জীবনী
Film producer, writer, magazine journalist, and iconic underground hip-hop rapper R.A. Thorburn, known globally as R.A. the Rugged Man, sparked a nine-label bidding war as a teenager. He signed with Jive Records in 1992 and Priority/Capital Records in 1998 before going independent in 2004, releasing the indie hit album "Die, Rugged Man, Die!" which achieved worldwide acclaim.
R.A.'s impressive musical career has led him to collaborate with some of rap’s greatest legends, including Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and the late Notorious B.I.G., as well as multi-platinum producers like Erick Sermon, Trackmasters, DJ Quik, Alchemist, Havoc, Buckwild, and Ayatollah. He appeared on all of Rawkus’ Soundbombing albums alongside Redman, Eminem, and Mos Def; featured on the platinum-selling WWF Aggression album with Snoop Dogg and Method Man; and his voice can be heard in the blockbuster video game Tony Hawk’s Underground. Notorious B.I.G. once remarked about R.A., "I thought I was the illest!"
Beyond hip-hop, R.A. writes a monthly movie column for Mass Appeal magazine and is a key contributor to The Ego Trip Book of Rap Lists (St. Martin’s Press) and Ego Trip’s Big Book of Racism (Harper Collins). His work regularly appears in publications such as Vibe, King, Complex, and Source, often featuring guest contributions from celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Dame Dash, Ice Cube, Usher, Chuck Norris, and David Cronenberg. Recently, he signed a book deal to explore his passionate love of boxing, co-authored with Maxboxing’s Doug Fischer, set for publication in 2008 by Testify / Powerhouse Books.
A devoted horror-film enthusiast, R.A. the Rugged Man has penned three screenplays with cult filmmaker Frank Henenlotter—"Sick in the Head," "Love is Hell," and "Bad Biology." The latter is in post-production and scheduled for release in late 2007, with R.A. serving as producer.
