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Kaseem “KA” Ryan began his Hip-Hop career in relative obscurity in the 1990s but later emerged as one of the most important writers within the genre. With the news of KA passing away over the weekend going wide, Hip-Hop fans and artists alike are mourning the loss of the talented Brooklyn wordsmith.
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— Ka (@BrownsvilleKa) October 14, 2024
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KA was born Kaseem Ryan on August 11, 1972, and was a proud son of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. His musical career began as a member of the underground group Natural Elements but he would vacate his role, focusing on other endeavors.
After the Natural Elements stint, Ryan joined forces with his friend Kev to form the Nightbreed crew but, just as he did with his former group, Ryan felt that his abilities were lacking in comparison to his rhyming partners.
Ryan speaks about his background during a stellar 2016 interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, which you can find here.
KA would begin his long transformation as an artist via his debut album, Iron Works, which also was the name of his imprint and further a calling to his signature sound. The project caught the ears of fellow Brooklynite GZA, who invited Ryan to join the Wu-Tang Clan swordsman on the chilling track “Firehouse,” produced by Roc Marciano, another artist who transcended his earlier sound and took his art to a stripped-down but still potent level.
In 2012, KA would release Grief’s Pedigree, leaning further into his minimalist, sparse yet lyrically dense style. Blessed already with a distinct, gravelly voice, Ryan used his tone but also his shockingly vulnerable lyrics to great effect. It was not music designed for the day party. Instead, it was meant to be absorbed, dissected, studied, and overall, respected.
The Night’s Gambit. Honor Killed The Samurai. Descendants Of Cain. A Martyr’s Reward. Languish Arts. Woeful Studies. The Thief Next To Jesus. Each of these albums carries its own sonic identity and there is no recommended starting point. Each release is so dense that one will be unpacking the meanings over several dozen listens and still not catch everything.
One of Ryan’s greatest gifts was his commitment to a concept. His will to use every bit of his ability and how he managed to refine his writing on each outing became his calling card but it didn’t capture every measure of the man.
Outside of Hip-Hop, KA was a husband, homeowner, and a New York City firefighter. While he didn’t speak at great lengths about his job in his music, he would share some details of that part of his life in profiles and interviews. Another striking aspect of Ryan is that he didn’t define himself by measuring his success in music. He treated it as a natural extension of himself and perhaps a way to process the things he saw growing up and doing his part to add to the legacy of the culture by willing himself to greatness.
Throughout nine solo projects that he largely produced and two collaborative projects, he also oversaw shooting videos, managing merchandise, and conducting meet-and-greet events with his adoring fans, KA remained humble and grateful.
A quick scan of his social media accounts showcased his everpresent humility, and he engaged his fans when he found the time to do so. Every story that will surely emerge in the coming days was how gracious he was and made himself tangible despite his legendary status in Hip-Hop.
If you ever cared about the quality of songwriting in Hip-Hop and want to discover a shining example of the heights it can reach in the genre, we suggest giving KA a bit of your ear.
As Hip-Hop fans the world over mourn one of the mighty titans of the culture, the jewels KA left us will live on forever.
May he rest powerfully in peace.
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Photo: @brownsvilleka/Instagram
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Sean Combs, otherwise known as Diddy, was arrested earlier this week and formally charged in New York with sex trafficking, racketeering, and other charges. Diddy is currently serving out his pre-trial detention at a notorious Brooklyn detention center known for the poor state of its facility, violence, and being understaffed among other issues.
Diddy, who was denied bail and will remain housed until his sentencing, is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. As seen in The Daily Beast, the conditions of the Metropolitan Detention Center, largely known as the MDC, have been fodder for discussion in particular since the closing of the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. As the outlet noted, the MCC is where Jeffrey Epstein died under what some say were mysterious circumstances.
Combs’ legal team, Marc Agnifilo, and Teny R. Geragos, noted the poor state of the MDC in the filing of a motion for bail on Tuesday (September 17), it was mentioned that housing their client in a place that is “not fit for pre-trial detention” should be out of the question.
