Embattled west coast lyricist Ras Kass penned a letter to his fans on his Web site (RasKass-Central.com), addressing his frustration with his recording home, Priority Records, his jail time and his pending albums
“Since it’s no mystery where I am now, I do feel the need to clarify what it is I was fighting for, or as some saw it, running from,” he writes. “Also, to give an update as to the progress we made.”
In the July 29 dated letter, Ras reiterates his well-publicized feud with Priority was to combat the, “systematic undermining of my economic well-being.” In addition to claims of not being properly compensated for recording two albums—Van Gogh and Goldyn Chyld—the rapper claims artists and producers who he worked with such as Mike City and Xzibit have yet to be paid as well.
Currently, Ras wrote he is sharing a two-man cell with a “crack head,” receives no phone privileges, and is cell bound 23 hours a day. Of which, he then flatly states, “jail is not cool,” retorting the image that rap songs and videos create a false romanticism with the penitentiary.
Expect Ras Kass to be released from prison sometime in late 2004, fans of his, however, won’t have to wait that long for a new release. Ras Kass Presents: Re-Up is scheduled to drop August 19 and features Ras protégé Scipio, while Catch Me If You Can, recorded while the rapper was on the run, is set to be released on Landspeed.
