Kaseem ‘Ka’ Ryan, New York City rapper-producer and firefighter, dies at 52
Ka, the New York City rapper and producer who also served as a captain in the New York City Fire Department, has died. He was 52.
The artist, born Kaseem Ryan, died Saturday in New York City, his social media pages announced Monday. A cause of death was not revealed. “Ka lived a life of service — to his city, to his community, and to his music,” the statement said.
The rapper’s wife, film producer Mimi Valdés, confirmed the news of her husband’s death on her own Instagram. “My king, my hero, my best friend,” she wrote Monday.
“You will always be my everything because love like ours lasts forever,” Valdés added. “Rest my beautiful husband, see you on the other side.”
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A Brooklyn native, Ka was best known for channeling his personal battles and feelings into conceptual songs, including “Conflicted,” “Mourn at Night” and “Sirens.” Throughout his music career, which he balanced with his fire department service, Ka self-released 11 solo albums, including the lauded 2016 recording “Honor Killed the Samurai,” according to his Instagram.
Music was therapeutic, Ka said during a 2016 Q&A for the Red Bull Music Academy.
“If I wasn’t doing it, then I’ll probably be crazy. Not saying I’m not crazy, but I’ll be more crazy if I wasn’t able to just vent and get all this stuff out,” he said. “Kinda purge — that’s what each album is.”
Ka was born Aug. 11, 1972, in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn and grew up amid the birth of hip-hop. He started taking his music seriously in the 1990s, around when he joined Natural Elements, a local underground group that also touted Mr. Voodoo among its members. Insecure about his contributions, Ka left the group and set music to the side, according to a 2013 interview with Complex.
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Music became a private endeavor as Ka focused on his personal life, including his work as a firefighter. During his service, Ka had become an FDNY captain and was a first responder during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At first, Ka kept his music career under wraps, but a 2016 report by the New York Post did away with that secrecy, sparking backlash from hip-hop artists, including Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike and El-P.
By then, Ka had self-released four albums, collaborated with “Shadowboxin’” rapper GZA, taught himself to produce his own music, shot his own videos and connected with rapper-producer Roc Marciano.
Independence was a pillar of Ka’s career: He created his Iron Works record label and had taken it upon himself to promote his music and sell his own merchandise, even recently. Ka’s most recent album, “The Thief Next to Jesus,” came out in August.
“We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss,” said the statement shared to his Instagram.
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Shortly after news of his death broke Monday, artists including Marciano, Busta Rhymes, Lena Waithe, Quinta Brunson and Octavia Spencer shared their condolences. FDNY spokesperson Jim Long also expressed well wishes for Ka’s loved ones in a statement shared Tuesday with The Times.
“Ryan was the strongest brother I knew, he was a giver and a big part of my development as man myself, and you did that for so many, but that’s just part of the package that comes with having ka as a friend,” Marciano said in his Instagram tribute. “I’ve learned so much from you and still am till this day. I wanna thank you again for everything you’ve done for me as a person brother. I love you and Im gonna miss us talking basketball and how u could make my son laugh he really loved you too.”
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