Ka, the beloved independent Brooklyn rapper born Kaseem Ryan, died on Saturday at the age of 52. The news was shared on his official Instagram page.
While no cause of death was given, in the Instagram statement, it said he “died unexpectedly.”
“Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Ka lived a life of service—to his city, to his community, and to his music,” the statement continued. “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.”
The indie Brooklyn rapper was known for his soft, careful phrasing when delivering his verses and minimalist beats over the course of 11 self-released albums, the last of which, The Thief Next to Jesus, arrived in August.
Prior to going solo, he was a member of the group Natural Elements and was also in a group called Nightbreed. He released all of his solo albums on his own label, titled Iron Works, which was also the name of his debut album.
In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2016 about his album Honor Killed the Samurai, the rapper revealed that he was then a captain of the New York City Fire Department (he was also a first responder on September 11, 2001, per the statement on his Instagram). In the interview, he also addressed how he bucked the hip-hop flavor of the day, eschewing harder beats for lighter touches.
“That’s me being a writer, growing up and being like, ‘Did you hear what I said?’ and seeing people zoned out on the beat — ‘This beat is fire.”’I used to get jealous: The beat ain’t better than me!” he said.
“So it started quieting down to where I could let people know: I spent three months on that verse. I spent a lot of time on this one line. Did you hear that line? I went to quieter beats, and I started really digging them and felt like I flow on them in a way that evoked a feeling. That’s where I’m at right now. I want to create nice songs, but I want to do that shit that Tupac used to do. A Tupac song came on, you’d get goosebumps. How did he put feeling in that song? That’s what I’m trying to do now.”
He released several albums afterward, including 2020’s Descendents of Cain, 2021’s A Martyr’s Reward, and his final album, The Thief Next to Jesus.
“He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven remarkable self-released solo albums,” the statement announcing his death said. “Ka is survived by his wife, mother and sister. We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss.”