Ransom
Born: 1980
Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre: Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop, Gangster Rap
Years Active: 2006 -
Real Name: Randy Nicholls
Meaning of the Name: Money paid for the return of a prisoner.
Way of Working: Raps over a producers beats
Associated: The A-Team, Nicholas Craven
Essential Releases
Director's Cut
EP (2020)
The first in a gory and cinematic series produced by Nicholas Craven.
Director's Cut
(Scene Two) EP (2000)
Second entry. Reloaded.
Director's Cut:
Scene Three (2020)
Essentially a longer version of the same thing. Street raps and slasher delights.
Ransom briefly retired from rapping in 2018 at the age of 38. Never truly able to break through and approaching 40, he hung up his mic to think about what might have been. Until then, his music had offered a steady diet of street life, drugs, and guns. The persona seemed to match the reality, given that he spent two years in prison for possession of an illegal firearm.
But wisdom comes from experience and when he returned to the rap game, Ransom really found his niche. Not only did he double down on his streetwise veteran persona, he accentuated it with direct references to the horror genre on his Director's Cut (2020) trilogy with producer Nicholas Craven; the trifecta unfolds as if he's in film, chased by the ghosts of his past, the relentless snare pursuing him through a soundscape of screams and atmospheric boom-bap.
Indeed, the song titles are taken from various genre classics, such as Blacula and Misery, and the cover art features Ransom dressed as iconic characters such as Candyman or Freddy Krueger.
Despite his songs still being a blood-soaked vivisection of street life, this time, people could relate to the orgy of violence precisely because of its cinematic veneer. The window dressing allowed a broader audience to stomach a primal truth; everyone makes mistakes, and we're all haunted by the ghosts of our past.
Earlier racks like 'Sublime Intervention' (2016) provided a sneak preview of the dichotomy that made later Ransom so interesting: "I did a lot of wrong so I don't need for nothing, but I look over my shoulder for the reaper coming." Elements of his more acclaimed work, such as steely-eyed regret and luxurious production, were clearly present in previous releases, they just needed a thematic revamp to reach a wider audience.
Throughout his music, the core of Ransom's unapologetic messaging has remained the same. He isn't asking for forgiveness or sympathy, only imparting street knowledge for the benefit of the uninitiated to make money via legal routes. Ultimately, Ransom got the bag of cash he wanted, but can't savour it. "I'm trying to live well but well enough will never last." His prize is cursed, paid for in the blood of friends gone too soon.
It's easy to judge gangster rap with words like 'vile' because such criticisms are valid, but as always with the genre, there's a difference between depiction and glorification. Many young people, in their desperate search for a way out of poverty, make the mistake of joining a gang and dealing drugs. Hopefully, Ransom's cautionary tales can help those in a similar position avoid prison or an early grave.
The truth is that it takes courage to recount your experiences without looking away. While many of us would have sugarcoated things, or hid them entirely, the real artistic value of Ransom's work comes from allowing people to see things as they truly were, warts and all. To overcome a thing, first you must look it in the eye.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
65
Mental Impact
75
Originality
70
Artistry
75
Authenticity
80
Live
70
Production
80
Musicianship
60
Rapping
85
Songwriting
85
Danceability
55
Fun
35
Consistency
60
Range
40
Cool
70
Charisma
55
