In a 2013 interview, Ka — a staple in the Brooklyn underground hip-hop scene — was asked to address his more conventional day job as a firefighter. Although he may be one of world’s only rapping firemen, he discussed the topic candidly.
On Sunday, the New York Post published a scathing front-page hit piece on Ka, born Kaseem Ryan, meant to expose him as an FDNY veteran that leads a double life as an “anti-cop rapper.”
It’s baffling that the Post chose to run this story on its cover, given that it’s not news. Ryan himself addressed the issue nearly three years ago.
The story, which has sparked considerable backlash from the public, is revealing. Outlets like the New York Post are more concerned with generating sensational headlines, even if it tarnishes the reputation of a faithful public servant in the process.
Journalism should not aim to turn people against one another or even to entertain. Susan Edelman of the New York Post must have missed the memo, because her story achieves no greater purpose than these.
Though his language has not exactly portrayed police in a positive light, saying that his lyrics condone violence against law enforcement is a gross overstatement.
To reduce Ka to an “anti-cop rapper” is to ignore the realities of his environment, as well as that of thousands of other poor, black youths.
Edelman’s assessment of Ryan’s music displays a lack of understanding of rap music as poetry.
Hailing from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood, Ryan was born into a world in which poverty and crime are accepted as everyday realities.
In “Conflicted,” he raps, “Momma told me be a good boy ... pops told me stay strapped son, be a body or catch one.”
Lyrics like these do not glorify violence — they simply paint a stark, perhaps uncomfortable picture of reality.
The New York Post also quotes him as rapping, “You named them hustlers, killers, fiends, ex-cons. I called them cousins, aunts, pops, moms.” It’s remarkable that Edelman is unable to — or chooses not to — recognize that the line serves not to celebrate criminality, but rather to encourage listeners to view those who may be products of socioeconomic strife in a more human light.
Fellow Brooklyn native El-P said on Twitter, “These are songs of pain and stress written somberly by someone who cares deeply about (New York City).” It is not written by the villain portrayed by the New York Post.
Music as art aside, why does the New York Post use Ryan’s job as a firefighter to vilify him? After all, the man risks his life to save others’. I see this as a fact worthy of celebration, not ammo to denigrate his character.
I was disappointed when I saw this story featured so prominently in one of the United States’ most well-known news outlets. It shows that many who call themselves journalists are more concerned with readership and creating controversy than reporting news and celebrating worthy individuals.
