Kaseem Ryan (born August 11, 1972), better known by his stage name Ka, is an American rapper, producer, and firefighter from Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.[2][3][4][5][6][7] His solo work has met critical acclaim and he is often noted for his focused concept albums and lyricism.[8]
| Ka (rapper) | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kaseem Ryan[1] |
| Born | August 11, 1972[1] |
| Origin | New York |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1994-present |
| Labels | Iron Works |
| Website | Brownsville Ka |
| Firefighter career | |
| Department | New York City Fire Department |
| Service years | 1999-present |
He is a former member of the group Natural Elements.[9] In 1995 he formed the group Nightbreed with his friend Kev.[10] In 2008, he was re-introduced on GZA's album Pro Tools on the song "Firehouse" and in that same year he released his debut album Iron Works.[11] In 2012, he released the follow-up Grief Pedigree on his label Iron Works. The album featured a guest appearance by Roc Marciano and was produced by Ka.[12]
In an August 2016 New York Post story, Ka 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."[13] In a 2013 interview Ka discussed being a firefighter, saying "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."[14]
Discography edit
Solo albums edit
| 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 |
|
Collaborative albums edit
| 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)[15] |
|
| Piece Be with You (with Roc Marciano, as Metal Clergy)[16] |
|
EPs edit
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1200 B.C. (with Preservation) |
|
| The Superfly Single |
|
References edit
- ^ a b Toren, Ben (August 8, 2012). "The little labels that could". CNN Money. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
- ^ "Ka: Carrying On Tradition". BET.com. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Ka ft. Roc Marciano - "Iron Age" [VIDEO]". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Watch All of Ka's "Grief Pedigree" Videos Here - XXL". XXL. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Notes From Ka's One-Man Pop-Up Shop - MTV Hive". MTV Hive. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Stream The Night's Gambit, the darkly smouldering new LP from Brooklyn rapper Ka - FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "No Country for Old (Rap) Men: The importance of Ka". ACCLAIM. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Ka - Descendants Of Cain | Review". Hip Hop Golden Age. 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ "First Look Fridays: Ka From Brownsville". Okayplayer. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ Jeff Rosenthal. "Interview: Ka Talks Newfound Recognition, Mailing Out His Own Albums, and What Jay-Z Is Doing for Brooklyn". Complex. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Ka". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "Ka". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "FDNY veteran 'bad-mouths' cops in double life as rapper". New York Post. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ "Who Is Ka?". Complex. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ^ @brownsvilleka (May 4, 2018). "Hermit and the Recluse is Animoss and Ka" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Roc Marciano Already Has 5 More Albums Ready To Drop After Reloaded". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
External links edit
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