'All Systems Go': RA The Rugged Man makes triumphant return in video that looks like 'Stanley Kubrick on crack'
Rapper and producer RA the Rugged Man made a triumphant return earlier this year with his latest album, 'All My Heroes Are Dead'. The album comes seven long years after R.A.'s previous release, 'Legends Never Die', making this comeback both highly anticipated and one of the most exciting developments for the hip-hop industry in 2020. The impact of the legendary emcee's widely acclaimed new album continues to reverberate across the board, and he's making sure he keeps that momentum going with the release of a music video for the track 'All Systems Go'.
RA The Rugged Man is one of the most fascinating figures in hip-hop history. His career spans decades and defies simple narratives. Born RA Thorburn, the rapper began his music career at the young age of 12, earning a reputation for himself as a lyricist locally. By 18, he was signed to major label Jive Records, but unfortunately, his debut record 'Night of the Bloody Apes' never made its way to an official release. RA went on to collaborate with the likes of Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, Kool G Rap and Notorious B.I.G. before finally releasing his official debut, 'Die, Rugged Man, Die' in 2004 via independent label Nature Sounds to critical acclaim. However, fans would have to wait nearly a decade for RA to return with his 2013 album, 'Legends Never Die'. Luckily, the wait was shorter this time around, as 'All My Heroes Are Dead' dropped on April 17 this year. And as fans and critics both rejoice that one of the most acclaimed emcees has returned, RA is giving everyone a whole lot more to think about with a music video for 'All Systems Go'.
Produced by electronic music star Michal Menert (formerly of Pretty Lights), 'All Systems Go' is a futuristic thrill ride anchored by whirlwind flows and awe-inspiring lyricism from the Rugged Man. The wild music video matches the track's propulsive energy, jumping from time-travel experiments to Victorian-era serial killers, from virtual reality to Neanderthals. Speaking about the track, the rapper shares, "I had a lot of fun with this one. Michal Menert blessed me with some surreal, futuristic music blended with throwback hip hop sampling." He adds, "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." Continuing about the video, RA added, "The artist who did the visuals (Jaak De Digitale) designs images for planetariums, and the director (Jonas Govaerts) is an award-winning horror filmmaker. The whole thing came out like Stanley Kubrick on crack." A rather fitting narrative for an artiste like RA.
After all, he went from an up-and-coming star to an industry outcast, banished and forgotten, from an underground cult hero with an independent success story to an influential master of the art form. Critics have hailed his ability to obliterate rappers with ferocious battle rhymes, craft heartfelt personal songs fans can relate to, offend sensitive listeners with shocking vulgarity, challenge corrupt politicians and corporations, paint pictures with captivating storytelling and deliver jaw-dropping flows that prove his lyrical skills are unmatched. And his impressive catalog includes collaborations with a number of hip-hop’s most respected artists, including legends such as Tech N9ne, Rakim, Public Enemy and Brother Ali. While others struggle to maintain a foothold in the ever-changing rap landscape, RA is the rare artist who has become more relevant with time, with each new album more compelling than the last.
'All My Heroes Are Dead' stands as the rapper's best work to date. "So many of the greats are gone, and the legends who made it out alive are cast aside," RA says. "Society left our heroes and their culture for dead. We have to dig that greatness out of its grave and bring it back with an angry vengeance." In addition to its musical significance, 'All My Heroes Are Dead' is also personally significant for the rapper, as it marks RA’s first album since becoming a father of two, an experience that allowed him to transcend the era of beefs and diss tracks and focus on something much deeper. "When you have children, that’s a whole other level of joy and pain and emotion," he describes. "It opens whole entire universes with the pen. I didn’t want to make a whole album of just destroying rappers and rapping better than everyone. There are a lot of places my albums take you, and there’s way more storytelling on this one. I love to bring listeners into different worlds."
Now available worldwide, 'All My Heroes Are Dead' features appearances by Ghostface Killah, Chuck D, Ice-T, Slug of Atmosphere, Vinnie Paz, MOP, Kool G Rap, Onyx, Brand Nubian, A-F-R-O, Chris Rivers, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and more. Check out the video for 'All Systems Go' below.