Big Neal

So I was reading the news this morning and on BBC I found a story on "Big" Neal Saunders, an American soldier recently returned from Iraq. He's a rapper, and he and some friends produced an album in Iraq about their experiences fighting there.

They're kind of angry.

They're angry at policymakers who don't have any priorities. They're angry at the generals who trained them for the wrong mission. They're angry at a national press that pumps out mass-consumption-oriented fluff. They're angry at the Iraqis who don't appreciate the American soldiers' sacrifices and efforts to improve their lives. They're angry at American peacenik hippies.

Angry.

I won't lie - as a man who studies war, I get real tired of hearing nothing but academic, stark, emotionless jibber-jabber or fluffy "we-don't-want-to-hurt-anyone's-feelings" journalism or "salute-the-flag-and-don't-question-our-leaders" patriotic "journalism. Its nice to hear this sorta' thing. If by nice you mean refreshing properly painful, like really, really cold water.

As to the music, well, hmm. . . think angry, angry gangsta' rap. In the Middle East. You can hear samples on CD Baby (don't miss "24 hours" and "Behind the Screens" in particular).

The albums is being produced by 4th25 (pronounced "fourth quarter") - their homepage features not only a blog and tons of thoughts on the war and its coverage (and they media's coverage of Live From Iraq, Big Neal's first album), but it has a collection of real video from Iraq (aimed, I can only imagine, at dispelling illusions about the nature of the solider's life).

You want some other interviews? Try On the Media's (note the really troubled interviewer) or, oddly, Stars & Stripes's story.