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R.A. The Rugged ManBloodshed Hua Hoo
At 18, R.A. signed with Jive Records and then in the mid-'90s signed with Priority Records/EMI. His contract was later absorbed by Capitol Records but he began recording independently in the early 2000s. He has worked with various artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Sadat X, Akinyele, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Kool G Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, Masta Killa, Killah Priest, and producers Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Buckwild, Havoc, Alchemist, and Ayatollah. He was featured on all three of Rawkus’s Soundbombing albums, as well as the platinum-selling WWF Aggression album, performing the theme song for Chris Jericho. In Ego Trip Vol. 1, Issue 3, the Notorious B.I.G. was quoted as saying, "I thought I was the illest," when referring to R.A. In 2004 he released the album "Die, Rugged Man, Die" on Brooklyn based label Nature Sounds. R.A. has cameos in several music videos including Havoc from Mobb Deep's "I'm the Boss," and Sadat X's "Throw the Ball" and "Old Man" featuring Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, Masta Killa and Ol' Dirty Bastard in one of ODB's final video appearances. In addition to his hip hop career, R.A. wrote a monthly movie column for Mass Appeal Magazine, was a contributor to The Ego Trip Book of Rap Lists (St. Martin's Press) and Ego Trip's Big Book of Racism (HarperCollins), and has written numerous articles for other magazines including Vibe, King, Complex, Rides, and The Source. A horror film fan, R.A. has written three screenplays with cult film director Frank Henenlotter and is writer-producer of a new Henenlotter film, Bad Biology. The film has an original score by Prince Paul, and cameos by Playboy model Jelena Jensen and Penthouse Pet Krista Ayne. R.A. is working on his directorial debut a film documentary based on his family, God Take, God Give.
R.A.'s father, Staff Sgt. John A. Thorburn, was a Vietnam veteran affected by Agent Orange. R.A.'s family was significantly affected by the potent chemical. His brother Maxx was born handicapped and blind, eventually dying at the age of 10, while his sister Dee Ann was unable to walk or speak;she made a boy which died when he was 6 months old;R.A's sister died in 2007 at age 27. R.A. tells the story of his father in "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story," from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell (which was also re-released on the compilation Legendary Classics vol. 1). John A. Thorburn died 7 January 2010 from cancer.
R.A. said that his father was truly happy within his last year
of life, due to his mindset that he could plan his death. His verse
was given the Quotable of the Month in The Source magazine. In
his song "Lessons," R.A. alludes to suffering from mental illness himself. * 1994 "Bloodshed Hua Hoo" [edit] Unreleased studio albums * 1994: Night of the Bloody Apes (Jive Records)
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