Throughout the Daily Beast, several instances are mentioned regarding the MDC’s deterioration, and the critiques levied upon the facility by judges and other officials date back several years. In January 2019, the MDC lost power, leaving the inmates inside suffering from the cold conditions without relief. As a result, a class action lawsuit was brought against the MDC and was settled for $10 million.
The MDC has previously housed other high-profile figures such as R. Kelly, Martin Shkreli, and Sam Bankman-Fried among others.
Agnifilo said on Tuesday after the hearing where charges were read that his team plans to appeal the $50 million bail decision.
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Photo: Getty
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Brooklyn may be gentrified from the bodegas down to the smoke shops, but don’t think that everything is as sweet as stevia around those parts.
Gothamist is reporting that a 37-year-old man was shot and killed in broad daylight Monday (Feb. 26), in front of a deli on the corner of Franklin Avenue and Lincoln Place in Crown Heights. According to police, the victim who was identified as Nazim Berry was shot in the head around 4:15 p.m. after getting into an argument over a Black & Mild cigar. Medics took Berry to Kings County hospital where he was pronounced dead not too long after.
Gothamist reports:
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” said Berry’s mother Danette Hollie, 58. “I can’t believe this is happening if right now. I can’t believe it. Like, you really killed my son over a cigarette? You take Nazim from me over a cigarette? His life is worth a cigarette?”
Officers were seen investigating the scene of the shooting on Monday evening, with a portion of the sidewalk in front of a corner deli sectioned off from the public.
“He loved this store right here, he loved coming to work with these people,” Hollie said of her son, who had worked at the deli. “Beautiful person. When I say beautiful, I’m going to miss him.”
Killed over a Black & Mild? We have to be better than this, man.
No arrests have been made as of yet as police continue to investigate Berry’s murder.
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André 3000 is going on the road on a multi-city tour to perform his New Blue Sun instrumental album over the next few weeks, beginning in Brooklyn, New York.
On Wednesday (January 24), André 3000 delivered some news that delighted fans of his critically acclaimed instrumental album, New Blue Sun. Beginning next Monday, he will embark on a tour consisting of live shows in support of the album, beginning with a show at The Crown Hill Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. Each show will be delivered as an intimate performance, and the tour will run through other major cities including Chicago, Detroit, his hometown of Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The tour is produced by Move Forward Productions.
The tour will include a stint at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, where André and the band will do two shows a night over three nights. André 3000 will be backed by a band featuring Carlos Niño, the multi-instrumentalist who also served as co-producer on New Blue Sun. Musicians Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, and Deantoni Parks, who also performed on the album, will be playing with him during the run of shows. The tour announcement comes after the André 3000’: New Blue Sun IMAX Live Experience, which was a one-night-only live stream of the album in IMAX theaters held on Tuesday (January 23) for audiences, who were treated to a Q&A session between André 3000 and moderator Terence Nance.
For those aiming to snag a picture or video while the show is taking place, you might be out of luck. On the first date at the Crown Hill Theater venue and at the dates scheduled for the Blue Note Jazz Club, the dates are billed as “phone-free experiences” with attendees required to use Yondr pouches during the performances. The concert tour will end on March 9 with a five-night run at The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles. Tickets will be on sale beginning on Wednesday from 10 AM through the production company’s website, A Myriad of Pyramids.
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Things in the streets of New York have been going from bad to worse over the past few years, but kids getting jumped for the sneakers on their feet (consistently) is a practice that hasn’t been seen for decades.
According to New York Daily News, that’s exactly what happened to a 13-year-old boy who was assaulted by a group of teenagers for his sneakers Friday (Jan. 12), in Brooklyn and made off with his footwear. Using a belt to beat him into submission, two boys and a girl pounced on the unsuspecting teen near 17th Street and Fourth Avenue in South Slope around 3:15 p.m.
Once they got what they wanted, they fled the scene but not before cameras around the vicinity captured their images.
The New York Daily News reports:
After grabbing the footwear, the muggers ran to the Prospect Ave. station and jumped on a Manhattan-bound R train, cops said.
The victim declined medical attention.
