Ras Kass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ras Kass
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Ras Kass in 2017
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| Born | September 26, 1973 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Origin | Carson, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), known as Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is part of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN. This group includes Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt. He was also a member of the group Golden State Warriors with Xzibit and Saafir. Experts have called him one of the best rappers of all time.
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About Ras Kass
John Austin II was born on September 26, 1973. He grew up in Carson, California. In 1996, he had twin sons, Ras and Taj, with singer-songwriter Teedra Moses. His sons are also rappers and are part of the group Coast Contra.
How Ras Kass Started His Music Career
Ras Kass chose his stage name from a famous Ethiopian Emperor, Yohannes IV. The Emperor's name was Ras Kassa Mircha. In 1991, Ras Kass first appeared on a song called "Trick or Treat." He quickly became known in the hip-hop world with his song "Remain Anonymous."
Before signing with a major record label, Ras Kass appeared on many other artists' songs. He also performed freestyles on radio shows. This helped him become well-known for his lyrical skills.
First Albums: Soul on Ice and Rasassination
From a young age, Ras Kass loved hip hop music. He was inspired by rappers like Ice Cube, Rakim, and KRS-One. His first album, Soul on Ice, came out in 1996. The album's name came from a book by Eldridge Cleaver. Ras Kass used his music to talk about racial issues.
His next album, Rasassination, was released later. It featured music from famous producers like Easy Mo Bee. Other artists like RZA, Twista, and Dr. Dre also appeared on the album. The song "Ghetto Fabulous" was a popular single from this album.
Challenges with Record Labels
While working on his third album, Van Gogh, Ras Kass faced some challenges. His record label merged with another company. This caused delays and problems with his music being released. Even though some of his new songs were played on the radio, the album was not officially released for a while.
Ras Kass also joined a supergroup called The HRSMN in 1999. This group includes Kurupt, Killah Priest, and Canibus. They released some music together, but their official album, The Last Ride, didn't come out until 2021.
Ras Kass faced more issues with his record label regarding his album Goldyn Chyld. They disagreed on which song should be the main single. These challenges made it difficult for him to release his music.
Music During Difficult Times
After facing some personal challenges, Ras Kass continued to make music. He released albums like Institutionalized and Institutionalized Volume 2. In 2007, he was finally released from his record label contract. He also appeared in the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, which talks about rappers who have faced legal issues.
New Ways to Release Music
In 2009, Ras Kass announced a new project called The Quarterly. He planned to release a new song every week. This was a new way to share music directly with his fans.
In 2010, Ras Kass used a website called Kickstarter to fund his album A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Spittin). Kickstarter allows fans to donate money to help artists create their projects. He also created a funny online series called "Save The Ras Kass" to promote his music. He successfully raised the money needed for his album.
Recent Albums
In 2012, Ras Kass changed the name of his upcoming album to Barmageddon. It was released in 2013 and featured artists like Kendrick Lamar and Ice-T.
He also announced that he was working on a sequel to his first album, called Soul on Ice 2. This album was released in September 2019.
Advocacy and Activism
In 2020, Ras Kass worked with DJ Free Leonard to support the release of Leonard Peltier. They released a song called "Freedom" to raise awareness for this cause.
Personal Life
Ras Kass was raised Catholic. He has also studied other religions.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Soul on Ice (1996)
- Rasassination (1998)
- A.D.I.D.A.S. (2010)
- Barmaggedon (2013)
- Blasphemy (with Apollo Brown) (2014)
- Breakfast at Banksy's (with Jack Splash as Semi Hendrix) (2015)
- Intellectual Property (2016)
- Soul on Ice 2 (2019)
- I'm Not Clearing Shxt (2020)
Filmography
- Rhyme & Reason (1997)
- BEEF IV (2007)
- Rhyme and Punishment (2011)
- The Art of Rap (2012)
See also
In Spanish: Ras Kass para niños
