Kosha Dillz and Or Mash Team Up for ‘Watermelon’

Rami Even-esh, aka Kosha Dillz is known for jumping on what’s happening in the news and making funny, catchy rap songs that are full of Jewish pride. In his latest video, “Watermelon“ (“Avatiach),” he collaborates with comedian and rapper Or Mash to create one of his most popular songs yet.

The song is about the watermelon emoji that pro-Palestinian protesters are putting in their bios; it symbolizes the Palestinian flag. The lyrics, which are in English and Hebrew, go, “How come everywhere that I go, all these people put the avatiach in their bio? Met this cute guy and he said, ‘I wanna see ya’ then he asked me, ‘Hey, what’s the deal with avatiach?’” 

In the video, directed by comedian Menachem Silverstein, Mash and Kosha Dillz are in Pizza World, a kosher pizzeria in L.A., and on Malibu Beach, poking fun at antisemites and the watermelon trend.

“I felt the time spent making serious songs has passed.”
– Kosha Dillz

“I felt the time spent making serious songs has passed,” said Kosha Dillz. “We have all lost our minds a few times with this war.” 

Mash added, “I saw a number of mean posts targeted at Jewish people that had a watermelon emoji and the hook of the song ‘avatiah avatiah’ started playing in my ears. It was during a Shabbat dinner in New York Kosha Dillz hosted. Kosha and I got in the studio and had the best time working on it. We thought, even If it brings one smile at a dark time, it’s worth it.”

Kosha Dillz’s family is from Qiryat Tivon, a small town in the north of Israel by Haifa, while Mash’s ancestors have lived in Jerusalem since the 19th century; she grew up in Tel Aviv and Ra’anana and came to L.A. to work in comedy. Since then, she has appeared on “Wild ‘N Out” and performs at clubs around town. Kosha Dillz, who was also on “Wild ‘N Out,” has a large social media presence, and has gotten millions of views on his videos showing his debates with pro-Palestinian protesters.

Though Kosha Dillz has made more serious music since October 7 like “Bring the Family Home” and “Ceasefire,” he wanted to show his silly side with “Watermelon” this time around. 

“Watermelon is a breath of fresh air from all the bad news we get,” he said. “Sometimes we just need a bop.”

Now, Kosha Dillz is putting out more music, planning to release an EP in May and going on a tour of the United States. He makes sure that his music is relatable and inspiring to the Jewish people, no matter their background.

“I make music that is for me,” he said. “I am Israeli. I am Jewish. I am awesome. I am lonely. I am depressed. I am also wholesome. I am angry. I am dumb. I am intelligent. I am a documenter of history.  I am documenting this moment and others. I know a lot about antisemitism and Jewishness around the globe. I know Jews all across the spectrum. We all deserve to vibe together and connect. Ultimately, that is what I want to do.”

For Or, putting out a funny and lighthearted song helps her fulfill her mission in life, which is to do good in this world and make people laugh. 

“My name ‘Or’ means light, and there’s a Jewish saying: Even a little bit of light can take a lot of the darkness away,” she said. “The other day I sat at a restaurant when a young Jewish woman approached me and said the ‘Avatiah’ song brought light to her day and a much-needed laugh during these challenging times. That’s when I knew the song did what it was supposed to.”