Ras Kass

Biography

John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop supergroup The Hrsmn, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is also a member of the group Golden State Project (formerly known as Golden State Warriors) with Xzibit and Saafir. About.com ranked him No. 30 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), while Pitchfork Media called him "one of the best rappers of all time".

Biography

John R. Austin was born on September 26, 1973 and grew up in Carson, California. In 1996, he and R&B and soul singer-songwriter Teedra Moses had twin sons, Ras and Taj, both of whom are founding members of the rap group Coast Contra. BMF Entertainment artist Barima "Bleu DaVinci" McKnight is Austin's cousin.

Early career

Ras Kass took his stage name from the legendary Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV whose name was Ras Kassa Mircha before he was crowned as an emperor. In 1991, he made his debut appearance on the single "Trick or Treat" by Wild West Corral alongside B.O.X., Ganjah K, Torche and produced by DJ Battlecat. Ras Kass sent waves through the hip-hop world with his debut independent single release "Remain Anonymous," earning him a Hip-Hop Quotable in The Source Magazine. Before his signing with Priority/EMI Records, Ras Kass began making guest appearances on several records and freestyles on numerous radio shows, further solidified the emerging lyricist's notoriety. Recorded guest appearances include Sway & King Tech's "Come Widdit" (feat. Ras Kass, Ahamad and Saafir) (Priority Records) and their "Wake Up Show Anthem '94" (feat. Ras Kass, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Chino XL, Organized Konfusion and Saafir), as well as Chino XL's "Riiiot" (American Recordings), and KeyKool and Rhettmatic's "E=MC5" (feat. Ras Kass, LMNO, and Meen Green) Up Above Records.

Soul on Ice and Rasassination

From a young age, Austin was influenced by hip hop music and inspired by a variety of emcees including Ice Cube, Rakim, Scarface, and KRS-One. His first album, Soul on Ice×Soul on Ice1 October 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1On Earth as It Is...4:482Anything Goes5:493Marinatin'4:064Reelishymn4:295Nature of the Threat7:436Etc.3:157Sonset6:008Drama3:479The Evil That Men Do6:1010If/Then4:5011Miami Life4:0612Soul on Ice3:4213Ordo Abchao (Order Out of Chaos)4:30, was released in 1996. Taking its name from a book by Eldridge Cleaver, Ras addressed racial relations in the same manner, most notably with "Ordo Abchao" and "Nature of the Threat." The album was released on Priority Records, as was the follow-up, Rasassination×Rasassination1 January 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Endtro1:452Rasassination4:363Ghetto Fabulous4:334Lapdance4:345Skit #1 (Ras Kass)0:476Conceited Bastard4:147Ice Age4:398...In A Coogi Sweatsuit1:579H20Proof4:2110It Is What It Is4:5611Interview With A Vampire6:5612Wild Pitch4:1713OohWee!4:0114All or Nuthin'3:5715Grindin'3:4716I Ain't Fuckin' With You4:4217Get At Me4:1118The End4:16, which featured beats from Easy Mo Bee and guest appearances by RZA, Twista, Xzibit, Mack 10 and Dr. Dre. Lead single "Ghetto Fabulous" featured Dre and Mack 10 and was pushed by a lavish video shoot. The album received generally positive reviews, and shortly afterward the MC announced his third album, Van Gogh×Van Gogh23 October 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Hot Game3:422Goldyn Chyld4:153Back It Up4:234Kiss U4:525Kick Rocks4:3164 Much3:247What U Want3:318Is This Love?4:029Sex4:3110NBA4:3411One Night4:0312Ah Ha3:2613Root of Evil3:4414Van Gogh4:1915TV Guide4:3716Jack Frost2:57172 Way Anthem3:4318Home Sweet Home3:0819Understandable Smooth4:0120Bounce, Rock, Golden State4:04.

