Ka, Beloved Rapper of the Brooklyn Underground, Dies at 52

Ka, the storied Brooklyn rapper and proudly independent musician born Kaseem Ryan, has died, according to a statement posted to his official social media channels. A hero of drumless beats, hushed vocals and an effortlessly wordy flow, he “died unexpectedly” this past Saturday (October 12) in New York. “We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss,” the post reads. He was 52.

“Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Ka lived a life of service—to his city, to his community, and to his music,” the statement continues. “As a 20-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, he put his life on the line to protect his fellow citizens. Ka rose to the rank of FDNY captain and was a first responder on September 11, 2001 during the attacks on the World Trade Center. He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven remarkable self-released solo albums.”

From his debut record with Natural Elements, in 1994, on through to his final solo album, August’s The Thief Next to Jesus, Ka carefully considered each word in his raps and the impact it could have on his local community. Seeing that through, he often hosted DIY events for his album releases where he would talk to fans one-on-one and celebrate bringing people together in person. Arguably most famously of all, Ka took great strides to remain independent wherever possible, from self-producing his work to shipping orders himself, never taking for granted that he landed a second life in music.

For Ka, hip-hop was love on first listen. As a six-year-old, he heard a rap song drift out of the radio and was immediately transfixed. “I knew as a child this was for me—I was chosen for it. It was my music,” he later told Impose. Though he witnessed hip-hop’s rise firsthand in his Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn, Ka didn’t rush through the songwriting process or learning how to hone his own unique flow. Instead, he took a pen to paper and, after a friend taught him to zoom out when writing, started focusing on crafting verses instead of just lines.

His first big break came with Natural Elements, the underground New York group led by Mr. VooDoo, L-Swift, and G-Blass. Ka was a natural fit as they carved out their place in the city’s independent rap scene, and they were quickly offered a development deal with Def Jam Recordings with some help from A&R talent scout Dante Ross. Four songs and one studio trip later, it fizzled out. Ka felt like the odd man out. In his own head and down on his verses, he left the group. Apart from a brief turn linking up with rapper Kev to form Nightbreed and dropping the 1998 indie rap 12″ “2 Roads Out the Ghetto,” Ka started to retreat into the shadows for good.