Celebrated rapper and former New York firefighter Ka, whose real name was Kasim Ryan, has died, according to his social media account. He was 52 years old.
He died “unexpectedly” on Saturday. A statement on his Instagram account, verified by NBC News, said Monday. He praised his contributions to firefighting, his beloved Brownsville neighborhood and hip-hop as part of a “life of service – to his city, his community and his music.”
The cause of death was not available and a spokesperson for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not immediately respond to a request for information.
“Captain Ryan has served the FDNY and the people of New York with distinction for over 20 years, serving in both the Bronx and Brooklyn,” New York City Fire Department spokesman Jim Long said in an email. . “The Ryan family is in our thoughts during their loss.”
The rapper's art gained notoriety among critics, songwriters, and peers relatively late in his life, when he first captivated audiences in 2008 with messages and music that existed almost entirely below the surface, in an indie rap scene where the charts and Ferraris had little currency. . .
Ka became known for his published lyrics and collaborations with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA and producer Roc Marciano. He has maintained a place in the minds of critics and fellow hip-hop artists for his humble, subtle, and hard-hitting rhymes, with some calling him one of hip-hop's greatest writers.
The track “$,” featured on Ka’s acclaimed 2016 album “Honor Killed the Samurai,” took mainstream hip-hop by storm, describing it as a celebration of a time of metaphorical war.
“For greed, I beg you, how many cars do you need? When parents bleed to fill the ribs of their barely readable children / F— their booty rhymes, and new ones are found for you to buy / If you don’t buy them Soup lines and churches,” he wrote.
In a 2016 profile titled, Music Publication The Fader called “New York rap’s greatest living treasure.” Hip-hop journalist Jeff Weiss said Mósegunda-feiran X Ji Ka was a “master of silent rage” whose music “had pain, sadness and wisdom in every bar”.
An announcement on Ka's Instagram page states that he has 11 albums to his name. “He left an extraordinary legacy as an artist,” he said.
Ka's story is rare on several levels, including his success later in life after abandoning the recording studio in favor of a 20-year career as a firefighter, which, according to an excerpt from his Instagram account, led to the historic tragedy of September 11th. . As a first responder and eventually saw him reach the rank of captain.
He told The Fader that a cousin gave him $1,000 in 1989 so he could buy studio time. In 1994, Ka's name first appeared on a record when he participated in a project called Natural Elements, a collective of MCs and hip-hop artists.
His microphone dreams faded and he didn't return to recording until the early 2000s, releasing “Iron Works” in 2008. She told Complex magazine that she felt inspired to show her mother that she hadn't wasted her youth. To be a rapper
“I wanted to give my mother a CD to keep in her hands,” he says. “I just wanted to prove that I didn’t waste 20 years mastering a craft without something to show for it.”
According to music publication Pitchfork, Ka's reputation as a poetic emcee reached fellow Brooklyn native GZA (Gary Grice) in the Wu-Tang Group that year. GZA invited him to rap on the track “Firehouse” from GZA’s “Pro Tools” album. Ka's turn behind the mic with GZA seems to prove his status as a low-key legend.
The track was preceded by several singles that promoted Ka's name as a top songwriter. His last known recording, “The Thief Next to Jesus,” was released in August.
Ka is survived by his wife, mother and sister, according to a statement on his Instagram account.
