“I wake up in the morning and think about music. I get ready for work, pop some jams in the deck, and grind my days away. In the end, if I can make some songs that hit home with somebody, I think I have done what I set out to accomplish.” –Eboli.
A young Eboli once met a famous musician without even knowing it. Both were arriving at a Lollapalooza concert in Minneapolis in 1994. “On the walk to the concert I met a guy and talked Hip-Hop with him for a two mile walk,” Eboli recalls. “When we got to the gate to give [our] tickets… the guy pulled out a backstage, all-access pass and the ticket taker says, ‘Thanks Q-Tip, have a great day’.” Yes, that Q-Tip. (I guess he really is the Abstract brother.)
So, the Sioux City-based emcee / deejay / producer may have had a hearty, hiking discussion about Hip-Hop with the ATCQ frontman without being aware who he initially was, but Eboli is not the only one who’s not recognized a renowned artist. On the flipside though, people ARE recognizing Eboli, known as Jason to his family. “I get people I don't ‘know’ coming up to me all the time like- ‘I saw you play this show or that show’. But one time I was getting some grub at a fast food place and this dude is giving me sparkle eyes and smiling at me from behind the counter. I'm thinking the guy is either slow or a bit light to the touch but I just ignored it. I sit down to eat and this guy comes up to me right after I take a huge bite and says, ‘Aren't you EBOLI?’ I almost choked because it caught me so off guard but I respected dude and chopped it up with him after I swallowed my food. [He] turned out to be a cool guy.”
But a lot people should be getting used to his face these days since he’s currently involved in at least four Hip-Hop projects on the regular. For starters, Eboli and his brother-in-law Debo make up Tha Family. Alongside Primetime on alto saxophone, he completes a new duo called Lazer Rocket Arm. Then there’s the Eboli solo career where he does it all: the vocals, production, and scratching. Plus, he has become Sioux City’s premiere booker by bringing in top regional Hip-Hop acts for nearly a year and a half. If you've seen a dope Hip-Hop show in Sioux City recently, he's behind it.
If he’s not busy enough as it is, you might catch Eboli at his nine-to-five as a Graphic Design Artist. Plus, he is about to become a father for the first time, too. If he has any downtime left after all that, Eboli is an avid hockey fan and skater that also enjoys watching football. Lucky for you, he still managed some precious time to answer a few questions that the 712 Hip-Hop braintrust cooked up in wanting to know about the man known as Eboli and how he got to where he is today.
712 Hip-Hop: How did you get your name? And what's the meaning behind the alias?
Eboli: “Back in ‘97 I was in an altered state and watching TV. I happened upon the news and they were talking about the Ebola virus taking out African villages like they were going out of style. I thought they said Eboli and I still didn't have a DJ name so I decided that this name would work. Later I found out I was spelling it wrong but decided that it was cool anyway, so I kept it as is. It stuck and it's now what I always go by.” (FYI- Eboli is also a city in Italy.)
712HH: Why do you live in Sioux City?
Eboli: “Why live anywhere else? The best people in the world are here…it’s the only home I’ve ever really known.”
712HH: Who are your biggest influences in music-- or life in general?
Eboli: “Music- I would say Casual, Jeru Tha Damaja, Opio, Diamond D, Showbiz & AG, and Mobb Deep. For my life, my influences on how I live were my Grandma Lola and Grandpa Jim. They were saints in my eyes. Always lived life with love 100%! If I could be anything like them I would be proud of who I have become."
712HH: What were your first experiences with Hip-Hop? And how’d you get involved in the scene?
Eboli: “I met a guy named Will (The Big Homie a.k.a. DJ Illogic) in 11th grade and he showed me the ropes. He showed me the underground music scene and helped me learn how to DJ. It was the single most defining moment in my Hip-Hop history. [After that,] I bought some turntables from a guy named Hiro who was a student attending W.I.T. (Western Iowa Tech Community College) and some records from True Skateshop. …Poyo (The Gateway Drug’s deejay and producer who Eboli met at the pool where Poyo was a lifeguard) and I started spinning records in ‘97. I went the Hip-Hop route while Poyo chose Techno… Next, I start DJing with DK712- the Deseptikahn Kalectiv.”
712HH: Then what?
Eboli: ”…one day I was chillin’ with my homie Philcoholic and listening to some instrumentals in my Grandmas basement. I have been putting pen to paper ever since. We decided that we could put together some rhymes that were fun to hear and we gave it a shot. Aflikshen was born… We [would] joined forces with Kaotic and B Double. [I] went the live band route with Flux Ambassador, got together with Debo and started Tha Family, and now I am working with my homie Primetime in a group called Lazer Rocket Arm. The whole while, I have also created a ton of solo stuff when others weren't quite so motivated.”