Priority issues, Van Gogh and Goldyn Chyld

During the recording of Ras's intended third album, Van Gogh×Van Gogh23 October 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Hot Game3:422Goldyn Chyld4:153Back It Up4:234Kiss U4:525Kick Rocks4:3164 Much3:247What U Want3:318Is This Love?4:029Sex4:3110NBA4:3411One Night4:0312Ah Ha3:2613Root of Evil3:4414Van Gogh4:1915TV Guide4:3716Jack Frost2:57172 Way Anthem3:4318Home Sweet Home3:0819Understandable Smooth4:0120Bounce, Rock, Golden State4:04, Priority Records merged with Capitol Records, which acquired the emcee's contract and his material. Initially near completion, the album was heavily bootlegged before any single or promotion could be prepared. In fact, the would-be single "Van Gogh" was even played on an episode of The Sopranos. Ras went back to work overhauling the project, procuring tracks from DJ Premier, Hi-Tek, and Dr. Dre and retaining songs from Rockwilder and Battlecat. Tensions arose during the re-recording, from budget restrictions to lack of promotion: Despite the fact that "Van Gogh" remained shelved the album's singles "Back It Up" and "Goldyn Chyld×Goldyn Chyld12 August 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Revelations 22:222:532Goldyn Chyld3:373The Whoop3:314Everything and More4:165See What I See3:366Is This Love4:007Hate Me More3:278FucQUp4:349NBA4:1110Sex4:2911What U Want3:2912Happiness4:3413Back It Up4:2014Kick Rocks4:2815Kiss U4:3316The Seance6:2817Eulogy0:1518God Bless3:54" received a decent number of spins on Los Angeles urban contemporary radio stations KKBT (The Beat) and KPWR (Power 106) during the course of 2001–02.

I would always tell Priority executives, "You give me a road kill cow and pair of scissors but you expect a pair of Air Jordans. It's not fair." Ironically, I would still somehow manage to make a couple pairs.
Since 1999 Ras Kass has also been involved in MC supergroup The HRSMN, alternately called The 4 Horsemen, consisting of himself, Kurupt (of Tha Dogg Pound), Killah Priest, and Canibus. The Horsemen Project, a white-label CD of rough tracks of which a majority was intended for the official debut, was released - or rather leaked - in 2003. A decade of inactivity followed before the independent and self-distributed Historic EP dropped in 2014. A newly recorded track - Historic feat. Tragedy Khadafi - opening the compilation in question provided some proof the supergroup never parted ways permanently, but it took until 2021 before the official full-length debut LP The Last Ride became reality on Cre8yte Records, distributed by Fat Beats with M-Eighty and Ras Kass as executive producers. It contains 12 new tracks featuring guests such as Hus Kingpin, Tragedy Khadafi, Planet Asia, Phil Da Agony and Chino XL, as well as producers Twiz the Beat Pro, Omid G, Bronze Nazareth, Nikkle Plated and Anno Domini among others.
In 2003, nearing the completion of his follow-up to Van Gogh, John Austin II and Priority disagreed over which was to be the lead single. Originally pushing "Goldyn Chyld," produced by DJ Premier, Priority executives decided to release the Dr. Dre-produced "The Whoop" instead, against the wishes of both Ras Kass and Dr. Dre. As he was finishing up Goldyn Chyld, Austin was pulled over in California and arrested for a D.U.I., marking his third; though sentenced to jail time, he was given an extension. Two weeks before the start of his sentence, Priority informed him of their decision not to put out Goldyn Chyld after all. Becoming a fugitive, Austin attained the master tapes to his project, recorded some music, and finally turned himself in to the police. During this time, he also had minor problems with producer the Alchemist, who sold Ras a beat that he later re-sold to rapper Jadakiss, which ultimately formed the basis for the track "We Gonna Make It".

