Quietly five years ago, R.A. the Rugged Man unleashed one of the finest rap verses in history when he detailed his father's experience in the Vietnam War on Jedi Mind Trick's "Uncommon Valour". Yet, despite having been involved with the music industry since the early nineties, R.A. has only put out two LPs, both in the last decade, and this new video for "A Star is Born" from his 2004 debut Die, Rugged Man, Die details precisely why R.A. has chosen his more independent release route. Speaking on the video, R.A. says that he's currently "in the studio finishing up my new album, and before I give people the album, I want them to know my story."
And what a story it is. With appearances by De La Soul producer Prince Paul, rapper J-Zone and R.A.'s little sister Niki Lee as Britney Spears, "A Star Is Born" is essentially a six-minute twisted biopic of R.A.'s hell of a career. Despite how absurd and offensive the fake record executives are in this video, R.A. claims that everything they say has been actually said to him by an executive during the course of the career.
R.A. The Rugged Man's third full-length is tentatively due out later this year.