712HH: “If you had to, can you describe your emcee style?
Eboli: “I would describe my style as East Coast with a Midwest twist. I put words together that mean something to me, if it doesn't seem like it's working to my ears I scrap ‘em. I have tons of sheets of ‘didn't quite make it’ rhymes.”
712HH: How about deejay or production style?
Eboli: “My scratch style is still progressing as we speak. You can always learn more as a DJ. I started producing for Biggs and Mic Abizmal on a Gemini sampler and a tape deck. Real old school analog methods. Then I got hooked up with a drum machine and sampler. I produced with those for a few years til I got turned on to Fruity Loops. For a couple years I have been working beats on keyboard and Fruity Loops. Most recently have learned production tricks from J-Smalls. Basically, any style beats and any hardware needed to get the right sounds together are used now. I don't like to have boundaries when putting the knocks together.”
712HH: What is your favorite part of your live show?
Eboli: “My favorite part of my live show would be the appreciation and love people show for us- whether it's with Tha Family or Lazer Rocket Arm. I've always made music for the fan because that's what I am, a fan. Applause feels good.”
712HH: Describe the funnest or wackiest show you’ve ever played.
Eboli: “I would say the funnest show I have done yet was for a really tiny crowd in Vermillion, SD. The crowd was pretty small but they had so much love for us it sounded like we were in an arena. I was flabbergasted.”
712HH: What does (or what could) Hip-Hop culture mean to Sioux City and Siouxland?
Eboli: “I think the Hip-Hop scene here brings a sort of unity. It brings people together for good times and it forms unbreakable friendships. It means more than that to me though. To me it's a family, the music helps me get through the day and I can never wait til the next show. I'm a fan foremost, a performer second.”
712HH: And finally, what is your message to the 712?
Eboli: “My message to the 712 is this: Love yourself, respect yourself, and be what you want to be. Get out there and support the local DJs and rappers or there won't be a scene here. These shows need [a] crowd to sustain things. Much love to the cats who are there every show in force!”
--------------------
A young Eboli once met a famous musician without even knowing it. Both were arriving at a Lollapalooza concert in Minneapolis in 1994. “On the walk to the concert I met a guy and talked Hip-Hop with him for a two mile walk,” Eboli recalls. “When we got to the gate to give [our] tickets… the guy pulled out a backstage, all-access pass and the ticket taker says, ‘Thanks Q-Tip, have a great day’.” Yes, that Q-Tip. (I guess he really is the Abstract brother.)
So, the Sioux City-based emcee / deejay / producer may have had a hearty, hiking discussion about Hip-Hop with the ATCQ frontman without being aware who he initially was, but Eboli is not the only one who’s not recognized a renowned artist. On the flipside though, people ARE recognizing Eboli, known as Jason to his family. “I get people I don't ‘know’ coming up to me all the time like- ‘I saw you play this show or that show’. But one time I was getting some grub at a fast food place and this dude is giving me sparkle eyes and smiling at me from behind the counter. I'm thinking the guy is either slow or a bit light to the touch but I just ignored it. I sit down to eat and this guy comes up to me right after I take a huge bite and says, ‘Aren't you EBOLI?’ I almost choked because it caught me so off guard but I respected dude and chopped it up with him after I swallowed my food. [He] turned out to be a cool guy.”
But a lot people should be getting used to his face these days since he’s currently involved in at least four Hip-Hop projects on the regular. For starters, Eboli and his brother-in-law Debo make up Tha Family. Alongside Primetime on alto saxophone, he completes a new duo called Lazer Rocket Arm. Then there’s the Eboli solo career where he does it all: the vocals, production, and scratching. Plus, he has become Sioux City’s premiere booker by bringing in top regional Hip-Hop acts for nearly a year and a half. If you've seen a dope Hip-Hop show in Sioux City recently, he's behind it.
If he’s not busy enough as it is, you might catch Eboli at his nine-to-five as a Graphic Design Artist. Plus, he is about to become a father for the first time, too. If he has any downtime left after all that, Eboli is an avid hockey fan and skater that also enjoys watching football. Lucky for you, he still managed some precious time to answer a few questions that the 712 Hip-Hop braintrust cooked up in wanting to know about the man known as Eboli and how he got to where he is today.