Incarceration, Institutionalized I and II, Priority release

After serving only 19 months for his D.U.I. charge, Ras Kass recorded the album Institutionalized×Institutionalized25 October 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1MTV News Intro2:442Air 'em Out4:263Slap Season3:254Flood4:165Expect Me3:386Put Ya Glass Out3:507Write Where I Left Off4:278Shine4:009Clayton Bixby (skit)0:3910No Love (Intro) / No Love4:4311More3:5912My Apology3:1513U Ain’t Me4:4814Look Alive3:4215Life & Bullshit4:3316Clayton Bixby (skit)0:3017Unconditional3:5218We Run the Streets5:2319Welcome Home2:37 and began seeking release from his contract with Priority/Capitol Records. Though intended to be an album, it was released as a mixtape, generating a moderate buzz despite Capitol's alleged reluctance. He would go on to release two more mixtapes in 2006, Revenge of the Spit and Eat or Die, and got into a fight with former G-Unit rapper The Game over an alleged reference to the rapper's son in a freestyle. In October 2007, Kass finally succeeded in being released from his record contract. However, after rumors of a deal with Def Jam or G-Unit Records, he was again incarcerated, this time for violating his parole by flying to the 2007 BET Awards. During this time, he put out the album Institutionalized Volume 2 on Babygrande Records. After nearly two years of incarceration, Ras Kass was released from jail at the end of May 2009.
Ras Kass talks about his arrest and incarceration in the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, which documents rap artists who have spent time behind bars.

The Quarterly

Featured in HipHopDX's Underground Report, Ras Kass revealed that his next release would be a project called The Quarterly. Originally intended to be completed within the fourth quarter of 2009, it comprises a song a week released in the fashion of fellow west coast emcee Crooked I's Hip-Hop Weekly and Freeway's Month of Madness. "The Quarterly" was released on November 23, 2009, via www.raskass-central.com and includes nineteen tracks featuring collaborations by Killah Priest, Mistah F.A.B. and Krondon of Strong Arm Steady, with production from Pete Rock, Veterano, and others.

A.D.I.D.A.S. Kickstarter project and Save The Ras Kass

In early 2010, Ras Kass launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the manufacture of 1,000 CDs and 500 records for his A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Spittin) project and a viral marketing campaign called "Save The Ras Kass", which included a series of satirical web episodes about the plight of the endangered emcee. In an interview with MTV UK writer Han O'Connor he explained his decision to use Kickstarter, stating "we started trying different angles at solving old problems. Kickstarter was the natural evolution of trying creative new business models. When we put out The Quarterly there were people that said, ‘well how come you didn’t create a CD for this?’ and I'm like ‘well if I have to spend that $5000 and you want one, I appreciate it but there’s the small problem that I spent $5000.’" His webisodes document the downfall of an emcee, as he explained, "You just see this downward spiral; it’s just that fall from grace and I’m kind of making fun of that and using me as the vehicle for it." Finally, Ras Kass exceeded the $3,800 needed for the record in less than five days, with the project being released as a limited edition double CD and LP on July 20, 2011.

Barmageddon

In November 2012 Ras Kass stated that he had changed the name of his upcoming LP from P.U.M.A. (Pushin Underground Music Always) to Barmageddon. It was released on February 12, 2013. Barmageddon includes features from Kendrick Lamar, M. K. Asante, Bishop Lamont, Ice-T, Too Short, and Talib Kweli.

Soul on Ice 2

During an interview with Sway Calloway, Ras Kass announced that he is working on a sequel to his debut album Soul on Ice×Soul on Ice1 October 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1On Earth as It Is...4:482Anything Goes5:493Marinatin'4:064Reelishymn4:295Nature of the Threat7:436Etc.3:157Sonset6:008Drama3:479The Evil That Men Do6:1010If/Then4:5011Miami Life4:0612Soul on Ice3:4213Ordo Abchao (Order Out of Chaos)4:30, called Soul on Ice 2×Soul On Ice 26 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Silver Anniversary2Grammy Speech3Midnight Sun4F.L.Y.5Street Superstar6White Power7Shark Week8Wxt Thv Shxts9The Long Way10Guns N Roses3:3811LL Cool J12Trapped Music13Gingivitis14Can U Feel It15Opioid Crisis. The album was released in September 2019.

Political Contributions

On July 28 2020, Ras Kass released the single "Freedom", advocating for the liberation of the American political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Produced by DJ Free Leonard, the track premiered on the DJ Kay Slay "Straight Stuntin" Show on XM Sirius Shade 45 Radio.

Personal life

Kass was raised Catholic, and has studied other religions. Ras shares twin sons Taj and Ras with singer/song writer New Orleans native Teedra Moses. His sons are part of the Rap/Hip Hop group Coast Contra. Kass' younger sister, Tiffany Austin, is a jazz singer.