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Event
Kosha Dillz, The Clumzys, NRG TRIBE, Sleepy at The Domino Room
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.[1] He rhymes in English, Hebrew, and Spanish.[2] A graduate of Rutgers University, he was a member of the wrestling team[3] and studied creative writing, which he has said helped to expand his writing skills.[4] In his youth, he played the trumpet.[4]
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.[5]
Career[edit]
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.[6] That same year, he attended an MF Doom concert at The Wetlands, and recalls, "Thats when I knew I loved the underground hip hop scene. That show and Braggin' Rights at Nuyorican Poets Café changed my life for sure."[4]
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.[6]
Kosha Dillz put out his first 12 inch, "Chainsaw Music," in 2005.[5] 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.[7] Okayplayer stated that the album contains witty, irreverent lyrics and candor.[8]
2009 saw the release of his debut solo LP, Beverly Dillz, recorded in Beverly Hills with local producer Belief.[3] A lot of the LP was written "in socks on a couch."[9] Okayplayer called the album an interesting mix of danceable tracks and powerful rhyming and "at times wildly original and entertaining."[10]
Since 2011, he has been at work on a documentary, Kosha Dillz Is Everywhere, about his life as an Israeli-American Jewish hip hop artist.[11] Along with Snoop Dogg and Drake, Kosha has a playable character in the basketball video game NBA 2K11.[12] His song "Cellular Phone" was featured in a Bud Light commercial that debuted in 2012 during Super Bowl XLVI.[13][14]
In 2013, Kosha's second solo album, Awkward In a Good Way, was released on Murs' label, Murs 316. Murs and producer Belief assisted in shaping the feel of the album.[15]
What I Do All Day And Pickle was released on July 15, 2016 on Oy Vey!, led by the single "Dodging Bullets" featuring reggae artist Matisyahu.[16] The video for "Dodging Bullets" premiered on Billboard on June 28, 2016.[17] What I Do All Day And Pickle peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, number 42 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and number 50 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.[18]
Performances[edit]
Kosha has toured and performed with a variety of artists, including Ghostface Killah, Snoop Dogg, Matisyahu, Cage the Elephant, C-Rayz Walz, Yak Ballz and Aesop Rock.[3][19] He won the 2009 Hot 97 "Summer Jam" Rap Battle at Giants Stadium.[20] He performed at Sundance in 2009[19] and South By Southwest in 2010.[6] He performed in 2011 on the Yo Gabba Gabba! Live tour.[21] He hosted official showcases at South By Southwest in 2015, 2016 and 2017, called Kosha Dillz Presents: Oy Vey.[22][23][24]
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LocationThe Domino Room (View)
51 Nw Greenwood
Bend, OR 97703
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: Yes! |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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