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.
Give It Up
R.A. the Rugged Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Give it up! Oh Lord.... give it all to you
I try, but - it's - just - no - use!"
[R.A. the Rugged Man]
Aiyo, give it up, rush you up, no fuss, blood rush
Cuss much, what's mine? You bust nuts, crunch crunch
Spark the bud, what's what, the white King Tut
On the record with J-Live, I could hardly believe this
I never thought I'd be rapping on no record with school teachers
Hair flinch from the eighties, library, lies bury
TV, tell lies visually, kid you wit me, hostility
Humility, hillbilly, gorilla, he mentally illy
Still is he, actually, really killed me, billy
All that stuff you heard about me, is probably true
Heard I got the AIDS virus, I probably do
Ammunition spitting is him, is it, you listening
Littering written, it's in slippers, get the rebel in him
Sticking it with sinners, sizzlin' rhythm, verbally hit him
Did he did it, or did he didn't, admit it
Pretend he ain't offended, the men and women
Every minute they in it, don't be
Every illiterate ignorant critical dissed it
Every idiot that ain't live it, they talking shit
I'm R.A. the Rugged Man, get off, my dick
[Chorus]
[J-Live]
Give it up, for the Gods & the Earths, ladies and gentleman
All the human families, the wicked can't stand me
The righteous man hands me the mic, it's uncanny how
One man's penalty's, is another man's boo-whore
The label pun's ironic, courtesy of this sport
Still can't stop a grown man, from pressing report
A free man can either be freedom or free label
When you spent, what you make, to keep making, you can't save
A damn thing, no savings, that's how life'll enslave ya
That's why I strive daily; to be my own savior
I know when shine glows and reflects in my behavior
So caught in between checks, I spilled it in respect
So give it up, if your mission's belittling my position
As a microphone physician, making you listen
Me and Rugged Man relate, through a previous poem
Like he said, I'm mad famous, for being unknown
On records for ten years, I can hardly believe it
Never thought I'd be perceived, as just some rapping school teacher
Just some dude, that can cut and rhyme, same time
Just some conscious kid, that's try'nna save the world through rhyme
Just another underground, hand-to-mouth microphonist
Stop your mirror rap, just to stop you in your tracks
This will stomp you on your track, justice is not just
Another ordinary rapper, I'm the crown royal block
With a velvet bag, matter of fact, and since the swagger is back
And backed by, a whole nation of millions
You can't hold me, my new floor is my old ceiling
That's why I'm guaranteed, to leave you with something you lack, so just
In the song "Give It Up," R.A. the Rugged Man and J-Live discuss their struggles as underground rappers in the music industry. They both emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself and being authentic in a world that demands conformity. R.A. the Rugged Man discusses his controversial reputation and the rumors that have circulated about him, including having AIDS. He challenges his critics and asserts his own identity without submitting to societal pressures. J-Live talks about the dichotomy between being a free man and being enslaved by the music industry. He describes how, despite his experience and success, he still struggles to make ends meet and to retain creative control over his work.
The chorus of the song, sampled from an unknown source, serves to reinforce the message of the verses. It encourages listeners to give themselves up to a higher power and to relinquish their fears and insecurities.
Overall, "Give It Up" is a powerful critique of the music industry and a call to action for artists to remain authentic and independent.
Line by Line Meaning
Give it up, rush you up, no fuss, blood rush
Let go of your ego, embrace the moment, get excited
Cuss much, what's mine? You bust nuts, crunch crunch
Stop cursing, stop trying to take what's mine, focus on your own things
Spark the bud, what's what, the white King Tut
Smoke some weed, appreciate quality things, feel like royalty
Out in so-fuck, look who they dug up, yup, it's the Rugged
Out on the streets, people are surprised to see R.A. the Rugged Man
On the record with J-Live, I could hardly believe this
Collaborating with J-Live on a record is a dream come true
Hair flinch from the eighties, library, lies bury
R.A. the Rugged Man's hairstyle is from the 80s, lies are hidden away in libraries
TV, tell lies visually, kid you wit me, hostility
TV shows lies in a convincing way, you're with me on this, right? There's hostility between us
Humility, hillbilly, gorilla, he mentally illy
Being humble is important, R.A. the Rugged Man is like a country bumpkin with a wild personality
Still is he, actually, really killed me, billy
He's still alive and well, but he's so good that he's killing it
All that stuff you heard about me, is probably true
The rumors and gossip about me are most likely accurate
Heard I got the AIDS virus, I probably do
The rumor that I have AIDS might be true
Ammunition spitting is him, is it, you listening
He's spitting bars like it's ammunition, are you paying attention?
