Military Man Imprisoned for Rap Lyrics

"Every time I try to get out, they keep pulling me back in!" I'm sure the classic 'Godfather' line rings true for Army Specialist Marc Hall, even as he sits in jail. He was set to be relieved from active duty in February but then learned late last year that he, like many others, was being sent back to Iraq for another 12 months under the military's Stop-Loss policy. Let's just say he wrote a song about it. Here are a few of the lyrics under his hip-hop alias of Marc Watercus:

(Follow Mason Jamal on Twitter @masonsays)

Like Obama says somebody be held responsible
But some of you all gonna be held in the hospitals, whenever possible
I'm gonna round up all eventually, easily, walk right up peacefully
And surprise them all

Yes, yes y'all, up against the wall, turn around
I got a m*therf*ckin' magazine with 30 rounds, on a three round burst
Ready to fire down, spray and watch the bodies all hit the floor
I bet you don't stop-loss nobody no more,
in your next lifetime of course, no remorse

There you have it. Piss off Hall and out pops the alias of (Marky) Marc Watercus, the aspiring rapper conjuring up images of the recent Fort Hood killings. The mere fact that he drops a "yes, yes y'all" on us suggests the 34 year-old shouldn't be on the mic in the first place. Plus, he doesn't quite pack the pathological poetic punch of NWA, not even close. Nevertheless, in some circles he's being referred to as an "anti-war hip-hop activist." That's mighty generous. I'm not feeling so charitable myself.

Rhyming about his opposition to the unpopular policy that extends military duty is one thing. That sounds like protected political speech. The fact is, since 2001, Marc is one of the more than 120,000 troops that have been affected by the Stop-Loss policy. They should all be distraught and disillusioned by the practice, which former President George W. Bush started and President Barack Obama is continuing. But to rap in a retaliatory fashion that boasts of violent acts toward fellow soldiers and superiors is another thing. And here's the kicker: Watercus brazenly shipped off a copy of to the Pentagon, as if it were Hot 97, to make sure the joint chiefs of staff knew they were put on blast. And that's pretty much how the fight started, the legal fight that is.

The song in question is possibly nothing more than angry "artistic expression" that's being made an example of, as we witness what is arguably the overflexing of military muscle. Be that as it may, Hall has been locked up since mid-December, as he awaits his court martial hearing on multiple counts of "communicating threats" to the military.

Personally, I think his inner gangsta rapper got the best of him, distorting his ability to tell the difference between the 'hood and Fort Hood. The difference is there are very few people in positions of power that are concerned with the idea of young black men killing each other – lyrical or literal. Servicemen and women are an entirely different matter. That's just the reality of it. It also seems within reason that he made a calculated decision, knowing the consequences, and opted for jail time over another tour of duty. Either way, in a perfect world, Marc "yes, yes y'all" Hall would stop rapping, and the U.S. military would stop loss. Both are probably unlikely to happen.

Q-Tip puts it this way on his song 'We Fight / We Love':

It ain't your fault, you want identity
So you join this big fraternity
You get to travel the world, its cheaper than college
And you get guns and you get knowledge
Lookin' for your soul, and WMDs
You can't find nothing, cause it's empty
You got your gun, and he's your friend
And he's your man, until the end
We fight, we love

Mason Jamal writes about issues pertaining to the style, substance and sensibilities of men (and sometimes women). For more of his musings, you can visit www.MasonSays.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @masonsays.

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