Every few years, there comes a rapper whose artistic merit and sheer skill on the microphone can never be replicated. Brownsville Ka, though his name may not ring as familiar as 2Pac or Kendrick Lamar or even MF DOOM, is amongst those greats.
Over the course of his career, Ka redefined the art of lyricism in hip hop. His ability to build vivid concepts and weave wordplay into his social commentary is the stuff of legends. To put it plainly, a throwaway Ka verse would be most rappers’ best verse. From his debut Iron Works to his final masterpiece The Thief Next to Jesus, the MC’s catalogue has solidified him as a god amongst lyricists and a truly mythical wordsmith.
The Early Years
Born in 1972, Kaseem Ryan was fascinated with hip hop from an early age. Raised in the Brownsville neighbourhood in Brooklyn, Ryan’s bleak surroundings would serve as the foundations for his music. Crime, drugs, and poverty were rife during the rapper’s upbringing, made even more intolerable by the constant worry that, at any point, his life could fall into chaos.
After dropping out of college, Ryan quickly fell into the world of drugs. Unconfident in his academic abilities, he followed in his cousin’s footsteps. “I started with my cousin giving me just a little something to move on my own, and we were all in the same house together anyways, so I already knew what I was supposed to do with it.”
In the ‘90s, Ryan’s relationship to hip hop grew stronger. Under the moniker KA, he made friends with Charlemagne and Mr. Voodoo, and joined the group Natural Elements, though they would never release a full project together. Ka felt he was the weakest MC of the bunch, and so voluntarily left the group, afraid he was holding the others back. Afterwards, he joined forces with close friend Kev to form Nightbreed, but the duo’s plans to make their mark on the genre fizzled into nothing. Defeated, Ka put down the pen, but his love for hip hop never wavered. It was not until the mid-2000s that his partner encouraged him to give music another try. Motivated once more, Brownsville Ka set out to make an album dedicated to all those who believed in him, to give them something back for all their encouragement. The result was Iron Works.
Iron Works (2008)
Not every debut can be an Illmatic, or a Ready to Die, or a 3 Feet High and Rising. Iron Works is far from perfect. It’s rough around the edges, littered with production quirks, and bloated at points. However, there is still so much to appreciate. Ka is ferocious on the mic, providing the grit and emotion necessary to give his street tales a razor-sharp impact. With all that in mind, Iron Works is like most debut albums: a flash of genius and tenfold as much forgettable material.
The sound of Iron Works is grimy and explosive, and while this makes for a cohesive soundscape, it means the songs blur together, indistinct as track after track follows the same structure with little unique flavour. Ka’s rapping is fantastic. It’s bold, aggressive, and loud, contrasted by his harrowing stories of the streets of New York. Through Iron Works, Ka laid the thematic groundwork for his catalogue. Poverty, crime, and perseverance make up the writing of the LP, offering the listener a taste of the vivid symbolism and deep introspection that make his music so special.
Grief Pedigree (2012)
A few years later, in 2012, Ka released his sophomore effort, Grief Pedigree. In every regard, the album is an improvement upon his debut. Sonically, it’s colourful and varied, with rhythmic, head-bopping bangers followed by cold, atmospheric passages. Ka’s performance is also a stark change from the bombastic shouts of Iron Works. Rather than growling into the mic, his raps come across as gravelly whispers, conversational yet subdued. His presence implores the listener to pay attention to every word, revealing the endless nuances in his writing.
I was on it all, welfare, WIC, and soup lines
Free lunch every day, in the summer two times
If life's one big road, I need new signs
Used to save pennies and nickels, to run through dimes
- Ka, “Every…”
The main downfall of Grief Pedigree is in its sense of cohesion. Its tracks all sound fantastic in isolation, but there is little thematic glue holding them together. Later in the rapper’s career, slick transitions, overarching concepts, and multifaceted narratives would define his work. Therefore, an album like Grief Pedigree, as solid as it is, pales in comparison to what would come later.