Littering written, it's in slippers, get the rebel in him
R.A. the Rugged Man's writing is all over the place, but the rebel in him won't be silenced
Sticking it with sinners, sizzlin' rhythm, verbally hit him
He's hanging out with bad influences, his flow is on fire, he's verbally attacking his detractors
Did he did it, or did he didn't, admit it
Did he do it or not? Just be honest about it
Pretend he ain't offended, the men and women
Why pretend like he's not hurt by what people say about him?
Every minute they in it, don't be
People are always involved in drama, but R.A. doesn't want to be part of it
Every illiterate ignorant critical dissed it
People who can't read or think critically are criticizing his work
Every idiot that ain't live it, they talking shit
People who haven't experienced what he has are talking trash about him
I'm R.A. the Rugged Man, get off, my dick
He's R.A. the Rugged Man and he wants people to stop bothering him
Give it up! Oh Lord.... give it all to you
Let go of everything, surrender to a higher power
I try, but - it's - just - no - use!
He's trying to let go, but it's not easy and it's not working
Give it up, for the Gods & the Earths, ladies and gentleman
Respect for the divine and the earth, greeting the audience
All the human families, the wicked can't stand me
Love and respect for all people, even those who are hateful towards him
The righteous man hands me the mic, it's uncanny how
Good people recognize his talent, it's a mysterious thing
One man's penalty's, is another man's boo-whore
What's a punishment to one person might be a reward to another
The label pun's ironic, courtesy of this sport
The label's wordplay is ironic, part of the hip-hop culture
Still can't stop a grown man, from pressing report
No one can stop him from speaking his truth
A free man can either be freedom or free label
Freedom is either internal or can be given externally by a label
When you spent, what you make, to keep making, you can't save
When you spend all your earnings to continue making more, you can't save for the future
A damn thing, no savings, that's how life'll enslave ya
When you have nothing saved up, life can trap you in a cycle of poverty
That's why I strive daily; to be my own savior
He's working hard to save himself from poverty and dependence on others
I know when shine glows and reflects in my behavior
He knows when his inner light shines and reflects in his actions
So caught in between checks, I spilled it in respect
He's caught in between paychecks, but he's still spitting with respect and heart
So give it up, if your mission's belittling my position
Stop trying to bring him down if your goal is to make him look smaller
As a microphone physician, making you listen
He's like a doctor for the mic, and he's making people listen to his message
Me and Rugged Man relate, through a previous poem
He and R.A. the Rugged Man have a connection through a past work of art
Like he said, I'm mad famous, for being unknown
R.A. the Rugged Man joked that J-Live is famous for not being well-known
On records for ten years, I can hardly believe it
J-Live has been making music for ten years and it's hard for him to believe
Never thought I'd be perceived, as just some rapping school teacher
He never expected to be seen as just a hip-hop artist who teaches
Just some dude, that can cut and rhyme, same time
He's just a regular guy who can rap and scratch with skill
Just some conscious kid, that's try'nna save the world through rhyme
He's a young guy who wants to make a difference through his music
Just another underground, hand-to-mouth microphonist
He's a musician who performs in underground venues and lives off his earnings
Stop your mirror rap, just to stop you in your tracks
He's telling other rappers to stop rapping about themselves and start making meaningful music
This will stomp you on your track, justice is not just
His music will knock you off your game, and justice is not always fair
Another ordinary rapper, I'm the crown royal block
He's not just any ordinary rapper, he's the king of his craft
With a velvet bag, matter of fact, and since the swagger is back
He's got a velvet bag, and he's confident because he's back on top
And backed by, a whole nation of millions
He's supported by millions of fans across the nation
You can't hold me, my new floor is my old ceiling
No one can limit him now, his new level of success used to be his old maximum
That's why I'm guaranteed, to leave you with something you lack, so just
He promises to leave his audience with something they're missing, so they should just be open to his message
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE BARTHOLOMEW, JOSEPH GAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NoShit-Sherlock
[Intro]
(Give it up!
