When Chicago native Jabari Evans began developing his literary gift in elementary school, he'd write short stories, poems, and anything else that would come to mind. By fifteen, he was deep into what would turn out to be his first published piece of work, a book titled “The Stiff Jab,” chronicling his life as a middle class, black male on Chicago’s rough Southside. With this writing came an evident passion for turning his words into not just pieces of literature, but songs. Soon, while a standout baseball player all through his childhood and high school years, Evans began devoting some of that extracurricular time to another passion; hip-hop.
Meanwhile, as Jabari aka Naledge was playing baseball, battling other rappers, and flirting with girls as he made his way through high school, a kid from New Jersey named Michael Aguilar aka Double 0, was rocking the biggest parties taking place on the campus of The University of Pennsylvania. A standout track star (who would later go on to compete in the 2004 Olympics in Greece), Double-0 was most known outside of the locker room for his DJ skills, monopolizing the hip hop parties as “THE DJ” to hire if you wanted to have a successful event.
During a recruitment visit to the University of Pennsylvania during his senior year of high school, Naledge decided to enter a talent competition and see how his mic skills would hold up against the college kids. After a few freestyles and a clear dominance on stage, he was congratulated as the winner. Many of the students - now fans - urged Naledge to introduce himself to the DJ from New Jersey, Double-O, who at the time was still DJing parties on campus, but had also began dabbling in music production. Naledge, who went by J-Naledge at the time, impressed Double-0 during their brief time together, enough so that before the kid from the Southside of Chicago entered his freshman year at Penn, he and Double-0 formed a partnership that eventually spawned, Kidz in the Hall.
After the summer of 2000, Naledge and Double-0 pulled together their resources in efforts to begin recording songs. After creating a makeshift studio inside of an off-campus apartment, the duo made demo CD's and performed at local shows on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey underground hip hop scene. Any opportunity they had to hit a stage or a booth they did. After graduating, Double-0 made a move from the college campus in Philly to Los Angeles with the intentions of being closer to the industry while Naledge finished up at Penn. By the time Naledge graduated and moved out to continue their musical journey, Double-0 had already made some solid connections with industry executives and heavy weights. Most notably was super producer Just Blaze, who after hearing some music, knew that Naledge and Double-0 had something the world needed to hear. He quickly put his stamp of approval on the project and even committed to overseeing the album. “Kidz In The Hall are a breath of fresh air in this tired rap world we're living in right now.” With the right push they (While Double 0 produced all songs on the Kidz album, Just Blaze will be a large contributor to the Naledge solo project as well) After some positive meetings and continued musical growth, the team of Naledge and Double-0 knew it was their time.
And two have not looked back since… When you listen to final product, “School Was My Hustle,” (slated for an October 31, 2006 release) you quickly get the feeling that not only do these two fit together like pieces of a puzzle, but they also have what it takes to bring back a genre which has been dormant for several years, with an album that is unique and refreshing. The title of the album says it all and makes it clear to critics and fans alike that the group stays true to who they are, depicting a story that’s far different from most hip hop songs these days. In fact, they are quite proud of their upbringing. And in a genre riddled with drug talk and violence, Kidz In The Hall tells listeners that while some of the street talk is real and not to be taken lightly, it does not have to be the life you lead. Their message is strongly rooted in the idea that there are options, and those options can create a wealth of possibilities beyond life on the block. On “Wassup Jo,” the third track on the album, Naledge raps, “ I do this for the thugs, I do this for the hipsters, I do this for the backpack n*ggas holdin’ their fists up…” Similar lines throughout the album reassure listeners that the message is not being sent to one group of people, but instead it’s a message that anyone from anywhere can associate with.
It’s extraordinary music made for ordinary people. In the words of Naledge, “The reason why we make dope music is because it isn't forced or filtered. Musically, we are two like-minded individuals and we strive to make a unique sound that is unordinary but portrays the lives of ordinary people. Hip Hop is like literature and not everybody is interested reading the same things. The rap game is full of either cheap comic books or people pretending to be Shakespeare; no one is providing ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ - like shit anymore. To me, ordinary people provide some of the most masterful and relatable stories.” Naledge’s point could not be more apparent than on a song like “Hypocrite” where the rapper, often referred to as the Prince of the Chi, pokes fun at the serious issue of being faithful in a relationship while also calling out some girls for their “groupie” tendencies. And if relationships and social messages are not enough to convince a listener of the duo’s talent, the majority of the album is made up of songs like “Train of Thought,” “Cruise Control,” and “Wheelz Fall Off,” which will have listeners not thinking too hard, but instead bobbing their heads as Double-0’s beat knock and Naledge exudes an energy that resonates the enjoyment he gets out of making music.
Hobby
The Cypher
Book
The Straight Jab by Jabari Evans
Email
wemajor@majorleaguenyc.com
Favorite holiday
New Years Eve
Looking for...
Girls, Girls, Girls,
Occupation
Saving Hip Hop
Movie
Anchorman
Website
www.kidzinthehall.com
Band Members
NaledgeDouble-O
