Kosha Dillz Interview
By Kyle Eustice
One thing you can't call Kosha Dillz is "lazy." A graduate of Rutgers University, he hustles hard and that quality alone has given him many incredible opportunities, including opening slots for Matisyahu, Snoop Dogg and Nas, and collaborations with Murs (Living Legends, in case you didn't know). Those of you who are familiar with Kosha Dillz, Jewish rapper extraordinaire, are probably used to his goofy, off-the-wall humor. His catalog is full of upbeat tracks poking fun at mainstream rap and society in general. Albums like 2009's Beverly Dillz and 2013's Awkward In A Good Way paint an accurate picture of the light-hearted type of guy Kosha is. So it comes as a refreshing surprise his new video for the track "Been Down" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSbWFMdGRIU is as personal as it gets. As he heads down to SXSW, he took a few moments to talk about the video and how he deals with stress.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): "Been Down" is probably the most serious I've ever heard you. What inspired this song?
Kosha Dillz: I tried getting out of depression by deciding to go cold turkey off these meds. After being clean for a while, life isn't perfect. We are still mentally messed up.
In a world that is supersaturated with the glorification of drugs and alcohol, how did you find the strength to not only quit, but also to be vocal about it?
I kept going to jail and getting arrested and I just always felt that I have lived a real life a lot of people haven't experienced. I always had an urge to tell the truth in my music so this time it just came out at the same time my brain was working through these issues. In the two-year span of recording it, filming the video and releasing the video, I felt the same each time.
When you have feelings similar to the ones you rap about in "Been Down," what do you do to snap yourself out of it?
Meditation and a five minute journal. I write it in twice today about what I'm grateful for. Working out, work too or wrestling practice.
What kind of advice would you give someone who is thinking of suicide or harming themselves in some way?
If you can't get the courage to call, send a text to someone. Lastly, stop thinking about yourself because once you make that decision your problem is not solved and you hurt a lot of other people with it. Sounds tough, but sometimes tough love needs to be enforced.
Are you excited about SXSW?
I feel like I got a lot of stuff going in SXSW and it's literally gotten bigger every year. This year I'm curating my own showcase, opening for Nas, released new music going in to it, and have an entire summer of Warped Tour ahead. Plus, I got new stickers. That gets me pumped. Curating my Oy Vey fest is epic since it is sort of inspired by Murs via Paid Dues, but headlining here.
Kosha Dillz Interview
Kosha Dillz Interview
By Kyle Eustice
One thing you can't call Kosha Dillz is "lazy." A graduate of Rutgers University, he hustles hard and that quality alone has given him many incredible opportunities, including opening slots for Matisyahu, Snoop Dogg and Nas, and collaborations with Murs (Living Legends, in case you didn't know). Those of you who are familiar with Kosha Dillz, Jewish rapper extraordinaire, are probably used to his goofy, off-the-wall humor. His catalog is full of upbeat tracks poking fun at mainstream rap and society in general. Albums like 2009's Beverly Dillz and 2013's Awkward In A Good Way paint an accurate picture of the light-hearted type of guy Kosha is. So it comes as a refreshing surprise his new video for the track "Been Down" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSbWFMdGRIU is as personal as it gets. As he heads down to SXSW, he took a few moments to talk about the video and how he deals with stress.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): "Been Down" is probably the most serious I've ever heard you. What inspired this song?
Kosha Dillz: I tried getting out of depression by deciding to go cold turkey off these meds. After being clean for a while, life isn't perfect. We are still mentally messed up.
In a world that is supersaturated with the glorification of drugs and alcohol, how did you find the strength to not only quit, but also to be vocal about it?
I kept going to jail and getting arrested and I just always felt that I have lived a real life a lot of people haven't experienced. I always had an urge to tell the truth in my music so this time it just came out at the same time my brain was working through these issues. In the two-year span of recording it, filming the video and releasing the video, I felt the same each time.
When you have feelings similar to the ones you rap about in "Been Down," what do you do to snap yourself out of it?
Meditation and a five minute journal. I write it in twice today about what I'm grateful for. Working out, work too or wrestling practice.
What kind of advice would you give someone who is thinking of suicide or harming themselves in some way?
If you can't get the courage to call, send a text to someone. Lastly, stop thinking about yourself because once you make that decision your problem is not solved and you hurt a lot of other people with it. Sounds tough, but sometimes tough love needs to be enforced.
Are you excited about SXSW?
I feel like I got a lot of stuff going in SXSW and it's literally gotten bigger every year. This year I'm curating my own showcase, opening for Nas, released new music going in to it, and have an entire summer of Warped Tour ahead. Plus, I got new stickers. That gets me pumped. Curating my Oy Vey fest is epic since it is sort of inspired by Murs via Paid Dues, but headlining here.
