All it took was a simple request and veteran producer Evidence agreed to join forces with LA-based emcee CookBook for his new EP, A Whole New Cook.
Produced entirely by the Dilated Peoples emcee and longtime producer, A Whole New Cook features Madchild of Swollen Members, LMNO of The Visionaries and fellow Dilated member DJ Babu.
“Cook asked if I would be into producing an EP for him,” Evidence tells The Source. “I have known him for a long time and he’s always been a cool cat, so I said yes. It took a while for me to have an open window to do it, but when we finally hooked up, it was easy and painless. I make a beat, he starts writing or takes it home and another song gets done. The guests were people who stopped by while we were having sessions, so that happened real naturally, as well.”
The seven-track installment is another chapter in a series of EPs from CookBook and features a different producer for each project. This particular volume showcases one of Evidence’s most authentic talents: the ability to piece together an impeccable set of songs while creating an ideal backdrop for the emcee to introduce an unexpected perspective.
“This is different from Dilated, Evidence solo stuff and Step Brothers [his project with Alchemist] because I had no expectations,” he says. “I just put a beat and a rhyme down, and we were good. We had a fun couple weeks getting it done and that was that. Other times, when you’re emotionally attached to projects, it can become draining even though the end result can be rewarding. This was just a lot of fun.”
The duo also revealed the first video off the EP for the track “Preachers of LA,” which depicts clips of fancy cars and mansions acquired as a result of preaching the word of God while CookBook rhymes to a saucy Evidence-made beat. Directed by WACKOE, the video tells the story of a young man heavily influenced by religion whose intensions start off as pure, but eventually he falls victim to the salacious power of the dollar. Anyone familiar with Evidence projects knows there’s a healthy dose of humor injected into nearly everything he touches. Therefore it makes sense he paired up with Cook considering Cook never strays too far from his comical side, as well. The listener, however, gets to know a more insightful, introspective and bold CookBook this time around with Evidence riding by his side.
A Whole New Cook is available on Friday, March 4, 2016.
