Reign Of Evidence

Artist/Group Name (also group members’ names):

       “EVIDENCE” 1/3 rd of DILATED PEOPLES or 100% of Me.

 Reppin’ (What city you reppin’?):

       VENICE (L.A)- CA AAALLL DAAAY!!!!

 Affiliation (What crew or artists you roll with?):

      Dilated of course, Beat Junkies, ABB fam, The Alchemist, Defari, Planet Asia, Dj Revolution, Swollen Members, My Manager Brock…Too many peoples to name.

Influences (Who inspires you? Not limited to just hip-hop):

      Weed, women, good books (Dan Brown, Michael Connelly), other rappers & producers who constantly raise the bar, movies, haters, coffee and traveling.

Backstory (How’d you get in the game? How did the group form? What work did you put in before getting signed to a label?)

       I was born in 1976. My parents played great music when I was young (Beatles,Police,Aretha Franklin,Chaka Khan,Foreigner,etc)…I was raised in Santa Monica, then Venice Beach. When I was about 5 or 6, I realized I didn’t have to like what they liked. That was around the time when movies like “Beat Street,” “Breakin’,” “Wildstyle,” etc… were out and POPPN! I chose rap music to be what I LIKED. Being that I would go to the Santa Monica Pier, or Venice Beach all the time Hip Hop culture was everywhere I looked. It wasn’t like I went to the movies and then never saw or heard it again…It was right in my face. I was a breakdancer 1^st then a grafitti artist then a skater. In 1990 I moved next door to QD3 in Venice. I would hear loud beats every night next door and I would wonder what they were doing back there. I introduced myself one day and said what do you do back there? He said, ”My name is Quincy, I’m a rap producer.” From that point on that’s all I wanted to do. Be a rapper. I hustled a couple beats from him and went around the city trying to find somebody to rap with. I found Rakaa at the HipHopShop on Melrose. I said lets do a demo…we did and formed the group Dilated Peoples (Alchemist came up with the name). We put 3 classic 12 inches out on ABB records, ”Third Degree,” “Work The Angles” & “Guaranteed.” A few years and a lot of shows later the majors came knocking on our door. We signed with Capitol in 2000 and the rest is history.

Current project (What are you pushing right now? What can people expect from it? Feel free to just hype your album here…why did you name the album that name? Was there a theme? Any funny stories during its creation?)

I am putting the last touches on my 1^st SOLO album,

THE WEATHERMAN LP! I have been waiting for this opportunity for a LONG time. I wasn’t able to put it out due to contractual issues with Capitol Records. However I am done with my contract and am really looking forward to taking this to the people DIRECT!  I’m back on ABB (“INDEPENDENT AS FUCK” –El P) and I have a reborn hunger that I think the people will notice when they hear what I’ve been cooking up).The whole concept of The Weatherman is to erase the misconception that it never rains in Southern Cali with the Reign Of Evidence. It’s a very misleading place. People think its all gangsta rap but I’m here to show a different side of things. Plus it’s a nickname my fans gave me back in the day. On the internet people were saying, ”He’s dope but he talks about weather too much.”

So I wrote………….

”Some think I’m clever/others think I’m the one who makes too many references to Weather/Or not/ I’m feeling you beyond words explained/you set up a battle outdoors, then prayed for rain.” 

This is going to be one of the most focused releases for the 07. Production By myself, The Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Sid Roams (Bravo & Joey Chavez), Jake One & Babuuuuuuuuuu!!!  Guests include……go buy it and find out! LOL.

Purpose (What kind of impact do you hope to have on the game? Do you just want to go platinum or is there something more?)

 I just want my shit available! I don’t wanna hear,”I couldn’t find it” 

The rest will fall into place.

Is hip-hop really dead? (Wax philosophical here, break down what you think of hip-hop today or compare it to when you were coming up. Good? Bad? Break it down!)

HIP HOP is NOT dead. Maybe certain elements of the culture are being over shined by a lot of shitty Rap music but it’s here more than it ever has been…ITS BIG BUISNESS.

Three wishes (If you had three wishes to change anything within hip-hop, what would they be? Bring someone back to life? Get a Kanye West beat? Make snap music disappear?)

I had one of Kanye’s best beats to date already (THIS WAY).. I try to”snap” in the mirror sometimes; Little Brother said I look like John Travolta when I try to do it. I would love to bring Big L, Big Pun, Notorious Big (isn’t that crazy how they all have Big in their names) Too Poetic, Rob One, JMJ, Dilla or DJ Dusk back…..But I really wish I could bring my mother back(JANA TAYLOR FOREVER) who I lost to cancer 2 ½ years ago. I have been through tremendous ups and downs since. I miss her a lot.

Click here to view  Evidence