R.A. The Rugged Man has been a standard bearer for the sometimes-repulsive yet often-witty raps since he burst on the scene in the mid-1990s, However, since Y2K, this veteran MC has grown to be so much more. His development as a lyricist was apparent on his 2013 album, Legends Never Die, and his mentoring of A-F-R-O has seen the young wordsmith mature into an exciting recording artist. While it has been six years since his last LP, the Suffolk County spitter has been busy with his podcast, The R.A. The Rugged Man Show (aka Ignorant Long Island Guy’s Podcast). Episode 8 of the series dropped in November of last year and featured filmmaker Frank Henenlotter. But make no mistake, The Rugged Man will still get grimy on the mic at the drop of a dime.

To whet fans’ appetites for his upcoming studio album, the artist formerly known as Crustified Dibbs is serving up the Western-themed video for “The Return.” This, of course, makes perfect sense considering the intro sample sounds like it was pulled right from an Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Not to mention that fact R.A. compares himself to Keith Cowboy from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five about halfway through the cut. To keep it 100, he kicks his minute-long verse in chaps, cowboy hat and boot, and a six-shooter.

He makes sure his listeners know exactly where he stands in 2019, asserting, “No relation to the corporation / Corporate station / This ain’t the 20 wack songs on radio played in rotation / Future odder than Earl and Hodgy / B*tches been sloppy / Groupie’s t*tties flopping / I’m like, ‘B*tch, cover that sh*t up like Benghazi / Hypnotist svengali / Men copy / Been cocky / Think you can top me? / Give me a baseball mitt to catch the body.” To be clear, this is not the lead single, but instead a quick loosie to remind Heads that he hasn’t lost a step.

Eligh, R.A. The Rugged Man & Eamon Chase The High Of Self-Love (Audio Premiere)

While Shroom produced “The Return,” it was recorded with The Rugged Man’s band, The Missing Channel, during a recent tour stop in Amsterdam. The visuals were directed and edited by The Jokerr, who keeps the camera moving to match the New York rhyme-slinger’s jerky hand gestures. Listen to this one at high noon…or just now.