Ras Kass
| Ras Kass | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Austin IV |
| Also known as | The Waterproof Emcee, Razzy Kazzy, The Endangered Lyricist |
| Born |
September 26, 1973 Augusta, Georgia, United States |
| Origin | Carson, California, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, Producer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Patchwerk Recordings, Priority, Zoo Life, Blackhouse, Re-Up Entertainment, Mello Music Group/ Sony Music |
| Associated acts | Wrekonize, The HRSMN, Kurupt, Xzibit, Saafir, 40 Glocc, Canibus, Killah Priest, Chino XL, Krondon, Phil Da Agony, Mystikal, Planet Asia, Da Beatminerz, Dr. Dre, Crooked I, Coolio, Bishop Lamont, Dina Rae, Apollo Brown, Shane Dollar |
| Website | www |
John Austin IV (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He returned as a member of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. Ras is a member of the group Golden State Warriors with Xzibit and Saafir. Editors of About.com ranked him #30 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).Pitchfork Media called him "one of the best rappers of all time."
Austin was born in Watts on September 26, 1973. In 1996 he had twin sons (Ras and Taj) with R&B and soul singer-songwriter Teedra Moses.BMF Entertainment artist Barima "Bleu DaVinci" McKnight is his cousin.
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. 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 & Saafir) (Priority Records) and their "Wake Up Show Anthem ’94" (feat. Ras Kass, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Chino XL, Organized Konfusion & Saafir), as well as Chino XL's "Riiiot" (American Recordings), and KeyKool & Rhettmatic's "E=MC5" (feat. Ras Kass, LMNO, Meen Green & !) Up Above Records.
...
Wikipedia