Kaseem Ryan, a two-decade New York City Fire Department (FDNY) veteran and beloved husband, died unexpectedly over the weekend. But Ryan, of course, was also Ka, an influential and beloved underground rapper, and the searching, brilliant music he made will live on.
Ka began his rap career as part of the crew Natural Elements. You can listen to a 1994 radio freestyle here. The clip showcases a tough-talking, punchline-heavy style that presents a stark contrast to his later, sparser efforts — “I’ll blast you in the face while I hum ‘Amazing Grace’ / You wanna hear it, step up and get a taste.” But despite some record label interest, things didn’t work out. In later years, Ka loved to repeat the self-deprecating story of how the group only got a deal after he left.
In 1999, after Natural Elements and his follow-up project, the duo Nightbreed, flamed out, Ka became a firefighter and dialed back his rhyming, eventually leaving music behind altogether in 2003. Then, a few years later, a second act. Ka seemed, as he started making music again while approaching middle age, to be different. He was a fully-formed artist, with a calm, hypnotic delivery that still somehow had a burning intensity. His minimal, often self-produced beats showcased his approach perfectly.
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