| The Shadow | |
| Birth Name: | Yoav Eliasi |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Date: | November 22, 1977 |
| Origin: | Safed, Israel |
| Years Active: | 1994–present |
| Label: | Unicell |
| Associated Acts: | TACT Family, Subliminal, Joe Budden, Miri Ben-Ari |
Yoav Eliasi (Hebrew: יואב אליאסי; born November 22, 1977), commonly known by his stage name The Shadow (Hebrew: הצל|link=nono, Ha-Tzel), is an Israeli rapper, blogger, and right-wing political activist. He was part of the roster of artists on the label TACT Records.
According to Haaretz, "His amped up nationalistic message and his glorification of common soldiers — and this, along with his vitriolic rants against the left and the mainstream media, not to mention against the Arabs, garnered him a massive following, relative to this small country."[1]
Yoav Eliasi was born in Safed, Israel. His parents are of both Ashkenazi Jewish (Romanian-Jewish) and Mizrahi Jewish (Persian-Jewish) descent.[2] His family relocated to Tel Aviv two years later. By his teenage years he had formed a deep bond with Kobi "Subliminal" Shimoni, and the two began performing together at hip-hop shows.
After finishing his mandatory military service in the IDF, he decided to stay on. This is where his rap name allegedly derives from. The official TACT Records profile says that Yoav Eliasi was in an elite undercover unit where he could not show his face, though in an interview with Yehoram Gaon on Channel 1, Eliasi claims that he was a M'faked Mishma'at ("Discipline Officer").
In July 2014, Eliasi was a central organiser of a right-wing confrontation on a demonstration by Israeli left-wing anti-war protesters opposing Operation Protective Edge against Gaza.[3] [4] An editorial in the left-leaning Haaretz described him as "the dangerous product of incessant incitement by extreme right-wing elements."[5] [6]
Ha'Tzel has worked with Israel house duo "Knob" on a re-work of Haddaway's song "What Is Love".[7]