There are multiple artists using this name.

1. Kaseem Ryan (born Aug… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using this name.

1. Kaseem Ryan (born August 11, 1972), better known by his stage name Ka, is an American rapper, producer, and firefighter from Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.
He is a former member of the group Natural Elements. In 1998 he formed the group Nightbreed with his friend Kev. In 2008, he was re-introduced on GZA's album Pro Tools on the song "Firehouse" and in that same year he released his debut album Iron Works. In 2012, he released the follow-up Grief Pedigree on his label Iron Works. The album featured a guest appearance by Roc Marciano and was produced by Ka.
Ka has also worked under the names Dr. Yen Lo and Hermit and the Recluse, both as collaborations between him and Preservation for the former and Animoss for the latter.

2. KA is a Dutch rapper. He released his debut album in late 2020

Ours
Ka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

These seconds, these minutes right here
You know who they belong to?
Us
That's why they call 'em ours

It took sacrifice, much loss before the gain
Paid a drastic price, misfortune and disdain
Framed a shattered life, the forfeits and the pain

All the saddest sights, the coffins and the stains
On days wish I could save the children that we was
We didn't spare they eyes from all the killings and the drugs
Steppin' and protectin' them from feelin' any slugs
Many ways mediate, the savior healin' any grudge
Cause in and out the lab bouts was bad, so habits grew
The steel cold, you don't grow real old actin' new
And you can count from all my accounts, the stats is true
To think some was tickled pink when we was beat black and blue
A knave to say we show it sympathy cause I know essentially
All the dastard actions that was happenin', I was meant to see
Dug a lot of work when I was broke and inoperative
Felt a lot of hurt before I spoke this provocative
Heart was ice for that cream tryin' to scoop money
Now breathe for seeds, whether you throw dirt or root for me

These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours

They ours
So do what you gotta do man, cause you dont get no more
A finite number
Gotta seize every, every moment

From crooked boy to honest man, the latter's gone
I speak promised land, the common plan - Babylon
My thwarted thoughts faced for years probably ran marathon
I care to say, if I ever sail away, the plan's Avalon
I vent for all the days I spent positioned in the basement
Feel I had to heal myself, physician and the patient
Was urged home for all the wrong, my riff with immigration
I boast to learn my culture 'fore I picked assimilation
The dose of lies, up close you'll find raps they wisen
At most they rhyme to gross, mine's appetizing
Peep the god though, I speak a hard flow of argot
To steal for meal but for real, I used to starve though
The routes I scored I doubt the Lord ever condone
Steps was reckless, reppin' for precious metals and stone
But now knowledge power, this assemblance evidence shown
Walk with ghosts of close family and friends, I'm never alone

These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours
These seconds, these minutes are ours

So accept this - not for its intrinsic value, but as a token

These hours are ours
Make a better place
Mines, yours
It's our time

This that good shit, the fly shit, the real shit
Build, fuck all that destroyin', let's live

Overall Meaning

In this song, Ka talks about the importance of time and how it belongs to us. He reflects on the sacrifices he's made in order to get where he is today and how he treasures every moment that he has. He talks about how he's seen a lot of violence and tragedy in his life, and how he wishes he could protect those around him from feeling the pain that comes with it.

Ka speaks about the difficulties he’s faced during his journey from being a crooked boy to an honest man, and how he had to heal himself through his struggles. He also touches on his background and culture, which he learned and embraced before picking assimilation. In the chorus, Ka reinforces the idea that time is ours and we have to make the most of it in order to make a better place for ourselves and those around us.

Overall, the lyrics of this song represent Ka’s realization of how precious time is, and how we must seize every opportunity we get to make a difference in our lives and those around us.

Line by Line Meaning

These seconds, these minutes right here
The current moment is significant and belongs to us.

You know who they belong to?
The current moment belongs to us.

Us
We have ownership over the current moment.

That's why they call 'em ours
The current moment is significant because it belongs to us.

It took sacrifice, much loss before the gain
We had to endure difficulties and losses before we could achieve our goals.

Paid a drastic price, misfortune and disdain
We had to make significant sacrifices, including experiencing misfortune and disappointment.

Framed a shattered life, the forfeits and the pain
We had to deal with the consequences of our actions, which resulted in a broken life filled with loss and pain.

All the saddest sights, the coffins and the stains
We witnessed the devastating effects of violence and death, including the sight of coffins and bloodstains.

