Ka, a New York rapper celebrated as a legendary wordsmith, is dead at 52

Celebrated New York City rapper and former firefighter Ka, whose real name was Kaseem Ryan, has died, according to his social media accounts. He was 52.

He passed away “unexpectedly” on Saturday, a statement on his Instagram account, verified by NBC News, said Monday. It praised his contributions to firefighting, to his beloved neighborhood of Brownsville and to hip-hop as part of a “life of service—to his city, to his community, and to his music.”