In Ego Trip Vol. 1, Issue 3, a New York based hip hop magazine, the Notorious B.I.G. was quoted as saying, "I thought I was the illest," referencing R.A. The Rugged Man AKA Richard Andrew Thorburn. Despite having worked with the Erick Sermon, Wu-Tang Clan, and the late Biggie Smalls, Thorburn never seemed to break through the underground like his early 90’s counterparts. Only until 2013 with the release of his second album Legends Never Die (his first album being released ten years prior) did Thorburn start to see commercial success with the album landing at number 17 on the Billboard Top R&B And Hip Hop Albums chart.