What Ras Kass learned from serving time in prison
During the early 2000s, the LA rapper Ras Kass had developed an unfortunate habit: he repeatedly drove his vehicle under the influence. He got caught doing this several times, and, by the third occasion, it was time for him to pay a heavy price. He was sent to jail, which, for better or for worse, proved to be a very important experience.
Answering questions from fans via AllHipHop.com in 2005, Ras opened up about his experience in jail. One person asked if his fame had made it any more difficult for him while he was locked up, but he didn’t think so. “Nah man,” he replied to this user.
“My whole philosophy in life is to try and be a man about it,” Ras went on. “So, in any situation, all you can do is try to maintain and be a grown ass fucking man. I was alright. I was blessed. I don’t think I faced any major problem because of who I am.”
Ras spoke about the need for preparedness in prison, which was how he had made it through. “Nine times out ten, you can avoid bullshit,” he said. “It’s the tenth time you got to be prepared for, and I was prepared for the tenth time, so it was all gangsta.”
Another user specifically asked about the lessons he had drawn from his prison experience. “I’m still fundamentally the same,” he replied. “Dude, I seen people go in and never come out. I’ve seen people die. I’ve seen people who had 51 years to life. I had a relatively short experience there.”
But while Ras’ 19-month stint was a short one compared to so many others, it clearly did impact his view on life. “It’s just a waste of life,” he said. “The main thing I learned is no matter how fucked up it is in the streets, at least you have a fighting chance to change your life. In there you can’t do anything, and I think that’s the whole point. It’s like sensory deprivation. Basically, I didn’t touch anybody for two years.”
He then made a homophobic joke that doesn’t particularly bear repeating, but he did make a serious point about losing contact with human beings behind bars. “It’s scientifically proven, that if you feed a baby but don’t give it love and physical contact, the baby dies,” he said. “That was new for me.”
Ras found that he missed the little things in life while he was locked away. “I didn’t have just little shit, dude,” he said. “Just walking outside when you feel like it to go look at the sky. That type of stuff. It made me realize that I have a fighting chance, and all I have to do is make it up out of here. At least I can utilize the luxuries of real life, like telephones and all that, and try to change my life.”
Unfortunately, Ras’ newfound appreciation for freedom didn’t keep him out of prison down the line. He broke his parole by attending an awards ceremony, and, for that, he was sent back for another stint, remaining behind bars for almost two years.