Beloved Brooklyn underground rapper, producer and firefighter Ka (née Kaseem Ryan) has died. He was 52.
The news was shared via Ka's Instagram account in a statement that revealed that he "died unexpectedly" on Saturday (October 12), with no cause of death being reported at this time.
"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," the statement read. "He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven remarkable self-released solo albums," the most recent of which was The Thief Next to Jesus, released less than two months ago.
The rapper 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," the statement concluded.
A native of Brooklyn's Brownsville neighbourhood, Ka co-founded the hip-hop group Natural Elements in 1993, and later had a shorter-lived, lesser-known mid-'90s ensemble called Nightbreed. After a long hiatus from music, he was featured on GZA's 2008 album Pro Tools and released his debut solo record Iron Works independently that same year. As aforementioned, Ka remained prolific from that point forward, with the majority of his 11 collections being largely or entirely self-produced.