Believers (ビリーバーズ, Biriibaazu^?) is a Japanese seinen manga by Naoki Yamamoto and is his first weekly serial manga created entirely without the help of any assistants.Believers was first serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits between May and November 1999 and is published in two tankōbon by Shogakukan. The plot to Believers revolves around themes of sexual desire and the line between dreams and reality. While Believers contains many scenes of graphic sexuality, the sex and nudity is used intellectually and not merely as fan service.

"Believers" is the word for members of the "Smiley Face Center", a cult organization with the goal of achieving purity of self and reaching "the land of comfort". Believers follows the events of three such people that have been left stranded on a deserted island off the coast of Japan. The three "believers" are referred to only by their rank and they practice various activities in an effort to purge their bodies from the perceived evils that society has subjected them to, such as lust and possession. But the "believers" are not able to resist their past temptations so easily, and the faith in their "organization" gradually weakens as the "believers" begin to question what is right and eventually what is even real.

Nathan Issac Zand (born December 11, 1981), also known as Nosson Zand or NIZ, is an American Chasidic rapper from Boston, Massachussets.

Zand was born in BrooklineBoston, on December 11, 1981, which by the Jewish calendar corresponds to the 15th of Kislev 5742 (Kislev is the third month of the Jewish calendar. His sign corresponds to Sagitarius). He is best known by its acronym NIZ or his Chasidic name version Nosson.

Growing up in Brookline, he went to Brookline High School, where he took trumpet lessons and was exposed to rap by a friend of from the projects. They spent their school days rapping in the halls, on the street, at parties, talent shows and open mic events. His first show was at the House of Blues in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He then entered Clark University where he studied French language and U.S. history.

He performed on campus with Toots and the Maytals^{[citation needed]}, Heather B, The LastPoets^{[citation needed]} and multiple solo gigs. Upon graduating, he went to live and work in France where he worked as an English teacher. In France he met some Hasidic Jews from the Chabad movement, and liked their way of life. He then started a new style which he called "Chasidic rap", in which he aimed to present lyrics with a positive message. He performed at night clubs and other venues throughout France^{[citation needed]}. In 2004 he returned to Boston, where he worked odd jobs and played gigs in Boston, New York, Florida and Texas. In a chance encounter in Boston he met Matisyahu and rapped for him on the^{[citation needed]}. Matisyahu then asked Nosson to perform with him on Avalon, California and in South Paw in Brooklyn, NY.