Ka, a Brooklyn Rapper, Fire Department Captain, and 9/11 First Responder, Dies at 52

The Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline at sunset on Dec. 18, 2011. Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times

Kaseem Ryan, a rapper from Brooklyn who performed under the stage name Ka and also worked as a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department, has died at age 52.

The music producer—who served as a first responder during the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks—died unexpectedly in New York City on Oct. 12, according to a statement posted to his Instagram account on Monday.

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Kaseem Ryan,” the statement reads. “Ka lived a life of service—to his city, to his community, and to his music.”

According to the post, the rapper was a 20-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, where he became a captain while pursuing his music career.

“He put his life on the line to protect his fellow citizens,” the obituary states, emphasizing that Ryan left behind “an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including 11 remarkable self-released solo albums.”

Passion for Hip-Hop

Born on Aug. 11, 1972, in Brownsville, a neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn, Ryan began his music career in the ‘90s, performing with the underground rap group Natural Elements.

In an interview with Complex published in 2013, Ryan elaborated on the factors that influenced his passion for hip-hop.

“I grew up at the time when hip-hop was born. I remember my mom used to play disco and R&B that was on the radio a lot, and my pops, who was home from jail, he played a lot of jazz,” he explained. “And then, in 1978 or 1979 was when hip-hop came on the scene, and as soon as I heard it, that’s what it was—the death of disco and the birth of hip-hop. From then on, I was a fan of hip-hop music.”

Following his departure from Natural Elements, Ryan formed the rap duo Nightbreed with fellow rapper Kev before releasing his first solo album, “Iron Works,” in 2008. Ryan told Complex that he made the album so that he would have something meaningful to give his loved ones.

“I wanted to do that album for all the people that believed in me. For all the people in the studio with me, for my sister who was my biggest listener when I was a kid,” he explained.

“I wanted to give them a CD to put in their hand. I wanted to give my mother a CD to put in her hand. Like all of these years of rhyming ... I just wanted to prove that I didn’t waste 20 years of mastering a craft without anything to show for it.”

The rapper’s subsequent albums included “Grief Pedigree” (2012), “The Night’s Gambit” (2013), “Honor Killed the Samurai” (2016), “Descendants of Cain” (2020), “A Martyr’s Reward” (2021), and “Languish Arts” (2022), among others.

After a brief hiatus, Ryan debuted his latest album, “The Thief Next to Jesus,” in August of this year.

“Thank you for still being interested after my 2 years away,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “I really wanted to come back with something meaningful. This one holds a special place for me. Hope it moves you in the same way.”

Ryan is survived by his wife, film producer Mimi Valdes, his mother, and sister.

“My king, my hero, my best friend. You will always be my everything because love like ours lasts forever,” Valdes wrote on Instagram on Monday.

The rapper’s family has requested that his fans and followers give them space to mourn.

“We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss,” the obituary reads.