The NYPD on Tuesday released surveillance images of the three suspects and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
The girl, who has red braided hair, was wearing a pink hoodie, black pants and black sneakers. The two boys were wearing blue-and-black jackets and dark-colored pants.
We hate to be those people, but as sneakerheads we have to know which pair of sneakers exactly were taken. Were they some exclusive Air Jordans? Travis Scott’s? Off-White Nikes? We can’t really tell from the picture. It’s wrong and foul regardless, but we hope these kids aren’t risking jail time for a pair of everyday Air Max’s, Skechers or something.
What do y’all think of this? Let us know in the comments section below.
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December 4 is already an unofficial holiday among Hip-Hop heads and fans of Sean Corey Carter, better known as JAY-Z. If a handful of NYC City council members get their wish, JAY-Z Day will become an official New York City holiday.
You read that right. Jigga Day could become a real thing if a proposal pushing for Dec.4, JAY-Z’s day of birth, to become a NYC holiday, claiming the rapper’s impeccable rap skills and his business acumen as the main reasons he is deserving of such an honor.
The description for the proposed bill under the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations reads, “A resolution designating December 4 annually as Jay-Z Day in the City of New York and celebrating his legendary status as a masterful MC and lyricist and as an innovative entrepreneur.”
Who Exactly Is Backing The Bill?
Democrat Council Member Farah N. Louis, a Brooklyn native, late podcast pioneer and Hip-Hop attorney Combat Jack’s son, Council Member Chi Ossé, a Crown Heights native, plus Kevin C. Riley, Crystal Hudson, and Jennifer Gutiérrez all back the bill.
“In the spirit of celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, establishing an annual celebration to recognize a homegrown hero while proclaiming our municipal support is fitting to designate,” Louis said during a meeting for the proposal. “Our resolution is an emotional, practical banner raised. Jay-Z has shown the resilience to beat the odds, self-admitted errors, and has developed mechanisms to create opportunities for others. As always, he has done this work wearing Brooklyn and NYC on his heart.”
If approved, this proposal would follow The Book of Hov, an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library located at Grand Army Plaza, allowing visitors to reflect and celebrate the Brooklyn-born MC’s three-decade-long career.
JAY-Z Day sounds good to us.
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Photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty
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Kendrick Lamar is coming to Brooklyn. This time, as a resident with a new pricey penthouse acquisition in one of the borough’s most attractive neighborhoods.
According to reports, Kendrick Lamar is making a home in Brooklyn in a dazzling new penthouse on the waterfront of the borough. The Grammy Award winner is the latest resident of the Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a luxury condominium development at 90 Furman Street just blocks from the iconic bridge. The unit was reportedly purchased through a limited liability company entitled Dogg Pound Buildings for $8.6 million, and the deal to close was agreed upon earlier this month. The artist also owns properties in his native California.
The new condo is one of 106 units in the Pierhouse, which was built in 2015 and spans two buildings. The pied-à-terre Kendrick Lamar has purchased has four bedrooms throughout its three levels. The space also has a private rooftop with clear views of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the East River as part of the unit’s 2,000 square feet of outdoor space. Designed by Marvel Architects, the complex also allows residents to enjoy the amenities of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, which includes access to the elite Bamford Wellness Spa chain.
Kendrick Lamar’s acquisition marks the end of a months-long search by the “Money Trees” rapper. It was first reported that he was touring the highly popular Brooklyn Heights neighborhood in August by the New York Post, which stated that he checked out the Quay Towers nearby and the Olympia condominium complex in the Dumbo area. He’s now part of a dazzling list of celebrities who have decided to make Brooklyn home including Zendaya, Matt Damon, along with Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, but he’s been a recurring fixture in the borough – he chose an intimate venue for a surprise pop-up show after his Barclays Center concert last year.
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The New York City subway system continues to prove to be a dangerous place as two people were shot Tuesday (Nov. 28), in a moving train.
According to the New York Daily News, two men including a 17-year-old straphanger fell victim to gun violence while on a Manhattan-bound C train that was pulling into the Ralph Avenue station in Bedford-Stuyvesant around 5:40 p.m. Luckily for the victims, the injuries were non-life threatening as the teen was shot in the hand while the other man took a bullet to the ankle.
