Rap, reggae, and Orthodox Judaism may seem like strange bedfellows, but somehow Matisyahu has made this unusual combination work, topping charts and garnering Grammy nominations during his decade-long career. The artist who once sported ringlet sideburns and a long beard in keeping with Hasidic traditions is now clean-shaven with cropped, graying hair – a striking physical transformation that hints at some of the changes that have happened on a much deeper level.

Matisyahu's most recent album, Akeda, tackles some of these weighty themes, including relationships, parenthood, spirituality, and self-acceptance. Having separated from his devout following of Orthodox Judaism a few years ago, he draws on universal themes in his songwriting while still observing some of the religious principles that resonated with him.

"The Akeda record centers around a lot of things like getting out of the relationship I'd been in for almost 10 years, and the process of leaving behind the religious identity I'd had for so long and was such a strong part of who I was," Matisyahu tells Yahoo Music. "So there was a lot of release and freedom and heartbreak and pain dealing with those things."

The 35-year-old singer, born Matthew Paul Miller, finds that some of the tenets of Judaism help him greatly in the craft of songwriting. "[I observe] the spiritual practices I've learned through Judaism and eating macrobiotic and [doing] yoga," he says. "When you get your body to a certain place, the mind and everything else start to follow. I do meditation and prayer. I try to get myself into a zone and get elevated so I can get into the depths [of songwriting]."

Although many things have changed in his life, Matisyahu still looks forward to something he has made into an annual tradition – the Festival of Light Tour. The tour – now in its eighth year – kicks off December 15 and celebrates Hanukkah. It has become a fan favorite and the shows usually feature hits spanning Matisyahu's career as well as a few Hanukkah songs thrown in for good measure.

While Matisyahu is quick to point out that he continues to draw on tools and practices of Hasidic Judaism, there are still some fans who feel disappointed or betrayed by his actions. This is something that the singer tries not to let get under his skin. "The life of an artist or a person who's growing or evolving involves change," he says matter-of-factly. "Change is important. A lot of religious people [who are] tied to an ideology don't necessarily understand the benefit of change or evolution. There's a certain close-mindedness that tends to come from people who are judgmental."

Adding that he finds it strange when people feel betrayed by someone else's life choices, he says, "I never came into this to teach people lessons. Yes, I want to make people feel better with my music, but not to make people feel better about being religious or Jewish. It's to outlet my own feelings and ideas into music and I hope that more people will get strength from it."