His discography as Ka is an impressive achievement. He has a singular sound. An amazing writer and an amazing producer. The simplicity in the music is deceptive, but there are some genius choices being made. Chord changes are used sparingly. The music is the perfect backdrop for his writing, which is dense and full of amazing word play.

He came across as a sincere, caring person. Sadly, he closed his web shop because the realities of shipping physical product in a grip-and-flip era complicated his interest in sharing music with people. However, instead of selling things online, he held pop-ups and spent time conversing with people. A few friends were able to attend and said that he really took time to speak at length with each person.

I spent the last week listening to a lot of Ka, almost exclusively. His albums aren’t easy listens that immediately grab you. Sometimes you have to give an album a few runs before it grabs you. In the whole discography, there’s probably one that grabs you the most.

Looking back on how he handled his career, there’s so much to respect. He did things his way. He never seemed to chase anything, rarely worked with others, just stayed focused on his own thing.

I’d recommend listening to any of the albums. The most recent 5 have been in my headphones all week.

I first became familiar with The Expert through his album “The Overview Effect” that he did with Jermiside. The Expert and I both had some production on the Wrecking Crew album “Sedale Threat” and I liked his style. He’s an amazing producer and he and I share a lot of interests/outlooks on shaping an album. His album with Stik Figa “The Ritual” is also great. Great song structure, sample choice, and tons of movement. He’s of the Edan school of space echo and he’s very skilled at it. I’m a big fan.

I wasn’t familiar with NAHreally before hearing BLIP, but I’m now a fan. Funny, introspective, observational raps with ear worm lines that you’ll be running back in your mind later. If you’re aging (as we all are), you’ll probably relate to the content. A fun, enjoyable listen. These two are a perfect pair. The Expert provides the proper platform for NAHreally, doing exactly what a producer should do…bringing out the best in an artist. The album also features great guest spots from Open Mike Eagle, Hemlock Ernst, Dillon, and Jesse the Tree.

Checkout The Expert’s substack: EXcavations

I did a remix for The Expert and Stik Figa’s “Slo Pokes,” which you can hear here:

If you follow me on any of the platforms, it’s no secret that I am a big fan of Backwoodz Studioz, particularly billy woods. The label has so many great artists and I appreciate the overall feel and approach of the label. They take chances and nothing ever feels forced.

If you’ve never heard this song, I suggest taking it in for the first time in video form. I think everyone involved nailed it. Benjamin Booker on the first section. Production by Kenny Segal and Benjamin Booker. Directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa. Vocals by woods and E L U C I D.

Every time they drop something new, it feels like the rule book is rewritten (to me at least). I love what they are doing and appreciate the adventurous nature of it.