R.A. The Rugged Man
One of rap's more elusive figures, East Coast emcee R.A. the Rugged Man worked with multiple legends as he was coming up, guesting on tracks by Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, and even Notorious B.I.G. before quietly releasing records of his own. His high-speed delivery, juvenile lyrical mean streak, and self-depreciating humor were all factors that put R.A. ahead of his time. His career was held up by legal issues with major labels, so after over a decade of delays, he formed the Nature Sounds label as an outlet for his music, independently releasing everything from his 2004 debut, Die, Rugged Man, Die, to his 2020 album All My Heroes Are Dead.
R.A. the Rugged Man was born Richard Thorburn in 1974. By the late '80s, the Long Island native was rapping in underground New York circles, playing shows, and attracting label attention for his audacious lyrics and party-starting stage presence. He signed with Jive Records in 1992 but had a hard time working with the label. Though R.A. released several singles, an album's worth of material remained unreleased, tied up in contractual industries. He signed on with Priority Records in the mid-'90s, which resulted in more contractual issues and another canned album that never saw the light of day. In the meantime, he was guesting on tracks from huge rappers and contributed to all of Rawkus Records' seminal Soundbombing compilations.
Fed up with the dead ends of the music industry by 2004, R.A. went the indie route and released Die, Rugged Man, Die on Nature Sounds. In 2009, the compilation Legendary Classics, Vol. 1 rounded up his collaborative releases with names like the Notorious B.I.G., Jedi Mind Tricks, and Sadat X all landing on the track list. Talib Kweli, Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, and Masta Ace were some of the names that joined R.A. on his 2013 sophomore release, Legends Never Die. Seven years later, third album All My Heroes Are Dead arrived. The record was another testament to R.A.'s quietly legendary status, boasting guest appearances from respected rappers that ranged from Chuck D to Ice-T to Ghostface Killah and many other Wu-Tang Clan members. The record did well, cracking the Top Ten of Billboard's Heatseekers chart as well as placing 22nd on the overall album sales chart shortly after its release.
© David Jeffries & Fred Thomas /TiVo
Discography
18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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All Systems Go (Edit)
R.A. The Rugged Man, Smokey Joe & The Kid
Electronic - Released by Banzaï Lab on 30 apr. 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Legendary Classics, Vol. 1
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Greenstreets Entertainment on 27 okt. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Book Of Life (feat. Justin Cohen)
C-Lance, Murs, R.A. The Rugged Man
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by C-Lance Productions on 13 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Greatest
Marcella Puppini, R.A. The Rugged Man
Electronic - Released by Freshly Squeezed on 18 sep. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beast on Beat
Smokey Joe & The Kid, R.A. The Rugged Man
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Banzaï Lab on 8 okt. 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Demon Slayer
İlkay C., R.A. The Rugged Man, Sayedar
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Ilkay C., R.A. The Rugged Man & Sayedar on 22 dec. 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bullet Train Flow (feat. R.A. The Rugged Man)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by WM Czech Republic on 15 sep. 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Do It Again
Whitney Peyton, Rittz, R.A. The Rugged Man
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Alpha Howse on 10 mrt. 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Know the Gospel (Remix)
iNTeLL, R.A. The Rugged Man, LDontheCut
Alternative en Indie - Released by Round Table Records, Nature Sounds on 17 nov. 2021
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
All My Heroes Are Dead
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 17 apr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Legends Never Die
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 30 apr. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Die, Rugged Man, Die
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 21 mei 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Oldies
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 25 mrt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Legendary Loser
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 15 jan. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Crustified Christmas
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 4 dec. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wondering (How To Believe)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 11 mrt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dragon Fire
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 14 apr. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The People's Champ
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Nature Sounds on 20 feb. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo