Kaseem Ryan, better known as Ka, was an American rapper and producer from Brownsville, Brooklyn. In 1993 he joined the underground hip-hop group Natural Elements under the alias K.A. and made music for fans of 90’s hip-hop for the rest of his career:

My music is for those who miss early ‘90s hip hop when pain and struggle were the dominant themes. From my days with Natural Elements, then Nightbreed, I’ve always tried to remain true to what I believe is the real spirit of hip hop. If you’re going to rhyme, you should have something relevant and unique to say.

In 1998 he joined up with his friend Oddbrawl to form the rap group Nightbreed, but took a hiatus from rapping in 1999 to start his career as a firefighter for the FDNY.

In 2008 he released Iron Works with the intent of just sharing it with his family and friends, but one of his friends gave it to GZA. This resulted in GZA asking Ka to feature on the song “Firehouse.”

He became a captain for the FDNY in 2009 which caught him some heat in 2016 when the New York Post ‘outed’ him as an anti-cop rapper. This resulted in immediate backlash from the underground rap community and helped gain him more notoriety.

The internet age allowed Ka to gain a larger following. His dense and slow paced lyricism garnered comparisons with MF DOOM and his minimalistic production tended to heavily rely on obscure samples and movie skits to complement his spacious flow:

Almost everything I say has a double meaning and it’s why more than likely you won’t understand everything with just one listen. I craft my songs so that you pick up something new each time you hear it. My weapon is sharp now and I got books and books of ammo ready to let off.

Ka died on October 12, 2024 at the age of 52. The cause of death is currently unknown.