Kosha Dillz knows a thing or two about the concept of Jewish joy.
The rapper — born Rami Matan Even-Esh in New Jersey to Israeli immigrant parents –- is known for his lyricism, wit, observational skills and a style he calls “freestyle songwriting.” His songs include a blend of English, Hebrew, Spanish and Yiddish lyrics, with the objective to inspire and instill pride.
This Thursday night, Dec. 18, Dillz — who has toured with rappers Matisyahu and RZA –- will be the headliner at the “Hannukah Brew Ha Ha” at Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh.
Located at 2001 Liberty Heights Avenue in the former home of the historic Shaarei Tfiloh Synagogue, Third Space offers programming aimed at creating meaningful community building and Jewish learning.
The event, held from 6 to 9, will also feature a latke and pickle bar, beer from Union Craft Brewing, Chanukah-themed activities, a menorah lighting and a community service project.
In a recent interview with Jmore, Dillz, 44, said he is looking forward to connecting with the Baltimore audience, especially with such tunes as “The Hanukkah Song 3.0” and “Schmoozin’.”
“I have so many Chanukah songs,” he said. “I have other songs I didn’t even release, and I could just do an entire set for Chanukah. Chanukah, for me, is definitely a miracle holiday.”
Dillz currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, but spends much of his time in Israel.
He said he has noticed a rise in popularity since the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Dillz was actually scheduled to perform in Israel on Oct.10, but ended up postponing and visiting Israel the following month and toured some of the sites of the massacre.
“A lot of people kind of became my bigger fans during the war [and] during the attempts to return hostages,” he said. “A lot of the songs I wrote were reactionary songs. I sort of rose to popularity with people feeling, like, ‘Hey, I feel connected to you.’”
Dillz said he particularly loves entertaining soldiers in Israel.
“I think boosting morale is important,” he said. “I went over there with that mindset, like [the late Canadian songwriter-singer] Leonard Cohen was out there playing for soldiers during the Yom Kippur War.”
Dillz is currently working on “Bring The Family Home,” a documentary film with a Kickstarter campaign about his efforts to support the release of the hostages from Gaza. He hopes to eventually tour the Jewish film festival circuit.
Dillz said the release of the hostages had a profound impact on him.
“I was, like, this is one of the most monumental moments in Jewish history of the recent millennia — Jewish hostages getting flown in helicopters,” he said. “That has not happened in our lifetime. That was just a wild situation to experience. My documentary will have footage from that.”
When on the concert stage or in the studio, Dillz said he always leans into vibes and energies when creating and performing music.
“I recorded an album in Israel entirely barefoot, and I thought that was really cool and grounding,” he said. “I’m big on energy stuff and how that makes your brain think, and whatever the beat makes the mood for.”
A recovering addict, Dillz credits his sobriety with where he is today, something he’s quite open about.
“I haven’t really had any music-making thing happen to me without sobriety,” he said. “When I was on probation [20 years ago] and just getting sober, I was, like, I just wanna rap with anyone who would let me rap. Sobriety is everything. I’m just growing in my storytelling as time comes along.”
His advice for young Jewish creatives? Lean into your Jewishness.
“It’s a real wide-open spot,” he said. “If you wanna make money as an artist, it’s not easy. It’s a lot easier to make money as a Jewish artist because Jewish institutions are spending a lot of money on Jewish joy.
“People should let artists work more and value them more. Like without us, your Chanukah parties would stink.”
For information about the Hanukkah Brew Ha Ha, visit Hannukah Brew Ha Ha Featuring Kosha Dillz.
Anna Lippe is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer
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