In 1992, at the age of 18, Thorburn signed with Jive Records, then in the mid-1990s 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 MC's such as The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Jedi Mind Tricks, Tech N9ne, Hopsin, Talib Kweli, Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Killah Priest, and producers Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, DJ Quik, Buckwild, 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 Thorburn He is closely associated to the Wu-Tang Clan and its various associates.
In 2004 he released the album Die, Rugged Man, Die on Brooklyn based label Nature Sounds. Thorburn has cameos in several music videos including Havoc from Mobb Deep's I'm the Boss, 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.
The October 2006 issue of The Source featured Thorburn's verse on Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story as its "Hip-Hop Quotable" of the month and HipHopDX named it as the "Verse of the Year" AllHipHop.com states that "This record will be remembered most for R.A.'s robotic flow recounting his own father's story of war while absolutely murdering the beat." Rolling Stone Magazine recently compared Thorburn's rap flow to that of a blue-eyed Biggie Smalls. When reviewing his song "On the Block", Vibe Magazine said, "I love this song. It give me goosebumps. It's very inventive."
In addition to his hip hop career, Thorburn 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, XXL and The Source.
A horror film fan, Thorburn 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 Josh Glazer (J. Glaze) with additional production by Prince Paul, and cameos by Playboy model Jelena Jensen and Penthouse Pet Krista Ayne. Thorburn is working on his directorial debut, a film based on his family, God Take, God Give.
Thorburn's latest album Legends Never Die was released on April 30, 2013. Guest appearances include Brother Ali, Masta Ace, Tech N9ne, Talib Kweli, Hopsin, and Krizz Kaliko. His first single of the album was 'The Peoples Champ'. The second single was "Learn Truth' Feat. Talib Kweli.
Richard Andrew is Thorburn's middle name. His first name has never been disclosed.
Thorburn's father, Staff Sgt. John A. Thorburn, was a Vietnam veteran affected by Agent Orange. Thorburn's family was significantly affected by the potent chemical. His brother Maxx was born handicapped and blind, eventually dying at the age of 10. Thorburn's sister, Dee Ann, was born without the ability to walk or speak. She died in 2007 at the age of 26. Thorburn tells his father's story 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. Thorburn said that his father was truly happy within his last year of life, due to his mindset that he could plan for his death.
He is of German descent on his mother's side.
Dumb
R.A. the Rugged Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I'm still on the scene, and you don't know how
Blah, blah, blah, blabber, bragger, bold ceremony master, chains snatcher, ??? rapper
Frank Sinatra Ratpacker, not the Rawkus backpacker
I'm back at you like don't they know I'm the wrong dude to fuck with
I'm the dude all the rappers had bad luck with
In fact fuck bad luck, they all hate my guts
Cause they sell more records, but I fuck more sluts
Who rocks shit, who got the ??? stoppin
Rap's all time infamous underdog, are you still pissed that I fucked your board?
Are you still pissed that we fucked that whore?
Would you call the cops if I bust your drawers?
Suburban, I get diggey-dumb, the history of rap white boy ???
I get dumb
[Chorus]
Oh yes yes, it's true, I'm back with more shit
Everytime I record shit
It's some get butt-naked fuckin-your-whore-shit
Thought I lost it, cause I signed to a label and got kicked off it?
VH1 will never do my behind the scenes
Cause I'm way too explicit for your TV screens
I'm like "Can we please talk about me a little more? And why I don't sell out 'n I stay hardcore?"
And why I never did a video for TVs, and never bought a beat for more than 3 G's
And never put an album out, not one year
I don't give a fuck about my career
Yeah people talk about me like they know my ass
But where the fuck was you when I had no cash?
Oh wait, I forgot, I still don't got none
Will my album gon' blow up, if I ever drop one?
I'm allergic to worship perfect
You can ??? quicker than ???
Ice Cube, Daddy Kane, Hollywood burnin
Bitch scream when the dick's inserted, remember where you heard it
I get dumb
[Chorus]
Yes yes y'all, y'all know the Rugged Man is the best yo
Top 5 lyricist, no less yo
Funky fresh yo, I be the D-I-double B-S yo
Wonderin where handicapped Rugged Man be at?
They like "Ain't he fell off?
??? he back" ??? for life ??? Diddy ??? word to Mister Cee ??? Biggie
Yeah, that kiddy is real sicky
B-U-B, R-U-G, we like Doug Fresh, Slick Ricky
Bon-stickity-bon-hon, gon' cock-riggedy-run
Ask Das, I get diggety dumb
[Chorus]
In R.A. the Rugged Man's song "Dumb," he starts out by asking how people like him now that he's still on the scene. He brags about being an infamous underdog in rap and how other rappers hate him despite selling more records. R.A. boldly claims he could beat anyone in a battle. He points out that he's never sold out, stayed hardcore, and never had a hit album, but he doesn't care about his career. In the final verse, he raps about his skill as a top lyricist and how he's still on top after all these years.
The song was released on R.A. the Rugged Man's third album, "Legends Never Die," in 2013. The album features guest appearances from Tech N9ne, Talib Kweli, and Brother Ali. The album's production was handled by Buckwild, Ayatollah, Mr. Green, and more.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh wow, it's me, how you like me now?
