Over the past few months, many industry folks have found inspiration within pandemic-driven isolation. A creative Renaissance of sorts has blossomed while road warriors find themselves pacing the halls of their unfamiliar homes, unable to connect with their audience in a traditional sense. The tale is no different for R.A. the Rugged Man.
After dropping a new album this Spring, All My Heroes Are Dead; the hip-hop figure continues to share a series of untamed music videos. Today, he premieres a music video for “All Systems Go,” from his latest collection. The visual is a retrospective narrative with a Twightlight Zone-twist.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I had a lot of fun with this one,” the rapper admits about his new video. “Michal Menert blessed me with some surreal, futuristic music blended with throwback hip-hop sampling. The lyricism is purposely abstract, future to past to present. So visually, we went from spaceships and sci-fi technological experiments to dinosaurs and prehistoric cave dwellers,” he shares.
He credits the science-fiction aspect to the design work of Jaak De Digitale, who designs images for planetariums. He noted the director Jonas Govaerts, is an award-winning horror filmmaker. R.A added, “the whole thing came out like Stanley Kubrick on crack.”
Coming up through Long Island in the eighties and nineties, R.A. The Rugged Man stands as a pillar in the hip-hop community. His work with legends like The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang, Tech N9ne, Rakim, Mobb Deep, Talib Kweli, Kool G Rap, Public Enemy, Brother Ali, solidify his standing in the ever-evolving scene. While others struggle to keep up with the fast-pace of modern modes of music delivery, R.A. has managed to grow increasingly relevant.
As a new father, he offers a unique perspective on his latest album, displaying his continued momentum in the industry. The 22-track collection, All My Heroes Are Dead, is dedicated to his own father, establishing a legacy through his musical works.
“When you have children, that’s a whole other level of joy, pain, and emotion,” he describes. “It opens the entire universes with the pen. And when I’m gone, my children will own my catalog. So I can’t deliver anything but the best work for them.”
R.A. rose through the ranks as an MC, garnering competing offers from several leading record labels. He landed with Jive Records for a brief stint before being dropped for “outspoken defiance and reckless behavior.” It wasn’t until the late nineties that he re-emerged with a hustler’s spirit as an independent artist. From pressing his own singles to being featured on the video game Tony Hawk’s Underground, he worked his way up to his independent release of Die, Rugged Man, Die in 2004. From there, he delivered 2009’s Legendary Classics, and 2013’s Legends Never Die.
By the time his last album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, R.A. was thoroughly established as an independent hip-hop icon, playing sold-out shows across the world and drawing widespread praise for his undeniable contributions to the culture.
Watch the premiere of the imaginatively wild video for “All Systems Go” from hip-hop leader, R.A. The Rugged Man below. Check his latest record, All My Heroes Are Dead, here.