Brooklyn rapper and producer Ka passed away unexpectedly at the age of 52 on Saturday. His family confirmed the news in an Instagram post.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce Kaseem Ryan, the rapper and producer known as Ka, unexpectedly passed away on October 12th in New York at the age of 52,” his family wrote.
Ka was born in 1972 in Brownsville, a poor neighborhood in Brooklyn, which heavily influenced his personality and music. Throughout his career, Ka released 11 critically acclaimed albums. He began his musical journey in the early ’90s as part of the group Natural Elements. After leaving the group, he formed the duo Nightbreed with his friend Kev.
In 1999, Ka left the music industry to become a firefighter. He returned to music in 2008 as a solo artist, launching a successful run of albums with his debut solo project, Iron Works. His most recent album, The Thief Next to Jesus, was released in August of this year, according to Variety.
Ka rose to the rank of captain in the New York City Fire Department. He was among the first responders during the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Throughout his solo career, he balanced his roles as a firefighter and a rapper. “I have a full-time job. I’m working almost all the time,” he said in a 2013 interview with Complex. He often mentioned that his work as a firefighter gave him the freedom to pursue his art.
