Ka

Early years Kaseem Ryan was born on August 11, 1972, in New York City and grew up in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. He initially developed an interest in hip hop as a child in the late 1970s; in an interview with Vice, he estimated that he began rapping around the age of eight.

Listening to Slick Rick inspired Ryan to pursue rap as a career. Ryan stated that his earliest recorded song dates back to roughly 1990, when he and a friend composed a song called "Clown Ass Niggas". Reflecting on the song in 2012, Ryan described it as "horrible", but stated that he had appreciated the opportunity to experience recording in a studio. Ryan attended City College of New York with Mr. Voodoo of Natural Elements. After witnessing Ryan casually rapping with some friends in a hallway, Voodoo invited Ryan to come to his North Bronx studio and meet his producer Charlemagne. performing as K A, through which he released a twelve-inch single titled "2 Roads Out the Ghetto" in 1998. In 2012, Ka released the follow-up Grief Pedigree on his label Iron Works. The album was self-produced and featured a guest appearance by Roc Marciano. Ka would release seven further solo albums throughout his career. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, he described himself as writing from the perspective of "the man who's lived the life already, got out of it, now is trying to lead the honest life".

Firefighting career In an August 2016 New York Post story, Ryan was identified as a Brooklyn-based FDNY fire captain. In a 2013 interview, Ryan discussed being a firefighter: "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."

Musical style Ka's rapping was characterized by quiet, understated delivery and densely packed lyrics, He produced much of his own music, which was frequently drumless. The cause of death was not announced. Release: August 18, 2018 Label: Obol for Charon Format: CD, LP, digital download

EPs + List of EPs, with selected details Title Album details 1200 B.C. (with Preservation) Released: June 2014 Label: Iron Works Format: CD, 7" vinyl, digital download The Superfly Single Released: January 2016 Label: Iron Works Format: CD, digital download

Guest appearances Title Year Other performer(s) Album "Firehouse" 2008 GZA Pro Tools "Nine Spray"2012Roc MarcianoReloaded "Not Told"Roc Marciano, Knowledge the Pirate "Squeeze" 2013 Roc Marciano, Guilty Simpson Marci Beaucoup "Confucius" Roc Marciano "Delaney Card" 2016 Little Shalimar Rubble Kings Soundtrack "Marksmen" 2017 Roc Marciano Rosebudd's Revenge "Ephesians" 2019 Roc Marciano Marcielago "In Good Hands" 2020 Navy Blue Àdá Irin "A Cure for the Common" Preservation Eastern Medicine, Western Illness "Family Dollar" Chuck Strangers Too Afraid to Dance "Interlude" 2025 Che Noir Seeds in Babylon "Circa" 2026 Navy Blue Sir Render