On the passing of Kaseem “KA” Ryan, our most powerful scribe.
“With love comes hate…can’t have one without the other.” ~ KA
In 1989, a cousin of KA’s called Dion gave him $1000 to be used for recording at a ‘real studio’ according to The Fader Magazine. Born & bred in Brownsville, Brooklyn, ;ocally KA was known as an MC who was once a member of the group Natural Elements and the duo Nightbreed. Just ten years later in 1999, KA became disillusioned with music and/or the music business, and he became a firefighter with the FDNY. A first responder on 9/11, he’d rise in the field to become a captain with 20 years of service.
In 2008 KA was reintroduced into Hip Hop fans’ ciphers via his appearance on GZA’s Pro Tools LP on the song entitled “Firehouse”. He followed with his debut solo LP Iron Works which he also named his independent label. In his entire solo career, KA released his music on his own terms and his own label. He was a pioneer of music merchandising in the 2010s & 2020s, creating garments bearing the names and imagery of his albums made of a far higher quality than the average “rap merch” and at much higher price-points. KA himself would pack your order and mail it out to you directly — he did this for many years, somehow juggling a marriage, his family, a very high-profile and high-stress job as a firefighting captain and the work as the owner/operator of a successful independent Hip Hop record label, Iron Works, with only one artist — KA.
KA had recently tweeted his personal reasons for ceasing the operation of the shipping/handling of his merchandise and music direct to the consumer, explaining that problems with the mail carriers and damage/loss of orders, plus the complaints of customers had begun to have a negative effect on his mental health and his general well-being — so he made the difficult decision to change his business practices and only sell his physical music and merchandise at local pop-ups in New York.
He’d just conducted an extremely successful pop-up for his latest LP, The Thief Next to Jesus. His wife Mimi Valdes shared a video montage of the event on her Instagram page, filmed by Mark Shaw, showing the sheer joy and deep love KA’s fans had for him, and he for them.
The loss of KA at the age of 52 is one that will reverberate through the Hip Hop community forever, as he is, was and always will be one of our most powerful scribes. He left us with many, many parables to unravel in the form of his LPs, collaborative albums, and EPs. As he ascends, let us celebrate one of the foremost writers, MCs and producers of our time — his legacy is eternally intertwined in the DNA of Hip Hop, in this epoch and the next. His Iron Works remain, for now, available to purchase digitally on his website BrownsvilleKA.com
Rest in Peace to one of my most revered, favorite and beloved MCs of ALL time. From Allah/God we come and verily to Allah/God, we do indeed return.
