Ras Kass | “F.L.Y.” (prod. DJ Green Lantern) | WATCH NOW
Twenty-three years ago, Ras Kass dropped his first studio album, Soul On Ice. The LP brilliantly balanced wordplay with rich information about history, religion, race, and life in the Southern California streets from the MC who reps both Watts and Carson.
AMBROSIA FOR HEADS | Published By Jacob “34” Koertge
The Priority Records album featured production from Battlecat, Vooodu, Bird, plus an incredible Diamond D remix, as well as a lone Rap feature from Coolio. Now, Ras Kass is gearing up to release the highly-anticipated sequel to his debut, Soul On Ice 2, on September 11 of this year on Mello Music Group (and currently available for pre-order). This marks Kass’ first release since 2016’s Intellectual Property: SOI2.
In anticipation of the forthcoming LP, Ras Kass enlists the help of DJ Green Lantern for the production and a cameo in the video for his Soul On Ice 2 single, “F.L.Y.” The acronym for the record, “F*ck Last Year,” as Ras Kass lights up 2019.
As for the record itself, Ras Kass explains the song’s title and meaning. “F.L.Y. is actually my ode to Prince’s 1999. It’s a Hip-Hop ‘New Year’s’ song. The triple-entendre being it’s an acronym for F*ck Last Year. and ‘FLY,’ as in ‘time flies why you’re having fun.’ Also, in the Hip-Hop lifestyle, you want to dress and act ‘fly’! It’s wavy.” He adds in the press statement to Ambrosia For Heads, “The track is produced by my bro’ Green Lantern, who I met over 20 years ago. I’ve been loving what he’s been cooking up for Griselda Records, so we bodied this record for my 25th-anniversary, but we are looking ahead to the future. F*ck last year!”
Directed by Guerilla Press and Pep Williams, the video is shot in blurred out black-and-white as Ras Kass spits tough over Green Lantern’s dark, boom-bap production. The “Waterproof MC” rhymes, “They ask me if I’m one of the best / Just think Black Thought on Funkmaster Flex / Mmmm, yes / F*ck reminiscin’, livin’ in the past sh*t / ‘Cause not everything gold is classic / All I know is get dough / Battle rapper reachin’ like a tip-toe / Today’s current currency is crypto’ / Hate to blast ya, but I have to.” The close of the except nods to The Notorious B.I.G.
As the video rolls on, Kass continues to ball out on the mic, this time with the full court press. “Every year the ball drop in Time Square / At age 12, my balls drop / Adolescent male, ball big like LaVar / Spit like Lamar / Now the Arabics still try’na get it in shalom / Get to the bag like airport carousels / Industry dudes saying ‘real Rap’ll never sell’ / You know that guy? The carrot top, the fairy tale.”
Ras Kass’ second Mello Music Group (following 2014’s acclaimed Blasphemy with Apollo Brown) features an all-star cast of producers and MCs, including Diamond D, Pete Rock, Snoop Dogg, Immortal Technique, Justice League, Cee-Lo Green, Everlast, Styles P, and M.O.P.