Ras Kass brought the West Coast to Brooklyn’s doorstep with the release of “42,” a hard-hitting collaboration with Smif-N-Wessun that pays homage to Jackie Robinson and marks their first official track together.
The song, produced by Amadeus360 and released on October 3 on all streaming platforms via HillTop Ave/Soulspazm, is a tribute to the number Robinson wore as a Brooklyn Dodger. The symbolism runs deeper than baseball.
It represents unity between coasts and a shared legacy in Hip-Hop.
The track’s title, “42,” is more than a nod to the Hall of Famer. It’s a statement.
Ras Kass and Smif-N-Wessun use the number to fuse Los Angeles and Brooklyn energy into one blunt-force anthem. The Mo Stafford-directed video, shot in Brooklyn, captures the record with street visuals and no gloss.
“When I first went into this collaboration with Smif-N-Wessun, I initially wanted to recreate ‘Sound Bwoy Bureill,’” Ras Kass said. “That didn’t happen. Instead, Amadeus360 played a few beats, and one stood out. We liked a couple, but the beat for ‘42’ is the instrumental that Tek & Steele really gravitated towards,” Ras Kass explained.
The session took place in New York, and the hook was handled by an artist named Fresh. Although the artists had previously crossed paths and shared studio time, this marked their first official joint track.
“We’ve all hung out and been in the studio together before, but we had never done a song together until now, so this was one for the bucket list,” Ras Kass said.
The video was filmed at Sweet Science, a Jamaican fusion restaurant in Williamsburg. The location, owned by a mutual friend, provided the perfect backdrop.
“So we basically shot the whole music video at this location. I wore my LA 42 Dodger hat and it came out really dope,” he added.
“42” will appear on Ras Kass’ upcoming album, scheduled for release in 2026.