Beloved independent Brooklyn rapper and former 9/11 responder Ka – born Kaseem Ryan – has passed away, according to his social media accounts.
He was 52.
The rapper passed away on Saturday (October 12th) in his hometown in New York City. The news of his death was shared Monday (October 14th) in a statement by his surviving family.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Kaseem Ryan (1972-2024), the rapper and producer known as Ka,” the post read. “Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Ka lived a life of service — to his city, to his community, and to his music.”
“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,” they continued.
“He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven remarkable self-released solo albums.”
Ka’s cause of death was not released.
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The underground rapper and producer got his early in the early 90s as a member of the group Natural Elements and in the duo NightBreed before releasing his first solo album “Iron Works” in 2008.
The album caught the attention of Wu Tang Clan member GZA who invited him to feature on his 2008 album “Pro Tools” appearing on a song called “Firehouse.”
He also served as a firefighter, even making it to captain in 2009. In a 2013 interview with Complex, the unerground rapper opened up the moment his fellow first responders learned about his rap career.
“It’s funny, they didn’t know I rapped for a long time. But then Grief Pedigree put the kibosh on that shit,” he said.
“One of the dudes was driving home from my job and he had satellite radio and ‘Cold Facts’ came on. And he said ‘Hold on… that sounds like Ka? And his name is Ka?’”
“He put two and two together, he came to work the next day and started telling everybody, and then he went on YouTube and pulled up the videos,” he added.
“But until then, it was very quiet. But it’s funny because now, I didn’t tell them I put out a new album. I let things just die down, they thought it was just a one time shot.”
May he rest in peace.
