​Evil Ebenezer Talks About Collabing With Kai Jones For Magic Hour

For Kai Jones, the connection between skiing and music is as intertwined as winter and snowfall. The flow state he enters when dropping into a line is strongly influenced by what he’s listening to both on and off the mountain. Last winter, while filming up in Canada for Magic Hour, a fresh track came across his usual playlists that really struck a chord: Canadian hip-hop mastermind Evil Ebenezer’s Sunshine. The booming beat flows underneath honest and powerful lyrics that resonated with Kai, and he quickly realized the track would make the perfect soundtrack for his Magic Hour segment - the one that landed him an IF3 Male Standout Skier of the Year nomination. Kai dropped a DM to Evil and got the ball rolling, telling him the flow found in the song really got him going in the mountains. By the time it came to editing the segment together, everything fell into place with a version of Sunshine cued up right as Kai drops into his first big line for the season. The synergy between hip-hop and skiing has always been a theme in our world, so it’s good to see that going strong. We caught up with Kai and Evil to chat about the collab and learn more about the artist’s inspiration and connection to action sports. Magic Hour is available for digital download and streaming Nov. 1. Tickets and tour information are available at tour.tetongravity.com.

TGR: Evil, what's your story? Tell us a little about your background and how you came to be where you are today in the music scene.

Evil Ebenezer: I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and spent most of my time there. In the past few years I moved to Vancouver Island where I am happily married and have two kids. I released my first album in 2006 and began playing some shows in Canada & the US. In 2013 I released my project “Howl” which is the album that “Sunshine” is on. In the past five years I released seven projects and have headlined tours across Canada & Europe as well as touring with my close friend Merkules in the US, Australia & New Zealand.

Evil Ebenezer - the mastermind behind Kai's new favorite song: Sunshine. | Evil Ebenezer Team photo.

TGR: How would you describe your music's style?

EE: I would describe my style as pretty versatile. I rap & I sing which is an asset that sets my music apart. My music is pretty real and it’s honest and I try to be as sincere as I can when I am writing. I think that’s what a lot of people relate to you know, because my music is created from real situations. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel in my music with the hope that tomorrow is going to be a better day.

TGR: In your words, can you tell us a bit about the Canadian hip hop scene?

EE: The Canadian Hip Hop scene is full of rich history and very diverse. Canada is a big country with a very unique landscape stretching from the east coast to the west. You can hear that in much of the music whether its artists in Atlantic Canada, Toronto, or from Vancouver like me. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of the scene for 15 years now and I enjoy watching the new up and comers as they do their thing.

TGR: What's your biggest goal as an artist these days? Anyone in particular you would do anything to perform with?

EE: My goal is the same now as it has been from the beginning. Striving to improve and be the best version of myself as a person, a musician and now a father & a husband. As I grow in my personal life, it reflects on my music and I find I am able to create better music and improve as an artist. I would say that Drake would be my number one choice. I respect what he has done as a musician and as a father while representing Canada as a world ambassador to our country.

TGR: When TGR reached out about this collab with the song "Sunshine" what was your reaction?

EE: I was super excited to know that my music, specifically Sunshine, connected with Kai & TGR. That makes me feel really good, you know like mission accomplished. It makes you feel a certain way when someone reaches out to work with you because they were inspired by your music, I mean, this is why I do this. Kai is extremely talented and it was really cool that he listens to my music. I am very excited to see what he does next.

TGR: What's the inspiration behind that track?

EE: When I was creating the album “HOWL” it was one of the last songs we recorded. The album was kind of dark and my long time friend & producer, Stuey Kubrick, suggested we add something a little more positive to it. He produced the beat which is the backbone of the song and he told me to focus on writing every line with a positive outlook. I finished the writing and it felt good and I knew it could help other people feel good too.

TGR: How does it feel to see your music in a video project like this?

EE: Honestly, it makes me feel proud. I feel a great sense of accomplishment after seeing the final product. To know that my music contributed in a small way to this project and may have played a part in Kai's inspiration to go do a crazy backflip off a side of a mountain is really cool! I am proud to be a part of that.

Canadian hip-hop is alive and well. | Evil Ebenezer Team photo.

TGR: Do you spend time in the mountains? Ski/board, other action sports? What's your favorite thing about it?

EE: I grew up close to the mountains and could see them everyday. I spent a lot of time outside with nature and I still do. I started skiing at a young age, taking family trips to Whistler. I remember those days very fondly, spending time at the cabin with my parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles. I started snowboarding as a teenager going to Mount Baker in Washington fairly often. I haven’t been in the mountains the past few years but as the kids get a little older, me and my wife look forward to bringing them skiing or snowboarding.

Kai Jones gets stylish in the Canadian backcountry. | Jeremy Allen photo.

TGR: What do you think about Kai's skiing?

EE: I think he’s absolutely amazing! I’ve seen a bunch of his videos on YouTube and have shared them with others. For someone his age to be able to do what he does is incredible and his passion for this sport is inspiring to me. I can see his enthusiasm and it’s contagious to others who want to pursue their dreams. I am very happy that he is living out his dream, chasing new goals and I think he’s a true talent! I wish him nothing but the best!

About The Author

Follow

stash member Max Ritter

I manage digital content here at TGR, run our gear testing program, and am stoked to be living the dream in the Tetons.