R.A. Thorburn, better known as R.A. the Rugged Man, is an emcee from Suffolk County, New York on Long Island. Coming from a broken home, R.A.’s father was a Vietnam veteran affected by Agent Orange. His family was forever changed by the potent chemical — his brother Maxx was born handicapped and blind, eventually dying at the age of 10, while his sister Dee Ann couldn’t walk or speak.[citation needed] R.A. tells the story of his father, Staff Sgt. John A. Thorburn, in the Jedi Mind Tricks track “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story”. His verse was given the Quotable of the Month in The Source magazine. In his song “Lessons,” R.A. alluded to suffering from mental illness himself.

R.A. The Rugged Man - Stanley Kubrick

A true legend of underground hip hop, R.A. the Rugged Man has all the unpredictable humour and demented charm of a crazy man exploiting his own inflated shortcomings for our twisted pleasure. This monster on the mic worked with Biggie and Mobb Deep in the beginning, has supposedly been homeless and loves horror movies more than most.