The New York City singer and producer Ka, who also served as a fire department commander, passed away. He was 52.
The actor, born Kaseem Ryan, died Saturday in New York City, his , cultural media , pages , announced Monday. A cause of death was never revealed. ” Ka lived a life of service — to his metropolis, to his society, and to his music”, the statement said.
The band’s family, film maker Mimi Valdés, confirmed the news of her father’s death on her own , Instagram. ” My prince, my hero, my best friend”, she wrote Monday.
” You will always be my all because like like ours lasts forever”, Valdés added. ” Sleep my wonderful husband, see you on the other side”.
A Brooklyn native, Ka was best known for channeling his personal battles and feelings into conceptual songs, including” Conflicted”,” Mourn at Night” and”  , Sirens“. Throughout his song occupation, which he balanced with his fire department services, Ka self-released 11 single songs, including the lauded 2016 recording” Honor Killed the Samurai”, according to his Instagram.
Music was medical, Ka said during a , 2016 Q&, A , for the Red Bull Music Academy.
” If I was n’t doing it, then I’ll probably be crazy. Not saying I’m not crazy, but I’ll be more crazy if I was n’t able to just vent and get all this stuff out”, he said. ” Kind clean — that’s what each record is”.
Ka was born Aug. 11, 1972, in the Brownsville region of Brooklyn and grew off amid the conception of hip-hop. In the 1990s, he began to take his music really when he joined the local underground band Natural Elements, which also had members who included Mr. Voodoo. Fragile about his efforts, Ka left the group and set tunes to the side, according to a 2013 , interview , with Complex.
As Ka concentrated on his individual life, including his job as a fire, song became a personal endeavor. During his service, Ka had become a FDNY commander and was a first officer during the 9/11 criminal attacks. At first, Ka kept his music career under covers, but a , 2016 report , by the New York Post did ahead with that privacy, sparking , backlash , from hip-hop artists, including Run the Jewels ‘ Killer Mike and El-P.
By therefore, Ka had self-released four songs, collaborated with” Shadowboxin ‘” singer GZA, taught himself how to make his own song, shot his own video and connected with rapper-producer Roc Marciano.
Independence was a foundation of Ka’s job: He created his Iron Works report tag and had taken it upon himself to showcase his song and , buy his own product, even , lately. Ka’s most recent album,” The Thief Next to Jesus”, came out in August.
The statement shared on his Instagram read,” We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss.
Shortly after news of his death broke Monday, artists including Marciano,  , Busta Rhymes , Lena Waithe,  , Quinta Brunson , and , Octavia Spencer , shared their condolences. In a statement released on Tuesday with The Times, FDNY spokesman Jim Long also expressed good wishes for Ka’s family.
In his Instagram tribute, Marciano wrote,” Ryan was the strongest brother I knew, he was a giver and a big part of my development as a man myself, and you did that for so many, but that’s just part of the package that comes with having ka as a friend.” ” I’ve learned a lot from you and am still so to this day. I want to thank you once more for everything you have done for me, brother. I’m going to miss our basketball conversations and how you could make my son laugh because he really liked you too.
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