If you look up “underappreciated” in the dictionary (or at least on Wikipedia), you’d probably see a big picture of John Austin (also known as Ras Kass) plastered across the page. The Carson emcee has been ballyhooed amongst hip hop peers of being lyrically one of the most incredible emcees in the game. But go and ask your average 106 & Park viewer who Ras Kass is and more than likely a confused face will emerge. What Ras Kass has done in his career is real simple: create one of the most criminally slept on albums ever, be heralded as the pinnacle of the west coast emcee (or any coast for that matter), release a lukewarm sophomore album, get caught up in an ugly label beef that saw his hard work get shelved and finally gets incarcerated for 19 months.  Usually these type of events spell out “the end”, but for an artist as gifted as Ras Kass it spells out “resurrection.”

     So while tangled with his former label in some legal beagle bullshit, Ras Kass emerges from prison with a ton of questions dangling over his head. Is he the same emcee he was before getting locked up? What will he do now? With that comes Ras’ first official “mixtape/album” since Rassassinaton- the aptly titled Institutionalized.

    One of the issues that has plagued Ras’ career is production. No matter how incredible an emcee is, if the production doesn’t match then the song is dead in the water. When Ras has had the proper production (DJ Premier for instance), the results are more than extraordinary. With Institutionalized Ras has employed some lesser known producers but surprisingly the production hold its own. Ras opens up his rhymebook with the sizzling “Air ‘Em Out” which is vintage Ras wordplay over a incredibly solid J Classic production. “Life & Bullshit” features a rather intriguing beat from Shaft as Ras gets on his soapbox to preach about people who need to grow up and get their priorities straight.

    The beauty and the beast within Ras is his dual personalities. At times he can seem incredibly insightful and intelligent and at others he’ll come off as an asshole. But that’s the beauty of it all. On one hand you will have the marvelous “Write Where I Left Off” which features Ras searing through a multitude of homonyms which, as far as this critic can remember, hasn’t been done in recent memory. On the other hand Ras just will act a fool on tracks like the Jelly Roll produced “Slap Season.” The hypocrisy in Ras is incredibly human but sometimes when you pigeon hole Ras for songs like “Nature of the Threat” and get the synth and hi hat induced “Put Ya Glass Out” fans will get thrown for a loop.   

   With a guest list that includes Xzibit, Killer Mike, E-40, Rick Rock, Young Buck, Crooked I, Strong Arm Steady and others, one could think that it is oversaturated with guests. But the fact is that these folks merely come by to show their support and allow Ras to present himself in a way that he can only accomplish. Save a few so-so beats here and there could be omitted but at the end of the day its Ras Kass giving fans a taste of what’s to come. And if this is any indication, the future is looking mighty bright for John Austin.