Kaseem ‘Ka’ Ryan was a full-time firefighter and a passionate rapper who spent his spare time creating music. He tragically passed away at the age of 52.
Ka is survived by his family, including his wife, Mimi Valdés, who publicly confirmed his unexpected demise. In an emotional post on her Instagram, Mimi shared several photos of them and expressed her feelings;
My king, my hero, my best friend. You will always be my everything because love like ours lasts forever. Rest, my beautiful husband, see you on the other side.
Mimi Valdés
Ka had been involved in music since the 1990s and enjoyed a significant tenure with the hip-hop collective Natural Elements. Throughout his career, he garnered immense respect from fellow artists and love from his fans.
The late rapper was quite active on Instagram, frequently sharing photos that exuded an artistic vibe. In contrast, his partner, Valdés, also has an Instagram presence but shares content far less frequently than Ka did.
While Mimi may not regularly post updates on her social media platforms, she has her own stories to share. Moreover, she isn’t only known for her marriage; as Ka’s wife is also a famous hip-hop media veteran. So, there is much more to her than meets the eye.
Kaseem ‘Ka’ Ryan’s wife, Mimi Valdés, is an award-winning producer; Oscar nominations and Emmy
Ka’s wife is not just an ordinary veteran in hip-hop media; she has achieved significant success as a producer. Over the years, she has garnered numerous awards and accolades for her work.
The Afro-Latina film producer gained recognition after her work on Hidden Figures became widely acknowledged. For that 2016 film, she took significant risks by ignoring conventional Hollywood formulas, ultimately leading to its success.
Eventually, Hidden Figures achieved significant box office success and earned multiple awards, including Oscar nominations. Similarly, her work as a producer on Roxanne Roxanne received recognition the following year. Although she did not win any awards for this project, the 2017 film itself was acknowledged for its quality.
Following that Mimi’s works in We Are The Dream: The Kids Of The Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest was also well-received. In this project, she was part of the Know Wonder production team, and they won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program. Similarly, she was appreciated for co-producing the indie film Dope (2015).
Valdés has been recognized for her efforts in promoting diversity within pop culture through various projects. Needless to say, the Afro-Latina storyteller’s work over the years has transformed how audiences engage with pop culture.
In addition to the above-mentioned projects, Mimi’s role as executive producer on the comedy series Harlem received positive acclaim. The show debuted on Amazon Prime Video in December 2021.
As for Ka’s spouse’s latest project, she is one of the producers of Piece by Piece (2024). It is an animated documentary film that chronicles the life of Pharrell Williams using LEGO characters to narrate his story.
Mimi Valdés is the chief creative officer for Pharrell Williams’ company and runs her own media firm, Fly Green Socks
Mimi Valdés holds the position of Chief Creative Officer at Pharrell’s multimedia company, i am OTHER. Her job has an impact on many creative projects, including music videos and films.
Pharrell started i am OTHER in 2012. The company works as a creative group across different fields like music, film, TV, and fashion. Further, it aims to tell stories in new ways and express art, with Valdés guiding its creative direction.
Quick Note: Mimi Valdes is not Pharrell's wife. pic.twitter.com/C7RlUZ8XBI
— Andrés Tardio (@AndresWrites) February 27, 2017Since joining i am OTHER, Valdés has helped create many successful projects, such as the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures and the hit song “Happy.” The New York native spends her days doing many things, from working on film and TV sets to talking with other top creatives.
If that isn’t enough, Ka’s spouse also runs her own media company. Valdés co-founded her media company, Fly Green Socks, alongside her friend Nina Yang Bongiovi. Together, the duo with their firm focuses on making hip-hop stories into films.
Talking more about Fly Green Socks, it aims to tell “fun, bold stories inspired by the world of hip-hop,” and its name pays homage to the classic rap song “La Di Da Di” by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.
However, Valdés and Bongiovi’s partnership didn’t start with their own venture. They first teamed up for the indie film Dope, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Following that, they worked together on the biopic Roxanne Roxanne.
In case you didn’t know, Mimi Valdés professional journey began as a journalist
- Mimi Valdés was a senior in magazine journalism at New York University (1988–1992) when she got in touch with Vibe magazine, which captivated her. She soon joined the company as an editorial assistant.
- Quickly establishing herself as a significant figure in hip-hop journalism, Valdés became editor-in-chief in the early 2000s.
- After her time at Vibe, Valdés worked as a contributing editor for Latina magazine before becoming the Chief Creative Officer at Pharrell Williams’ i am OTHER.
