About

Champaign-Urbana, IL - Musician, producer, composer, audio designer, and DJ Larry E. Gates II  has played hundreds of stages across the nation and has shared those stages with the likes of Chuck Berry, G. Love & Special Sauce, 30 Seconds To Mars, Local H, Superdrag, Trombone Shorty, Brother Ali, The Nappy Roots, Blueprint, DJ Rare Groove, Illogic, and many others.

 

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Entries in R.A. The Rugged Man (3)

Feel Good Fridays: R.A. The Rugged Man

R.A. is usually not synonomous with "feel good" but the NYC wordsmith just dropped another head nod reminesce track (similar to "On The Block"). Dig this - feels good.

Throwback Thursdays: R.A. Rugged Man

This song was released in 2002 - guess that makes it 11 years old - not quite enough to make it a throwback but the song itself is one big throwback. Dig through hip-hop history with R.A. Rugged Man and play along with the fan vid below. Yup.

Way Gone Wednesdays: R.A. The Rugged Man

R.A.  is a rapper's rapper.  True skill and grit.  The son of Staff Sgt. John A. Thorburn (who died last year) - he wrote a touching tribute to his father who was a Vietnam Veteran exposed to Agent Orange. R.A.'s family was significantly affected by the potent chemical. His brother Maxx was born handicapped and blind, eventually dying at the age of 10. R.A's sister, Dee Ann, was born without the ability to walk or speak. She died in 2007 at the age of 27.  Real shit right here.