On days wish I could save the children that we was
At times, we wished we could save the children who were impacted by our circumstances.

We didn't spare they eyes from all the killings and the drugs
The children witnessed violence and drug use, which we couldn't shield them from.

Steppin' and protectin' them from feelin' any slugs
We did our best to protect the children from experiencing any harm or violence.

Many ways mediate, the savior healin' any grudge
We attempted to heal the rifts between people and make amends.

Cause in and out the lab bouts was bad, so habits grew
We were surrounded by negative influences, which caused us to develop destructive habits.

The steel cold, you don't grow real old actin' new
If you remain hardened and refuse to change, you will not live a fulfilling life.

And you can count from all my accounts, the stats is true
The evidence proves the truth of my actions and experiences.

To think some was tickled pink when we was beat black and blue
It's disturbing to think that some people found pleasure in our pain and suffering.

A knave to say we show it sympathy cause I know essentially
It's dishonest to say that we showed sympathy, because deep down we understand the root causes of our actions.

All the dastard actions that was happenin', I was meant to see
I was meant to witness the negative actions and behaviors that surrounded me.

Dug a lot of work when I was broke and inoperative
I had to work hard when I had nothing and was unable to function at my best.

Felt a lot of hurt before I spoke this provocative
I experienced a lot of pain before I began speaking out and trying to make a difference.

Heart was ice for that cream tryin' to scoop money
I was motivated by greed and financial gain, instead of doing what was right.

Now breathe for seeds, whether you throw dirt or root for me
I'm doing this for the next generation, whether or not others support me.

They ours
We have ownership over the current moment.

So do what you gotta do man, cause you dont get no more
Make the most of the current moment, as you won't get another chance at it.

A finite number
There are a limited number of moments available to us.

Gotta seize every, every moment
We need to make the most of every moment available to us.

From crooked boy to honest man, the latter's gone
I used to live a dishonest life, but I've since changed my ways.

I speak promised land, the common plan - Babylon
I speak of a better future for our people, a place of hope and unity.

My thwarted thoughts faced for years probably ran marathon
I've struggled with negative thoughts and emotions for a long time, and it's been a challenge to overcome them.

I care to say, if I ever sail away, the plan's Avalon
If I ever leave this world, I hope to go to a place of peace and tranquility.

I vent for all the days I spent positioned in the basement
I express my feelings for all the times I felt stuck and trapped in a negative environment.

Feel I had to heal myself, physician and the patient
I took it upon myself to heal my own wounds, as both the doctor and the patient.

Was urged home for all the wrong, my riff with immigration
I was forced to return home due to issues with immigration, despite the fact that it was the wrong decision for me.

I boast to learn my culture 'fore I picked assimilation
Before I tried to assimilate into a new culture, I made sure to learn about my own culture first.

The dose of lies, up close you'll find raps they wisen
If you examine my music closely, you'll realize that my lyrics contain a dose of truth.

At most they rhyme to gross, mine's appetizing
Most rap lyrics seek shock value, however, mine are enjoyable to listen to.

Peep the god though, I speak a hard flow of argot
Listen closely to my music, and you'll hear a confident, powerful flow that remains true to my roots.

To steal for meal but for real, I used to starve though
I used to steal food just to survive, because I was living in poverty.

The routes I scored I doubt the Lord ever condone
I took risky paths to achieve success, which may not be condoned by a higher power.

Steps was reckless, reppin' for precious metals and stone
I made careless decisions in order to get money and represent my status through owning luxury items.

But now knowledge power, this assemblance evidence shown
I now understand that knowledge is power, and that the evidence shows the importance of learning.

Walk with ghosts of close family and friends, I'm never alone
Even though my loved ones are gone, I feel their presence and know that I'm not alone in this world.

So accept this - not for its intrinsic value, but as a token
Accept this gift, not for its material worth, but as a gesture of goodwill.

These hours are ours
We have ownership over the current moment.

Make a better place
We have the power to make a positive difference in the world.

Mines, yours
We're in this together, as friends and allies.

It's our time
This is our moment to make a lasting impact.

This that good shit, the fly shit, the real shit
This is the real deal, something of genuine quality and importance.

Build, fuck all that destroyin', let's live
Let's create something positive and uplifting, instead of causing destruction. Let's live our lives to the fullest.

Contributed by Harper J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS