R.A. The Rugged Man On His New Album “All My Heroes Are Dead,” His Long Island Roots & More
R.A. The Rugged Man has proven to be one of the most fascinating figures in hip-hop history. His career spans decades and defies simple narratives. R.A. The Rugged Man has been an up-and-coming star, an industry outcast banished and forgotten, an underground cult hero, an independent success story, and an influential master of the art form. He can 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. He has also worked with a staggering number of hip-hop’s most respected artists, including legends like The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang, Tech N9ne, Rakim, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Public Enemy and Brother Ali, and many more.
His newest album is titled All My Heroes Are Dead, and many critics have already pegged it as R.A. The Rugged Man’s best work to date. Now available via all music platforms, All My Heroes Are Dead features appearances by Ghostface Killah, Chuck D, Ice-T, Slug of Atmosphere, Vinnie Paz, M.O.P., Kool G Rap, Onyx, Brand Nubian, A-F-R-O, Chris Rivers, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Inspectah Deck, and Masta Killa. Most recently the song “All Systems Go” — as produced by electronic music star Michal Menert (formerly of Pretty Lights) — was premiered via American Songwriter, further showing his wide appeal.
On September 1, 2020, I had the pleasure of interviewing R.A. The Rugged Man via Zoom, as embedded below. More on R.A. and All My Heroes Are Dead can be found online by visiting www.ratheruggedman.net and/or www.twitter.com/RAtheRuggedMan.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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