R.A. The Rugged Man is a hip-hop survivor. His career kicked off with a nine-label bidding war in the early ’90s, but his debut album went unreleased. Instead, he built a reputation for clever, spitfire rhymes on a string of collaborations with The Notorious B.I.G., Chuck D, Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and more. His discography now includes just as many released albums as unreleased albums (that’s two), his most recent being 2013’s “Legends Never Die.” But quantity isn’t an issue when you’re delivering joints such as the uproarious “Definition of a Rap Flow” or, on the other end of the spectrum, his harrowing, two-plus minute verse on Jedi Mind Tricks’ “Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story,” detailing his father John A. Thorburn’s experiences in the Vietnam War. The Rugged Man delivers a dose of his twisted world view to Volcanic Theatre Pub tonight. California upstart A-F-R-O (that’s All Flows Reach Out) opens the show.

R.A. The Rugged Man, with A-F-R-O: 9 tonight; $15 plus fees; Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend; volcanictheatrepub.com or 541-323-1881.