The Night’s Gambit (2013)
The Night’s Gambit is when Ka found his voice as an artist. The album’s title references a move in chess where the player risks sacrificing their knight to gain advantage. This represents Ka’s mantra in life: willing to make sacrifices, and take bold risks, to get ahead. Through making his art, and through surviving the streets, Ka has played the move many times over, and The Night’s Gambit is the product of all that sacrifice.
From a production standpoint, the LP is leagues ahead of Grief Pedigree, despite only releasing a year later. Its sound is dark and desolate, reflecting the bleak environment of Ka’s upbringing in Brownsville. The percussion is faint, and often absent entirely, creating a vast, echoey effect to underline the isolation and darkness of the rapper’s situation. That absence of rhythm in the production highlights the rhythm of Ka’s words, adding emphasis to his lyrics as poetry read aloud. Lyrically, the LP is Ka’s finest yet. Every line is packed with its own nuances, whether it be wordplay, double entendre, or metaphor. Take this bar on “Our Father”, for example:
Ate crumbs from the great slums, now it's feast when I dine
Unless it's pork on my fork, never breaching the swine
- Ka, “Our Father”
One might argue that these lines are an expression of Ka’s honour; an assertation of his dedication to his principles, or with the allusion to pork, perhaps even to his faith. However, in another lens, the lines read not as pious but as anti-establishment, with Ka only entertaining the concept of pigs when it comes to his meals, never paying respect to the corrupt police who taint his environment. It’s these subtle uses of double entendre that keep the listener guessing. The ambiguity and layers of Ka’s writing make repeated listens all the more rewarding.
Days with Dr. Yen Lo (2015)
On most of Ka’s albums, the rapper produces himself, seldom bringing in other voices to rap, let alone produce. Days with Dr. Yen Lo is a rare exception: a concept album with Ka on vocals and DJ Preservation in charge of production. The album’s title references the character Dr. Yen Lo from the film and novel The Manchurian Candidate, who can be heard sampled throughout the LP. The album does not follow a strict narrative like the film it’s based on, but its themes bleed into Ka’s writing, which is as poignant and poetic as ever.
When you raised 'round rage and vengeance you can change
But in the veins remains major remnants
- Ka, “Day 811”
Ka and Preservation work together brilliantly. Unlike The Night’s Gambit, the sound of Yen Lo is far grander, with overwhelming waves of samples woven into its production. Even so, Ka masters every beat, flowing through every busy instrumental and using his cadence to provide rhythm whenever the drums fizzle into silence. The atmosphere is rich and enthralling, all thanks to Preservation’s unwavering talent for crafting immersive instrumentals. Ka’s writing is excellent as always, but it’s the DJ who elevates Yen Lo to another level.
Honour Killed the Samurai (2016)
Ka’s first masterpiece. He uses the samurai as a symbol for honour, altruism, and courage – virtues Ka strives for but which, in this world, are ultimately impossible to maintain. The rapper discusses his struggle to be honourable in the chaotic environment he finds himself in, destined to involve himself in crime and malice despite his best efforts. The code of the samurai is outdated in the harsh reality of our world, so to live by that honour is, according to Ka, the road to death.
Mommy told me, "Be a good boy
Need you alive, please survive, you my hood joy"
Pops told me, "Stay strapped, son
"You need the shotty, be a body or catch one"
- Ka, “Conflicted”
Honour Killed the Samurai is when Ka entered his lyrical prime. Every song is littered with quotables. Every instance of wordplay and metaphor is on another level, not to mention the MC’s unwavering talent for polysyllabic rhyme schemes. Uttering each bar in his gentle, whispered tone, he spits every lyric with effortless finesse, as if his mind-bending skills are merely second nature. For newcomers to the rapper’s sound, there is no greater starting point than Honour Killed the Samurai.
