Kosha Dillz speaks about antisemitism and the motive behind his Kanye West diss track
New York, New York - For Rami Even-Esh, known by his stage name of Kosha Dillz, his Death Con 3 diss track wasn't so much about dissing Kanye West as it was about standing up for something he felt strongly about. TAG24 spoke with the rapper and Wild 'n Out star about the song, and what he hopes it'll inspire in others.
Diss tracks can be tricky things in and of themselves. It's not easy to carefully craft words in a way that not only flows, but also packs a powerful punch.
Yet, Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz managed to do it quite well with Death Con 3 (Kanye West Diss), which he dropped on October 21. But those who have taken the time to listen to, or look up, each verse are probably aware that this track isn't just about Kanye – it's about everyone.
Why? Because antisemitism exists with or without Ye using his role as a media magnet to spread hate. "If it wasn’t him, it would be somebody else that’s’ extremely popular," Kosha Dillz said.
Sadly, he's probably not wrong. When talking to TAG24, the rapper dished on what the final straw was that led him to craft a diss track like Death Con 3 – a word play on the antisemitic comments previously made by Ye on Twitter.
"I think the final straw was seeing him with Nick Cannon, which is like, you know, my boss, so that was a big thing. And I just felt awkward after that. I was like, 'This is weird, I should just say something at this point.'"
Kosha Dillz says he wants the track to "resonate with people whether they like it or not"
As an artist who became well-known for not caring and being the guy rapping in the streets of NYC as an array of characters, he was initially hesitant about putting something more serious out there: "If you speak up for yourself, people are going to judge you," he said.
Thankfully, he pushed his reservations aside, figured out catchy ways to say things, like "anti-antisemitism," and dropped the track. Since that fateful Friday in October, Kosha Dillz said the internet has proven his point.
"When I was making it, I wanted to have as much impact, and be mean, and be aggressive, and curse and all that. I really wanted it to resonate with people whether they like it or not. What I found really interesting is that the people who support the record were very adamant about sending me private messages," he said, adding that if you look at the comments section on his social channels like YouTube and Instagram, "They’re more negative than positive, because the positive people are afraid of commenting publicly because they’re gonna get attacked."
"So, that just sort of proves my point that this stuff is so powerful," he continued. "That’s why I rap in the song, 'Think you got hate, bro? You should see the comment section.' I’m literally saying what’s going to happen while I was making the song – and I was right."
The Israeli-American rapper also referred to antisemitism, which can be defined as showing hostility towards or discriminating against Jewish people, as "a very strong disease that literally forces you into hiding." But through the vehicle of music, Kosha Dillz figured out how to say exactly what he wanted.
Now, he's hoping others will find encouragement through poignant lyrical honesty about a highly sensitive and deeply rooted subject.
Kosha Dillz hopes to empower others to "speak up on what's very important to them"
Rami Even-Esh AKA Kosha Dillz will be the first one to admit that he stands in a peculiar place amid the antisemitic chatter that's been fueled by notable individuals such as Ye and NBA athlete Kyrie Irving, telling TAG24: "I wanted to be part of a conversation of like, you know I’m known for being an artist who is Jewish that speaks up on these things. I wear a yarmulke on Wild 'n Out."
"Let me bring that to a song versus just a piece of content, and let me further the discussion. Because you have professors speaking on it, you have activists, but there [are] no rappers that are really responding, and there’s no one that really has a foot in it."
"On Wild 'n Out, you know, we all make fun of each other ... It’s an equal opportunity of everyone roasting each other for whatever is obvious and it’s all in good fun and taste, but this was just a serious thing," he said, referencing Kanye's sentiments. "And I listened to Kanye’s music for a long time. Went to his concerts. I played Coachella. I went to Sunday Service. I was front row in Sunday Service ... It really is a big bummer for me."
"I don’t listen to his music anymore," Kosha Dillz said. "How can I listen to somebody that isn’t listening to us?"
Though the rapper's Death Con 3 diss track is about more than just Kanye, he admitted that "when somebody of such stature opens the floodgates, people that are your friends are afraid to say something because they don't know who agrees with Kanye."
"All people can do is learn. Like I said, I’m just trying to further a conversation," the rapper said. "I’m just sticking up, and I hope it empowers more people to just speak up on what’s very important to them, and to not be intimidated by somebody that has a legion of followers."
If you haven't yet, check out Kosha Dillz's Death Con 3 (Kanye Diss Track) above.
Cover photo: Courtesy of Kosha Dillz