As a lyricist Ras Kass was on a different level with his earlier work. He could've had one of the best careers for a lyricist, he just needed a little more maturity and being ready when that one opportunity came about. Still Dope, forgotten artist.
I was waiting for him to mention that and maybe show a little snippet of them. If no one has ever heard of them,google them I promise you won’t be disappointed if your a hip hop head
Yes Ras kass isa dope lyrical MC. That soul on Ice album is a hip hop classic in my opinion. The 2nd album was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. He was not a company man and miss oppuntities but still one of my favs from back then
Great episode but a few stunts missed. 1. Dr Dre actually appeared on the Rassassination album on the first single. Wasn't promoted as nowhere near as well as it should have been. 2. Before Goldyn Child was shelves, his Van Gogh album was shelved. 3. Alchemist selling the beat for his single twice and it became "We Gon Make It$ by jadakiss
As dope as Rass is being super lyrical w/ conceptual songs was never going to take him to the top he made a name for himself as an Emcee and he never tried to change up that's why he is still highly regarded as an West Coast legend
He was a raw ass West coast rapper! Those Wake Up Show freestyles he did back in the day was LETHAL! Thank you Stunted Growth Music for this feature! Thanks again for my request for this dope, underrated, raw, lyrical MC!
The nature of the threat song was a real 💭 provoking song about religion and how he views it. After he was released from prison he put out albums "Institutionalized" pts one and 2. Both were pretty good 👍! He has a few mixtapes as well. The last album I have of his is "A.D.I.D.A.S(All, day, I, dream, about, spittin')". But "Soul on 🍦 (96)" is a CLASSIC album! Shout to homie that requested this LEGEND, SALUTE!! Ras Kass is one of the 🐐 s!!
He was my 2nd favorite lyricist in the 90's. 2nd to only Canibus. What impressed me about Ras Kass though was more his content/subject matter than lyricism. He always had something interesting to rap about.
He had quotables for days. One of my favorites was "Make radio sh-t/Heads criticize it/Underground classic/Nobody buys it/So now rap is f---ed/And everything blowing up sounds redundant."
I remember an interview where Ras said he had the opportunity to sign with Def Jam but didn't due to him thinking he was keeping real with the West by signing to priority. He runs into Russell Simmons and Russell told him he should've come to Def Jam he could've at least got him a gold album.
He didnt sell. Because he was marketed as this Anti-Gangsta West Coast rapper with East Coast skills who was the opposite of the status quo of West Coast rap. West Coast fans didnt support him. Because he didnt look or sound like us. East Coast fans didnt support him. Because they didnt f&&& with the West. That bs flopped. Then he tried to come back with Dre and Mack 10 on the song with Ice T in the video on his lead first single off his 2nd album. I guess he had them on the first single to capitalize off that West Coast gangsta rap s&^^. But Pac was dead for 2 years. West Coast gangsta rap was dead. Dre denounced Gangsta rap two years before the release of the song. Ice T was irrelevant af. It was a good song. But two years too late. Plus it went against Ras Kass whole sound and image. Even with Aftermath Entertainment producer, Stu, producing the majority of the 2nd Rass album. No one cared. That bs went wood. He f&&& up his own career for being inconsistent and aliening the West Coast from the jump.
This is nonsense! He was never marketed as a non-west coast artist, especially with his crew being called “Western Hemisphere” and his many rhymes about being from “C-arson.” All the artists from the Good Life, Pharcyde, Hiero, The Likwit Crew, Anotha Level, Freestyle Fellowship, etc. is an indictment of the west coast fanbase, not these artists. Smh!
I remember the promo video for his 1st album where he rapped acapella and the one line that stood out was "I'm thuggish-ruggish to the bone/And I'ma diss everybody."
Ras is a stellar wordsmith. His beat selection has been terrible for the majority of his career. His collabo album 'Blasphemy' with Apollo Brown is super dope though.
The song Miami Life was my introduction to Ras Kass & i've been a fan of his every since. Please do the following artists: Richie Rich, Jayo Felony, Warren G, Tha Luniz & Tha Alkoholics.
Well "Rass Kass" still recording....his debut album "Soul On Ice" was a certified classic banger. Songs like."Miami Life fea.Coolio" is a romantic classical harp sample over a lofi - Ish vibe...Next come "Nature Of The Threat". His more conscious storytelling about the evil story of How America became America...Then his more braggadocios songs like "Soul On Ice", "Anything Goes", "Come Wid It fea Saafir & Ahmad". Then his second album hit..."Rassasination". That album is his more mature album. "Ghetto Fabulous" a hypnotic Dr Dre produced track guarantee to get any head to bop at it. Fast forward...he did joints with the "RZA". He colab with "Apollo Brown" whole album together....He was featured along with Canibus on a "Health Skeltah" joint for the rhyme or reason soundtrack....I mean "Rass" one of the best not just for West Coast but Hip Hop period ! You got to give it up ! 🎤🎧🎤🎧🎤🎧🎤🎧
You and I think alike 👍😉! I was going to say the same exact thing! An album that is pretty good imo is "A.D.I.D.A.S(All, day, I, dream, about, spittin')" which came out on 2010.
@@anthonymcmillan8273 My sentiments exactly.....! You brought up some great new Rass Kass albums. He never seems to disappoints....yes...you & I we say in the East Coast. We "A-alikes" 2 minds think alike .....
Ras never told me that he was going to get with Jay when I u=interviewed him anyway Ras Kass has nothing to prove he still got his core fan base that is what all an artist need
Met him out here in Dallas...hella cool OG. Taking in at a live band spot with my homie. F****** with people in the club, I talk to these chics , trying to set something up... Get back to my brother... Explaining to him about the two chicks... He inquires "where", and my response was "next to this Rass Kass looking mf." and lo behold who it was.😂😂😂😂 Hella down to earth....and still a goat. Him and my homey chopped hip hop the rest of that evening. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
Don’t feel too bad about not being up on Ras, my brother had his ‘Soul On Ice’ and ‘Rassassination’ albums in the 90s and he still didn’t make me want to listen(I did like Ghetto Fabulous track ft. Mack 10 and Dr. Dre though)until I heard him over an Alchemist track that they had a dispute over. I feel that LOUD records would have been a better fit for him instead of Priority records especially since their focus was more on Cube and letting No Limit sneak in(as to why Jay-Z would not have lasted with them with RD album).
Ras is dope bc he's lyrical but he had asshole humor that kept him grounded for me. Soul on Ice is incredible, and he's dropped some nice late career albums.