712 Hip-Hop: How did you get your name? And what's the meaning behind the alias?
Eboli: “Back in ‘97 I was in an altered state and watching TV. I happened upon the news and they were talking about the Ebola virus taking out African villages like they were going out of style. I thought they said Eboli and I still didn't have a DJ name so I decided that this name would work. Later I found out I was spelling it wrong but decided that it was cool anyway, so I kept it as is. It stuck and it's now what I always go by.” (FYI- Eboli is also a city in Italy.)
712HH: Why do you live in Sioux City?
Eboli: “Why live anywhere else? The best people in the world are here…it’s the only home I’ve ever really known.”
712HH: Who are your biggest influences in music-- or life in general?
Eboli: “Music- I would say Casual, Jeru Tha Damaja, Opio, Diamond D, Showbiz & AG, and Mobb Deep. For my life, my influences on how I live were my Grandma Lola and Grandpa Jim. They were saints in my eyes. Always lived life with love 100%! If I could be anything like them I would be proud of who I have become."
712HH: What were your first experiences with Hip-Hop? And how’d you get involved in the scene?
Eboli: “I met a guy named Will (The Big Homie a.k.a. DJ Illogic) in 11th grade and he showed me the ropes. He showed me the underground music scene and helped me learn how to DJ. It was the single most defining moment in my Hip-Hop history. [After that,] I bought some turntables from a guy named Hiro who was a student attending W.I.T. (Western Iowa Tech Community College) and some records from True Skateshop. …Poyo (The Gateway Drug’s deejay and producer who Eboli met at the pool where Poyo was a lifeguard) and I started spinning records in ‘97. I went the Hip-Hop route while Poyo chose Techno… Next, I start DJing with DK712- the Deseptikahn Kalectiv.”
712HH: Then what?
Eboli: ”…one day I was chillin’ with my homie Philcoholic and listening to some instrumentals in my Grandmas basement. I have been putting pen to paper ever since. We decided that we could put together some rhymes that were fun to hear and we gave it a shot. Aflikshen was born… We [would] joined forces with Kaotic and B Double. [I] went the live band route with Flux Ambassador, got together with Debo and started Tha Family, and now I am working with my homie Primetime in a group called Lazer Rocket Arm. The whole while, I have also created a ton of solo stuff when others weren't quite so motivated.”
712HH: “If you had to, can you describe your emcee style?
Eboli: “I would describe my style as East Coast with a Midwest twist. I put words together that mean something to me, if it doesn't seem like it's working to my ears I scrap ‘em. I have tons of sheets of ‘didn't quite make it’ rhymes.”
712HH: How about deejay or production style?
Eboli: “My scratch style is still progressing as we speak. You can always learn more as a DJ. I started producing for Biggs and Mic Abizmal on a Gemini sampler and a tape deck. Real old school analog methods. Then I got hooked up with a drum machine and sampler. I produced with those for a few years til I got turned on to Fruity Loops. For a couple years I have been working beats on keyboard and Fruity Loops. Most recently have learned production tricks from J-Smalls. Basically, any style beats and any hardware needed to get the right sounds together are used now. I don't like to have boundaries when putting the knocks together.”
712HH: What is your favorite part of your live show?
Eboli: “My favorite part of my live show would be the appreciation and love people show for us- whether it's with Tha Family or Lazer Rocket Arm. I've always made music for the fan because that's what I am, a fan. Applause feels good.”
712HH: Describe the funnest or wackiest show you’ve ever played.
Eboli: “I would say the funnest show I have done yet was for a really tiny crowd in Vermillion, SD. The crowd was pretty small but they had so much love for us it sounded like we were in an arena. I was flabbergasted.”
712HH: What does (or what could) Hip-Hop culture mean to Sioux City and Siouxland?
Eboli: “I think the Hip-Hop scene here brings a sort of unity. It brings people together for good times and it forms unbreakable friendships. It means more than that to me though. To me it's a family, the music helps me get through the day and I can never wait til the next show. I'm a fan foremost, a performer second.”
712HH: And finally, what is your message to the 712?
Eboli: “My message to the 712 is this: Love yourself, respect yourself, and be what you want to be. Get out there and support the local DJs and rappers or there won't be a scene here. These shows need [a] crowd to sustain things. Much love to the cats who are there every show in force!”
--------------------
Catch Eboli in concert on Saturday, February 21st at Red's Pub (1919 Pierce Street; Sioux City, Iowa 51104) at 9:30 PM with Debo as Tha Family. Joining them will be Parallax, HawnSwamp, and MC_Loki. It's a free show for the 21 and over audience.
And while you're at it, make sure to contact Eboli or The Sound Insurgent at The Pharmacy Productions about any future bookings or shows.
Check out: The Pharmacy Productions homepage.
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