I am back and I want to know what you think of me and my music.
Yeah I'm still on the scene, and you don't know how
I am still making music and getting attention, and you don't understand how I do it.
Blah, blah, blah, blabber, bragger, bold ceremony master, chains snatcher, ??? rapper
I am listing off different things that people accuse me of being, and it all blurs together in my mind.
Frank Sinatra Ratpacker, not the Rawkus backpacker
I have a classic style like Frank Sinatra, not like the more modern backpack rappers on the Rawkus label.
I'm back at you like don't they know I'm the wrong dude to fuck with
I am coming back to the music scene with force, and people should know not to mess with me.
I'm the dude all the rappers had bad luck with
Many other rappers have had negative experiences with me, and they have not come out on top.
In fact fuck bad luck, they all hate my guts
I don't care if people have bad luck, they just hate me for who I am.
Cause they sell more records, but I fuck more sluts
Even though other rappers sell more records, I am more successful with women.
Now let's get off that topic, let's see who the most obnoxious is
I want to move on from talking about sex and see who the most annoying rapper is.
Who rocks shit, who got the ??? stoppin
I want to know who is really making waves in the rap industry and who is stopping others from being successful.
Rap's all time infamous underdog, are you still pissed that I fucked your board?
I am known as the underdog in rap music, and people hate me for having success despite their negative opinions. They might even be angry about me having sex on their recording equipment.
Are you still pissed that we fucked that whore?
People might be upset that I had sex with someone they wanted to be with.
Would you call the cops if I bust your drawers?
People might turn me in if I go too far and do something illegal.
Suburban, I get diggey-dumb, the history of rap white boy ???
I grew up in a suburban area but developed a talent for rap music. People are always questioning how a white boy like me can succeed in this genre.
Oh yes yes, it's true, I'm back with more shit
Yes, it is true that I am returning to the music scene with new material.
Everytime I record shit
Every time I make new music.
It's some get butt-naked fuckin-your-whore-shit
My music is often graphic and explicit, exploring themes of sex and promiscuity.
Thought I lost it, cause I signed to a label and got kicked off it?
People thought I lost my talent when I signed to a label and was eventually dropped from it.
VH1 will never do my behind the scenes
I am too vulgar and explicit for a mainstream network like VH1 to do a behind-the-scenes special on me.
Cause I'm way too explicit for your TV screens
I am not afraid to be graphic and vulgar in my music, and this is not suitable for television.
I'm like "Can we please talk about me a little more? And why I don't sell out 'n I stay hardcore?"
I want to be the focus of more conversation, and I pride myself on maintaining my artistic integrity and not selling out to mainstream trends.
And why I never did a video for TVs, and never bought a beat for more than 3 G's
I have never made a music video for television and never spent more than $3,000 on a beat.
And never put an album out, not one year
I have not released an album in a single year.
I don't give a fuck about my career
I am not concerned about my public image or level of success.
Yeah people talk about me like they know my ass
People often talk about me without really knowing me or understanding my perspective or experiences.
But where the fuck was you when I had no cash?
People are quick to judge me now, but where were they when I was struggling financially?
Oh wait, I forgot, I still don't got none
I still do not have much money or financial stability despite my success in music.
Will my album gon' blow up, if I ever drop one?
I am not sure if my album will achieve mainstream success if I ever release one.
I'm allergic to worship perfect
I do not believe in idolizing or glorifying perfection.
You can ??? quicker than ???
You can criticize me faster than you can accomplish something yourself.
Ice Cube, Daddy Kane, Hollywood burnin
I am listing off other successful and influential rappers.
Bitch scream when the dick's inserted, remember where you heard it
Women often react passionately to sex, and I want to be recognized for being vocal about this aspect of my life.
Yes yes y'all, y'all know the Rugged Man is the best yo
I am confident in my abilities and believe that people recognize me as the best rapper.
Top 5 lyricist, no less yo
Many people consider me one of the top five lyricists in the rap industry.
Funky fresh yo, I be the D-I-double B-S yo
I have a unique, fresh style and my name is abbreviated as DIBBS.
Wonderin where handicapped Rugged Man be at?
People might be curious about where I, a rapper with a handicap, am at in my career.
They like "Ain't he fell off?
People might be wondering if I have lost my talent or relevance in the rap industry.
??? he back" ??? for life ??? Diddy ??? word to Mister Cee ??? Biggie
I am back in the rap game and am here to stay. I am inspired by other successful artists like Diddy, Mister Cee, and Biggie.
Yeah, that kiddy is real sicky
I am not afraid to use taboo or controversial subject matter in my music.
B-U-B, R-U-G, we like Doug Fresh, Slick Ricky
I am referencing other successful rappers like Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.
Bon-stickity-bon-hon, gon' cock-riggedy-run
These are nonsensical phrases that I am using to emphasize my unique style and approach to rap music.
Ask Das, I get diggety dumb
Other rappers can attest to my unique sense of humor and dumb-fun approach to music.
Contributed by Zachary D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.