Nissim Black (1986- )

July 23, 2020 
/ Contributed By: Samuel Momodu

|Nissim Black

Nissim Black

Courtesy Yaminhashem (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Nissim Baruch Black, formerly known as D. Black, is an African American Jewish rapper who now lives in Israel. Nissim, whose real name is Damian Jamohl Black, was born on December 9, 1986 to James “Captain” Church Croone and Mia Black in Seattle, Washington. Nissim’s parents were rappers in the late 1970s who belonged to the rap groups Emerald Street Boys and Emerald Street Girls, respectively. His grandparents were also musicians who played alongside Ray Charles and Quincy Jones in Seattle.

Nissim grew up in the Seward Park neighborhood of Seattle. He was raised a Sunni Muslim but was non-practicing. His parents separated when he was two years old and his mother took custody of him. She remarried but his stepfather was a drug user and dealer who sold drugs from their home. In 1995, the FBI raided their house, which resulted in his mother’s arrest when he was nine. Nissim’s mother died from a drug overdose in 2005 she was thirty-seven years old.

Nissim started rapping when he was thirteen under the name Danger. Vitamin D, a Seattle rap producer, worked with him and produced his first recordings. When he was fourteen years old, Nissim joined the Christian faith after attending an Evangelical summer camp. In 2002, Danger released a split vinyl between Black and Last Men Standing on Sportin Life Records. The following year, he appeared on Sportin Life Records’ compilation album along with the rap group, Old Minion. In 2004, Nissim became co-CEO of Sportin Life along with his stepfather Deveon Manier. While co-CEO, Nissim released a number of singles including “You Need a Thug” and “This is Way.” In 2005, Nissim released his first mixtape on the Sportin Life label titled “Behind the Dirt.” Two years later in 2007, he released his debut album, The Cause and Effect. The album, however, did not get much attention, selling only 4,500 copies.

In 2009, Nissim released his second album, Ali’yah, which received mixed-to-positive reviews. After the album’s release, Nissim retired from music in 2011 following the release of an EP called “The Blackest Brown.” In 2012, Nissim made his return to music when he appeared on a rap single with the Israeli rap rock band group, Shtar. The single, called “Rabbit Hole,” was on their album, Boss Ep. In 2013, Nissim released a mixtape called “Miracle Music” and later that year he released his third album, Nissim. In 2016, Nissim and his family made Aliyah, which means the immigration of Jews to Israel.

In 2017, Nissim released his fourth album called Lemala, followed the next year by his fifth album, Gibor. Nissim is married to Adina Black and the couple have six children together. In July 2020, Nissim tested positive for COVID-19, the Coronavirus in Jerusalem, Israel.

About the Author

Author Profile

Samuel Momodu, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, received his Associate of Arts Degree in History from Nashville State Community College in December 2014 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Tennessee State University in May 2016. He received his Master of Arts Degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University in June 2019.

Momodu’s main areas of research interest are African and African American History. His passion for learning Black history led him to contribute numerous entries to BlackPast.org for the last few years. Momodu has also worked as a history tour guide at President Andrew Jackson’s plantation home near Nashville, the Hermitage. He is currently an instructor at Tennessee State University. His passion for history has also helped him continue his education. In 2024, he received his Ph.D. in History from Liberty University, writing a dissertation titled The Protestant Vatican: Black Churches Involvement in the Nashville Civil Rights Movement 1865-1972. He hopes to use his Ph.D. degree to become a university professor or professional historian.

CITE THIS ENTRY IN APA FORMAT:

Momodu, S. (2020, July 23). Nissim Black (1986- ). BlackPast.org. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/nissim-black-1986/

Source of the Author's Information:

“Nissim,” Nissim Official website, https://www.nissimofficial.com/; “Nissim,” The Times of Israel, https://www.timesofisrael.com/orthodox-rapper-nissim-black-reintroduces-himself-to-the-world/; “Nissim,” Tablet, https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/nissim-orthodox-hip-hop.

Further Reading