Kosha Dillz
| Kosha Dillz | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rami Even-Esh |
| Born |
August 26, 1981 Perth Amboy, NJ |
| Genres | Jewish hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
Shemspeed Murs 316 Oy Vey! |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | koshadillzworld.com |
Rami Matan Even-Esh (בעברית: רמי מתן אבן-אש), better known by his stage name Kosha Dillz, is an American rapper.
Even-Esh was born August 26, 1981 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to Israeli immigrant parents and was raised in Edison, NJ, spending summers in Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel. He rhymes in English, Hebrew, and Spanish. A graduate of Rutgers University, he was a member of the wrestling team and studied creative writing, which he has said helped to expand his writing skills. In his youth, he played the trumpet.
He was initially exposed to hip hop at Bar Mitzvah dances, and when he heard the “funky beats in the background” of “old school bike videos” he would watch with his brother.
Even-Esh started rapping at the age of 17. For several years beginning in 1999, he was heavily involved with the freestyle battle rap scene at Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City. Other prominent participants were Mos Def, Immortal Technique and C-Rayz Walz. That same year, he attended an MF Doom concert at The Wetlands, and recalls, "That’s when I knew I loved the underground hip hop scene. That show and Braggin' Rights at Nuyorican Poets Café changed my life for sure."
He originally went by Kosher Dill, saying, "I was Jewish and I wanted something cool." He changed his name to KD Flow when he was in the battle scene because he was "ashamed" of his MC name's Jewish association. After some substance abuse issues and a stint in jail, he became Kosha Dillz, coinciding with a decision to return to his Jewish identity.
Kosha Dillz put out his first 12 inch, "Chainsaw Music," in 2005. In 2006, he appeared alongside Matisyahu on the song "Childhood" off the C-Rayz Walz album The Dropping. Two years later, C-Rayz contacted Kosha about collaborating. They released Freestyle vs. Written, an album on which Kosha rapped written verses, and Walz freestyled.Okayplayer stated that the album contains “witty, irreverent lyrics and candor.”
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