But it's just no use!)
[Hook: sample]
(Give it up! Oh Lord
Give it all to you
I try, but it's just no use!)
[Verse 1: R.A. the Rugged Man]
Hey yo, give it up, bust you up, no fuss, blood gush
Cuss much, Russ Meyer bust nuts, crunch crush
Guts bust, what's what? The white King Tut
Out in Suffolk, look who they dug up, yup, it's the Rugged
On a record with J-Live, I could hardly believe this
I never thought I'd be rapping on no record with school teachers
Pamphlets from the eighties, library, lies buried
TV, tell lies visually, kid you with me, hostility
"Humility, hillbilly, gorilla, he mentally ill, he silly
Is he actually? Will he kill me really?"
All that stuff you heard about me, is probably true
Heard I got the AIDS virus, I probably do
Ammunition spitting isn't missing, isn't you listening?
Slithering, ridden in sin, slipping, sin delivering
I'm sickening with sinning, sizzling rhythm, verbally hit him
Did he did it, or did he didn't admit it?
Pretend he ain't offending the men and women
Every minute he in it, only
Every illiterate ignorant critic will diss it
Every idiot that ain't live it, they talking shit
I'm R.A. the Rugged Man, get off, my dick
[Hook]
[Verse 2: J-Live]
Give it up, for the Gods & the Earths, ladies and gentleman
All the human families, the wicked can't stand me
The righteous man hands me the mic, it's uncanny how
One man's penalty, is another man's reward
The label pun's ironic, courtesy of this sport
Still can't stop a grown man from pressing record
A free man can either be freedom or free label
When you spent, what you make, to keep making, you can't save
A damn thing, no savings, that's how life will enslave ya
That's why I strive daily; to be my own savior
I know when shine glows and reflects in my behavior
So caught in between checks, I still demand respect
So give it up, if your mission's belittling my position
As a microphone physician, making you listen
Me and Rugged Man relate, through a previous poem
Like he said, I'm mad famous, for being unknown
On records for ten years, I can hardly believe it
Never thought I'd be perceived, as just some rapping school teacher
Just some dude, that can cut and rhyme, same time
Just some conscious kid, that's trying to save the world through rhyme
Just another underground, hand-to-mouth microphonist
Stop in mid rap, just to stop you in your tracks
This will stomp you on your track, justice is not just
Another ordinary rapper, I'm the Crown Royal block
With a velvet bag, matter of fact, and since the swagger is back
And backed by, a whole nation of millions
You can't hold me, my new floor is my old ceiling
That's why I'm guaranteed to leave you with something you lack, so just
[Hook]
@rickydlp
"My new floor is my old ceiling." Favorite line
@megaboymegaboy9997
I remember when I went to the R A Rugged Man show in SLO unforgettable!!! <3 <3 <3 🎶🎶🎶
@zachellis3751
Cal Poly?
@monkeyhumourfilms6429
I went to one of his shows down here in New Zealand. Absolute BEAST on the MIC. Tore the house down that night.
@versisubju
The 2nd verse I ever heard from RA RUGGED MAN, this made want to hear more. #M80
@anthonymcmillan8273
Even though R.A says in a Vlad TV interview that he hates this beat he went ill on the song anyway. Him losing his breath control during the end of his verse was pretty funny but still he killed it. One of the G.O.AT! So glad that he did the Cunt Renaissance with B.I.G!! Mysogonmy at it's finest!
@zachellis3751
RA is savage AF.
@michalaleskandr3985
There is ONE thing that EM will NEVER have on RA and wished he did, thats a track and personal relationship with Big.
That's worth a bag.
@riobrothersproductions4180
Perfect👌
@PZADaKillaBee
This was the first time i heard r.a.