yeshua. Most of them never even heard the name ‘Yeshua’ and some were not as aware of His connection with the Jewish people. God moved during those concerts. When we all joyfully shouted the name of Yeshua in unison, I felt that God was bridging a connection between the greater Body of Messiah with their Jewish brothers and sisters, inspiring them to pray for the salvation of Israel and to be His hands and feet when visiting The Land. I was blessed to be a part of the work that God is doing in that country and by the work God was doing in my heart, giving me a hunger to share The Good News, as well as equipping believers as how to share the truth with Jewish people.
Fire Starter, Aviad’ second album, takes the message of salvation to a deeper level, challenging believers to “get on fire for God” and to go out and proclaim the Good News; that God is with them, and to be a light in a fallen world. Aviad felt led to collaborate with other like-minded music artists. He featured evangelical Holy Hip Hop rap artist and lyricist, Mahogany Jones, on the explosive hit, Fire Starter. Sharon and Joel Wilbur performed on the Synthpop driven Yeshua On The Radio song.
On his third recent release, Forgiven, Aviad incorporates the Word of God into songs and Scripture readings. The album opens up with the ever-controversial Isaiah 53 Scripture reading, which sounds like Aviad is speaking Scripture in a space ship that ends up blasting off into outer space. The lyrics to Good News To Mission Control incorporates passages from Isaiah 53, as does the lead song Forgiven that borrows from the words of Paul (sent by Yeshua) in the book of Galatians. The Scripture readings on the album incorporate passages of The New Covenant, where Yeshua mentions Moses and The Prophets to His fellow Jews in Jerusalem. This album makes it clear that Yeshua has a lot more to do with Torah and Israel rather than Christmas Trees and Easter Eggs. Yehovah’s Only Son opens up with John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
With his fourth and latest release, Scripturesonic Vol. 1 The Good News, the Holy Scriptures come alive in this new and exciting cinematic sonic endeavor. Aviad Cohen fuses Scripture narration with cinematic music and sound design as a means to share The Good News in an innovative musical method. This latest album is dedicated to just featuring the Word of God.
“As I’m singing any song from my albums, you will always hear Yeshua Messiah mentioned. For the first 29 years of my life, nobody ever told me that Yeshua is my personal Messiah. With the talent and tools He has blessed me with, along with the help of those who support this music ministry, Yeshua’s message is coming through. The sound of truth is being proclaimed and heard."
