Ka (rapper)
| Ka | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kaseem Ryan[1] August 11, 1972[1] New York City, U.S. |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.[2] |
| Other names | Brownsville Ka, Hermit |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Brownsville, Brooklyn New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1994–2024 |
| Labels |
|
| Website | Brownsville Ka |
| Template:Infobox firefighter | |
Kaseem Ryan (August 11, 1972 – October 12, 2024), better known by his stage name Ka, was an American rapper, producer, and firefighter from Brooklyn, New York City.[3][4][5][6] His solo work has met critical acclaim and he is often noted for his focused concept albums and lyricism.[7]
Contents
Career
Ryan grew up in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn.[8] He initially developed an interest in hip hop as a child in the late 1970s.[9]
Ryan was a member of the group Natural Elements,[10] though he felt that his skills were lacking compared to his groupmates and left soon afterward.[8] In 1995 Ryan formed the duo Nightbreed with his friend Kev,[11] through which he released a twelve-inch single titled "2 Roads Out the Ghetto" in 1998.[12]
In 2008, Ka released his debut solo album, Iron Works. In an interview with Complex, he recounted that he was no longer seeking to pursue music as a career at the time, but simply wanted to create a project for his family members to listen to.[9] Iron Works caught the attention of Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, who invited Ka to appear on his 2008 album Pro Tools.[12][13] In 2012, Ka released the follow-up Grief Pedigree on his label Iron Works. The album was self-produced and featured a guest appearance by Roc Marciano.[14] Ka would release seven further solo albums throughout his career. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, he described himself as writing from the perspective of "the man who's lived the life already, got out of it, now is trying to lead the honest life".[15]
In an August 2016 New York Post story, Ryan was identified as a Brooklyn-based FDNY fire captain. The article focuses on his "double life as a hip-hop artist whose songs are peppered with the N-word, drugs, violence and anti-cop lyrics."[16] In a 2013 interview, Ryan discussed being a firefighter: "I have a full time job and I work all the time. I try to keep that kinda low. I just have a job. It ain't my calling or nothing. It's just my job."[9]
Musical style
Ka's rapping was characterized by quiet, understated delivery and densely packed lyrics.[9][12] He produced much of his own music, which was frequently drumless.[12] Ka stated that he initially adopted his muted production style to avoid having the beats distract from his vocals.[15]
Ka's albums are often concept albums focused on particular themes: Rolling Stone identified The Night's Gambit as based upon chess, Days with Dr. Yen Lo as inspired by The Manchurian Candidate, and Honor Killed the Samurai as themed around samurai.[15]
Death
Ryan died on October 12, 2024, at the age of 52. The cause is currently unknown.[12]
Discography
Solo albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Iron Works |
|
| Grief Pedigree |
|
| The Night's Gambit |
|
| Honor Killed the Samurai |
|
| Descendants of Cain |
|
| A Martyr's Reward |
|
| Languish Arts |
|
| Woeful Studies |
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| The Thief Next to Jesus |
|
Collaborative albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Days with Dr. Yen Lo (with Preservation, as Dr. Yen Lo) |
|
| Orpheus vs. the Sirens (with Animoss, as Hermit and the Recluse)[17] |
|
EPs
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1200 B.C. (with Preservation) |
|
| The Superfly Single |
|
References
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- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
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- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- Infobox musical artist with missing or invalid Background field
- Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Official website not in Wikidata
- 1972 births
- 2024 deaths
- American male rappers
- Rappers from Brooklyn
- Underground rappers
- 21st-century American firefighters
- New York City firefighters
- People from Brownsville, Brooklyn
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male musicians