The New York Daily News reports:
The gunman, described by police sources as a heavy-set young man about 16 to 22 years old, took off when the train rumbled into the station.
Medics took the teen victim to Bellevue Hospital and the older victim to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.
Manhattan-bound C trains ran express from Broadway Junction to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts. while police investigated the shooting, the MTA said.
Man you just can’t get around in New York City these days. Whether it’s on the train or bandidas sticking up yellow cab drivers, you’re probably better off taking a Citi Bike or something.
No arrests have been made yet, but if you’re taking public transportation, keep your head on a swivel out there cause things are bad, b.
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The Carter family has another reason to be proud. JAY-Z and his mother were honored at the annual Brooklyn Public Library gala for their philanthropic efforts.
The New York Times is reporting that the mogul and his mom were both given a special distinction in their beloved borough. They were honored for their joint efforts to bring balance to America’s educational system via their Shawn Carter Foundation. On Monday, October 2 the invite only event was held at the main branch of the facility. While Gloria Carter was not in attendance the “Empire State Of Mind” MC was joined by Desiree Perez, senior executive at Roc Nation. Also in the house were other high profile names including Gayle King, Mayor Eric Adams, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, Clara Wu Tsai who co-owns The Brooklyn Nets while Questlove provided the music. JAY-Z was introduced by Senator Chuck Schumer who made multiple references to Hov’s biggest songs.
“As Senate majority leader, I got 99 problems,” joked the politician. “By the way,” Schumer said, “I live across the street and I wake up every morning reading your lyrics,” referring to the rapper’s lyrics that brand the outside of the library. Wearing a black tuxedo JAY-Z took the stage and made it clear he was humbled by the “Book Of Hov” exhibit. “I thought maybe it was like a small room, and it was more than what I deserved,” he explained. “I walked in, and I saw this incredible display. And my [grandmother] Hattie White got to see it,” he added. “She just turned 98 years old, and she’s seen a lot of things. That experience was just overwhelming”.
According to the website the Shawn Carter Foundation provides “college scholarships for young people who have talent and drive but due to mitigating circumstances their grade point averages fall below the minimum to qualify for support at other foundations and institutions.”
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A Brooklyn teen has been arrested and charged as an adult in the murder of dancer O’Shae Sibley, and it has been deemed a hate crime.
On Saturday (Aug. 5), it was announced at a press conference held by the New York Police Department that they had detained the individual suspected in the fatal stabbing of O’Shae Sibley. NYPD Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said that the suspect, who is 17, is being charged as an adult with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
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Kenny said that the suspect lives and goes to high school in Brooklyn and explained the reasoning behind the charges. Surveillance footage at the Coney Island Avenue gas station on July 29 showed Sibley dancing and vogueing as his friends were refueling their car before being confronted by another group of men in the parking lot. “They began to use derogatory names and homophobic slurs against them,” he said of the events leading up to the altercation. One person approached Sibley, stabbing him in his rib cage before fleeing in an SUV. “They also made anti-Black statements,” Kenny said.
“Parents lost a child, a child to something clearly that was a hate crime,” said Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference, which was held outside of the gas station in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. “It wasn’t as though someone turned themselves in out of the goodness of their heart,” he continued, crediting law enforcement and community involvement for the arrest. “It was out of the proper investigation and coordination that led to no other thing to do but to turn themselves in.”
The death of Sibley comes as attacks against those from the LGBTQ+ community have increased rapidly, sparking outrage from that community as well as protests and rallies. “He was doing nothing more than voguing and dancing,” said NYC Center for Black Pride chief Lee Soulja Simmons on Saturday. “He did not deserve to die in that way.” Simmons also said that Black queer people were emotionally struggling with Sibley’s killing. Representatives from Muslim community organizations were also present at the press conference to lend their support, as the suspect reportedly said at the outset of the incident: “I’m Muslim. I don’t want this here.”
Under the law in New York State, the suspect faces a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life if he’s to be tried as an adult. The Brooklyn District Attorney could change the charges once they take over.
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