One stormy night last month, Rami Even-Esh was spitting bars outside a Knicks game — umbrella in one hand and microphone in the other — when Fat Joe walked by and grabbed the mike. A video of the duo rapping a verse from Big L’s “The Enemy”The video went viral on TikTok and Fat Joe invited Even-Esh, better known by his rap alias KoshaDillz, to perform freestyles in front of a sell-out crowd in Denver.
Despite containing all the signs of manufactured virality, Even-Esh’s Denver appearance was completely unplanned… well, as far as Fat Joe knew. He heard the news. “What’s Luv?”Even-Esh, who was just days away from their New York City encounter, bought a ticket and flew to Colorado. He hoped Fat Joe would see him.
“In the back of my mind I’m hoping, ‘What if Fat Joe shuts the whole concert down and invites me on stage?’” Even-Esh says.
It’s not the first time he’s willed something into existence. Even-Esh lives by that catchphrase “We outside ‘til we inside,”A mission statement to knock on doors until someone opens them.
“I’m rapping outside Madison Square Garden during halftime, and my goal is to play halftime,”He said. “I rapped outside Coachella, and then I was a guest at Coachella in 2019. I rapped outside Bottlerock Festival, then I got booked for a side stage inside Bottlerock this year.”
Kosha Dillz is much more than just a viral video — and his hustle extends far beyond “rainstorm rapper,”He is known as Fat Joe on hip-hop websites like The Shade Room. He’s been rapping for 20 years, hardened by the same freestyle battle rap scene that birthed Mos Def, Immortal Technique and C-Rayz Walz. Even-Esh started out as Kosher Dill in 2000. Soon, he adopted the name KD Flow and buried his Jewish roots to make it more mainstream.
“I’ve been booed and humiliated many times,”He readily admits it.
Interrupted by two stints behind bars for drug distribution, Even-Esh’s career has not always been a smooth journey. After spending time in prison and becoming sober, he found his spirituality again and was able to create Kosha Daillz. He released his first album. “Beverly Dillz”In 2009, he was able to play as a character in the basketball game NBA 2K11 with Snoop Dogg, Drake, and one year later.
In 2012, Even-Esh’s song “Cellular Phone”He was featured in a Bud Light Super Bowl ad and on his 2016 album. “What I Do All Day and Pickle” charted on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop, Heatseekers and Independent Albums charts. Throughout his career, he’s played shows with J. Cole, Macklemore and Matisyahu, and he’s appeared on festival bills alongside Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller. But despite spikes of commercial appeal and media attention, Even-Esh says he’s had more success in the last 13 weeks than he has in the past 13 years.
“I’ve always kept my integrity and never tried to be bigger than I am,” says Even-Esh. “My biggest accomplishment in my career so far is that I didn’t give up.”
Even-Esh has exhibited a seemingly endless hunger to create. He’s released new music, organized a New York City festival for bald people, and written a documentary about his personal life. Comparing his journey to the miracle of Hanukkah, Even-Esh is like the light that won’t burn out, and in celebration of the Jewish holiday, he will embark on a winter tour with Jerusalem rapper Nissim Black. Just in time for this year’s lighting of the menorah, the pair teamed up for a brand new spin on Adam Sandler’s famous Hanukkah song.
How can Kosha Dillz have eight wild nights? “Buy presents for people and eat jelly donuts,”He offers his advice. “Be the light into the darkness.”