Evidence (born December 10, 1976) is the stage name of Michael Perretta, a highly-respected and influential American rapper, best known as one-third of the L.A. hip-hop group Dilated Peoples, hailing from Venice Beach, California, U.S.
Born in Santa Monica however raised in Venice Beach, Perretta’s early life was spent immersed in the culture of skating and graffiti. In a serendipitous turn of events at the age of 12, the California native moved next door to QDII, otherwise known as Quincy Jones’ son, where he was given an enlightening crash course in music production. The pair’s relationship flourished and aided Evidence’s musical pursuit, with a number of early Dilated Peoples' releases featuring beats by QDII. In 1992 Perretta began collaborating with MC Rakaa and DJ Babu and recorded their debut album “Imagery, Battlehyms, & Political Poetry” in 1995. Despite not earning a release, the record was heavily bootlegged and paved the way for the group’s distinguished underground rap career.
Evidence has released five albums with the group earning their greatest success with the single “This Way” featuring Kanye West, which rose to No. 22 on the U.S. Rap Chart. On top of his revered contributions to Dilated Peoples’ output, Perretta is also a respected solo rapper and producer, having produced tracks for the likes of the Beastie Boys, Linkin Park and Planet Asia. The rapper’s debut solo album “Another Sound Mission Vol. 1” arrived in 2005, followed by the LP “The Weatherman” in 2007. Featuring enviable production, and beats from the Alchemist on five of the album’s tracks, the record is seen as a welcome progression for the underground rapper. The same year the rapper/producer released the mixtape of beats “Red Tape Instrumentals”, followed one year later by “The Purple Tape Instrumentals”.
Not until 2011 could fans hear new material from Perretta, where he released his sophomore solo album “Cats & Dogs”. The album was well-received upon release, charting at No. 8 on the U.S. Rap Chart and featuring contributions from The Alchemist, Rahki, DJ Premier and DJ Babu. In a collaboration with The Alchemist known as Step Brothers, the pair issued the collaborative full-length “Lord Steppington” in 2014, featuring the likes of Action Bronson, Domo Genesis, and Styles P.
Helado Negro
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