Veteran Hartford, Connecticut MC Blacastan has reportedly died. While the details surrounding the man born Ira Osu’s death have yet to be made public, peers including DJ JS1, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Vinnie Paz, Will C., DJ Deadeye, and M-Dot have begun publicly mourning the artist. The member of the Army Of The Pharaohs supergroup and Apathy’s Demigodz had enjoyed more than 15 years as a professional MC—working with DJ Premier, Jedi Mind Tricks, CZARFACE, Apollo Brown, and others.

In 2006, Blacastan stepped into many independent Hip-Hop circles with the release of Me Against The Radio, a self-released project featuring The Artifacts’ El Da Sensei. The New England MC would collaborate with Jedi Mind Tricks, Blaq Poet, and Slaine in the next few years. He released 2010’s Blac Sabbath then the companion themed release, The Master Of Reality, on the Boston, Massachusetts-based Brick Records. By the mid-2010s, Blacastan earned more spotlight through a role in Apathy’s DGZ crew. On 2013’s Killmatic, Blac would bless DJ Premier’s production on “Worst Nightmare.”

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In 2010, Blacastan told journalist Phillip Mlynar about the origins of his moniker. “The name started in jail. I was locked up in the era of [Capone-N-Noreaga] and Mobb Deep, and when CNN came out I was floored by what Capone and N.O.R.E. and Tragedy [Khadafi] were doing. I had already been bitten by Wu-Tang [Clan]; I thought the Wu was everything, plus Nas and Mobb Deep. But then – boom! – CNN came and took it to the Middle East, tapped into everything from that desert culture, equated Queensbridge with Iraq and all that. At the time my cell-mate was rhyming too and calling himself Lebanon, He was like, ‘You should call yourself Blacastan ‘cause everyone already calls you Black.’ I thought it was corny at first, but started to use it, put it in some rhymes and it stuck.” Blac would later get a chance to create a song with Tragedy on 2017’s “War Crimes.” The Connecticut native would also work with a pioneer of his home state, Dooley-O on videos and music.

Around that same period, another one of Apathy crews, the Army Of Pharaohs, added Blacastan to their lineup. On his Instagram, the Hartford MC repped both outfits until he passed. After AOTP crew work on Vinnie’s God Of The Serengeti, Blac’ became a cast member on 2014’s In Death Reborn and Heavy Lies The Crown. “I was at the time already tight with Apathy who was already an official Pharaoh, It’s kinda hard pinpointing the exact moment everything went down and was made official,” he explained in a 2015 interview with P-Rice. “I met everyone individually and we all would hang out when any given member was in the area we formed relationships. Over time I just became a part of the movement. It was incredible bein’ involved with both of these projects I was honored to be trading bars with these brothers.” More recently, Blacastan formed Watson & Holmes with producer Stu Bangas. The pair released a third album in 2020.

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Ambrosia For Heads extends condolences to Blacastan’s family, friends, and fans.