Orpheus vs. the Sirens (2018)
Much in the same vein as Dr. Yen Lo, this LP sees Ka adopt a new moniker to collaborate with a producer. Under the guise of Hermit and the Recluse, Orpheus vs. the Sirens is the grandiose crossover between Ka and Animoss. The album is a thematic masterpiece wherein the MC likens his struggles to Greek legends, referencing different gods and ancient fables to parallel with his own turbulent past.
On “Orpheus”, Ka compares himself to the legendary musician whose music had the power to move all beings from beasts to men to gods. On “Atlas”, he likens himself to the Titan with the weight of the world on his shoulders, reflective of his place in hip hop and his undying dedication to the art form.
I want peace each death left the crew in tears
Committed living in these hard bars, I'm doing years
Appears they not peers what they doing weak
How it's lookin', Brooklyn birth Gods like they do in Crete
- Ka, “Atlas”
Orpheus vs. the Sirens is the perfect Ka album. An erudite look into the rapper’s past, articulated through a range of complex, mythology-laced metaphors and performed over a batch of intricate beats. Sonically cohesive and thematically spotless, this is hip hop in its highest form.
Descendants of Cain (2020)
Though Ka’s discography is crammed full of brilliant albums, Descendants of Cain rises above the rest as my favourite. The title itself is a double entendre. On one hand, it refers to Cain, the Biblical figure who killed his own brother, likening his betrayal to the self-destruction American communities face, tearing one another apart through violence. On the other, it references cocaine, evoking the idea that Ka, and all those like him, are children of a life of drugs and criminal struggle. Through its title alone, Ka sets up Descendants of Cain as an album like no other.
After grade sev', break bread, my friends ate
The cypher's muddied, the cycle bloody 'til all my men straight
- Ka, “Old Justice”
On the LP, Ka compares the violence and struggle of Americans to Biblical fables. He uses Biblical passages to illustrate his own past with violence and crime. Much like how the Bible is used as a tool to teach its worshippers how to better themselves, Descendants of Cain moves in a similar direction. Ka uses Biblical teachings in contrast to his own crime-riddled past, imploring his listeners not to follow the same path.
Moms made rice, I ain't leave a grain
Nobody played nice, I was breedin' pain
Had to cuff a gun 'cause nothin' done in Jesus name
Years of school was cool, but only street smarts, we retain
- Ka, “Every Now and Then”
In terms of production, the album is extraordinary. Descendants of Cain offers some of the darkest and most desolate sounds in Ka’s catalogue, with songs seamlessly transitioning to create a chilling, unified whole.
A Martyr’s Reward (2021)
On A Martyr’s Reward, Ka does away with the layered concepts to offer his most straightforward effort since Grief Pedigree. He speaks on all the same topics – his struggle in Brownsville, the suffering of his community, the rifeness of crime – but rather than cloaking it in Biblical imagery or Greek mythology, he speaks with brutal transparency. Ka compares himself to a martyr: a figure willing to sacrifice himself for a greater cause, or in this case, a man who has gone through unspeakable hardships and strives to prevent anyone from following the same path.
Cops got us under microscopes to make sure we see cells
Know my first vitamin was iron, but I just wanted to beat 12
Didn't dwell by the sea shore, but was sure to see shells
- Ka, “I Notice”
A Martyr’s Reward has all the same lyrical nuance and instrumental depth of a great Ka record, but the brutal honesty with which the rapper articulates his experiences make for an undeniably harrowing listen. The production may not be quite as immersive as Descendants of Cain nor as breathtaking as Orpheus, but the lyrical content alone is enough to call the LP a standout in the rapper’s catalogue.
Languish Arts and Woeful Studies (2022)
Only a year after A Martyr’s Reward, Ka returned with two albums in the same day. Languish Arts and Woeful Studies, like their predecessor, are not as conceptually ambitious nor as thematically tight as the rapper’s previous efforts, but there is still so much to appreciate. The skeletal production, coupled with Ka’s ominous, whispered delivery, never fail to deliver, especially when his writing abilities are unfathomably sharp.
