Hip hop producers, soundz 007—sunny J (Flickr.com)

Hip hop producers scouting for new talents may find it interesting to note that some notable hip hop artists in the music history once served the country in the military.

Some of them signed up for the compensation, some were honorably discharged, and some stood up against fighting in Iraq. At least one of them joined the service after launching a career in music.

The beat of music and military are not unrelated. There is music everywhere, and it has different genres that relates to different kinds of people. The manner by which the military affects the artists is different for each person.

The following article, written by Paul W Arnold and published by Hip Hop DX, highlights the experience of many hip hop artists with the military.

Hip Hop Producers: Sample Artists in the Military

A decade before his rhymin’ about “Grindin’” would be embraced by the masses, back in 1992, the then 18-year-old Malice was just another fresh out of high school teen with, as Biggie would say, a “baby on the way, mad bills to pay.”

Freddie Gibbs may be the last name any fan of the “Thuggin’” rapper would expect to see on a list of artists who actually wore camouflage for its intended purpose. But at age 19 the future frontline soldier for Young Jeezy’s CTE army was falling out in formation in the United States Army. His stint was short-lived however.

ATL brave, Donnis, is the sole Air Force alum on this list. The rising rapper decided to enlist for the same reason many aspiring artists likely do, as he explained to Vibe, “After graduating high school and being at college for a year, I joined the Air Force, which allowed me to make enough money to buy my own recording equipment…

One half of The Away Team, producer/rapper Khrysis experienced a very real crisis of conflict, without ever even going into battle, during his time serving in the National Guard. Explaining exclusively to HipHopDX in 2008, the Justus League crewmember revealed that in the spring of 2003, shortly before he was to be shipped off to Iraq, he took a principled stand to not fight in a war he deeply opposed.

After Fort Benning, Ice-T went on to Advanced Individual Training, where he became Airborne certified by jumping off platforms ranging from 34 feet all the way up to a staggering 250 feet.Canibus cryptically described his military experience saying, “The experience came at a price.”

Before he demanded a nation of party-goers to “Turn This Mutha Out” on his breakthrough 1988 single, Dance Rap pioneer MC Hammer served as a Petty Officer, Third Class, in the United States Navy. Original story here.

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