Evidence is notorious for his pre-show jitters. Since the earliest days of Dilated Peoples, Evidence has mentioned in songs and in interviews that he can get quite nervous before taking the stage. It’s interesting to me because Evidence is someone that almost lives on the stage, touring heavily with Dilated Peoples as well as on his own solo grind. He’s also really good at it.
His afternoon performance at the Soundset Festival in Minneapolis was no exception. Before the show he expressed some anxiety, then proceeded to absolutely tear it down, turning in one of the festival’s best performances with DJ Mishap and a special appearance from DJ Premier. “I was smiling so hard I was almost going to miss words,” he said about DJ Premier popping up for a special performance of “You” featuring some classic Premier beats. “It was genuine little-kid happy shit.”
It’s that enthusiasm for Hip Hop music, culture and history that makes Evidence so dope. While he’s toured all over the world and rocked stages with damn near everyone, he still gets hyped at rocking with DJ Premier, and he’s not afraid to say it. After his set, Evidence took some time to chat with me about taking the stage with DJ Premier, working with Alchemist and Action Bronson, and how the best music always just comes naturally . Check it out.