Hard boil the deep hate as a keepsake
Hope the bandage last from the damaged past I can’t reshape
Was just saving the push, kick, flip, wasn’t a cheapskate
All assassins things after the king trying to seek mate
- Ka, “Touché”
The album is filled with nuggets of knowledge and introspection. Ka offers his insight to the listener and reflects on the lessons he was taught about masculinity, strength, and perseverance. As a result, the twin albums serve the purpose not only for Ka to share his wisdom, but to reflect on the lessons provided by his teachers and how they carved his character. Together, the initials of both albums spell the word ‘LAWS’, solidifying the idea that Languish Arts and Woeful Studies are driven less by narrative, but by a purpose to inform and articulate.
The Thief Next to Jesus (2024)
When Ka announced The Thief Next to Jesus, nobody could have expected it would have been his final album. Released on 19th August 2024, the rapper passed away just two months later, on 12th October, at the age of 52. Fans scarcely had enough time to digest the album before the news broke, and with the added context of Ka’s passing, The Thief Next to Jesus is a bittersweet conclusion to the rapper’s catalogue.
This is mastery, almost at capacity
Take God's name in vain, don't blame if they can't blast for me
Of course, them thugs are who I love and never ask a fee
Must admit it's some vicious pictures in this tapestry
- Ka, “Borrowed Time”
Much like Descendants of Cain, here Ka uses Christianity as the whetstone to sharpen his pen. However, rather than pulling from fables and psalms, The Thief Next to Jesus sees the rapper critique the establishment of Christianity, the place faith has in black America, and the role of religion in a land of endless struggle. Driven by gospel samples, the production fits his lyrics perfectly, transporting the listener to the halls of a church while Ka implores the listeners to band together against oppression and corruption.
Ain't nothing shook about me but my faith
Couple hundred years asking, nothing kept us safe
Ain't nothing shook about me but my faith
Still do us the same, if we in the same place
- Ka, “Fragile Faith”
Though the frequent allusions to mortality are to be expected on such a religiously focussed album, every mention of death rings harrowing with the knowledge that Ka is no longer with us. More than that, every reminder of his passing hurts all the more in the context of his own music, underlining what a tremendous loss it is, not just for hip hop, but for art. The Thief Next to Jesus is up there with the most focussed, cohesive, and consistent albums in Ka’s discography, and while no one would ever have wanted it to stop here, it is a brilliant note to end on.
Remembering Brownsville Ka
There will never be another artist like Brownsville Ka. We have seen plenty of godly lyricists, conceptual geniuses, and rhyming masterminds in hip hop, but seldom can an artist perfect all three skills at once.
Ka was not naturally talented. When he started out, he was rusty. He left Natural Elements because he feared he was holding his fellow rappers back; he left the music scene altogether when Nightbreed led nowhere. Nonetheless, his love for hip hop remained. Years on, that undying passion for rhyming brought him back to make Iron Works. It was nothing spectacular, but Ka continued rhyming regardless. Just a few years later, he gifted hip hop with The Night’s Gambit, then Orpheus vs. the Sirens, and Descendants of Cain not long after that. Ka is not your average ‘all-time’ rapper. He did not start strong and fizzle out; he debuted with his worst effort and worked his way up to deliver masterpieces. From his struggles in Brownsville to his come-up in the music scene, Ka is a symbol of perseverance. His music has always been focussed on pushing through hardships and never giving in. In every album, Ka reminded the listener not to give up, but the rapper’s presence alone was enough to inspire.
Ka represented hope, and strength, and passion. He will always be remembered as a legend. Kaseem Ryan was a true revolutionary whose art will be cherished for years to come.
May you live a nice long life, hope it's (Beautiful)
May you live a nice long life, hope it's (Beautiful)
- Ka, “Beautiful”
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