Ras Kass

John R. Austin IV aka Ras Kass is an MC originally from Carson, California. Taking inspiration from the notorious Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV (Ras Kassa Mircha), Austin is widely recognised as one of the best rappers of all time. His versatility can be seen in the different styles of hip-hop he touches upon ranging from boom bap, political hip-hop all the way to more hardcore hip-hop. It all started with his debut independent single release ‘Remain Anonymous’ which earned him critical acclaim and the possibility to work alongside other notable legends such as Nas or even Lauryn Hill. Shortly after signing with Priority/EMI Records, Austin released numerous notable projects including Soul on Ice and his follow-up album Rasassination (featuring artists such as Xzibit, Mack 10 and Dr Dre).

Austin is widely known as a lyrical mastermind, shedding light on the art of what it is to be an MC. A notable example to explain this is his 7-minute-long track ‘Nature of the Threat’ in which Austin gives us his own version of a history lesson. In the aforementioned track, Austin gives us his perspective on race, society and the development of the humankind. Perhaps a product of his time, seeing an MC explore subjects in this manner is always a blissful experience and is becoming less common as time passes.