On April 25^th a CD scheduled to hits stores called "Voices From the Frontline," (www.voicesfromthefrontline.com) is sure to reveal some new things to the world about the war in Iraq using Hip Hop. Despite the fact that George Bush led everybody to believe the war in Iraq was ending on May 1st 2003 we know it’s much worse now. Voices from the Frontline is being released on almost the 3 year anniversary of President Bush's, carefully staged publicity stunt, landing aboard a moving aircraft carrier. President Bush told sailors manning the USS Abraham Lincoln Thursday that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

However the stats compiled by Michael Ewen of Anti-War.com are not misleading.

American Military Casualties in Iraq in Total and those in Combat (Combat = bold)

Since war began (3/19/03): 2375 1908

Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) (the list) 2238 1811

Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 1910 1602

Since Handover (6/29/04): 1509 1274

Since Election (1/31/05): 939 796

American Wounded Officials 17269 and Estimated in Combat 18000 – 48100

As you can see from the statistics Major combat in Iraq is far from over.

To get an authentic feel for what is happening, many will buy the CD Voices from the Frontline believing that the cd is going to be the “CNN for the Iraq War” since CNN is not and can not be a reliable voice. Joel Spielman, who heads up this project and is president of punk label Crosscheck Records says "This CD is not anti-war and it's not pro-war," he says. "It's a journal from each of these individuals. There are some buoyant moments, but a lot of it is tragic and sad." Spielman then claims "Voices" doesn't glorify violence and isn't sexist or political. Well then somebody should tell Spielman this album can’t be authentic either because the war itself is political, its sexist, and it’s a glorification of violence and the latest US killing technology.

On the album you have a dozen Iraq soldiers rapping. Some hope for music careers after finishing their military service. Others simply were seeking an outlet for their thoughts on fear, family and fighting abroad. "This ain't for a paycheck. This isn’t for us to be known," Army Sgt. Christopher Tomlinson, aka Prophet says on the CD's introduction. "This is for somebody to understand a soldier's life. We rhyme for hours upon hours about anything and everything," Tomlinson says on the CD. "All your emotions can come out and everybody's equal. Ain't no ranks, ain't no sergeants or privates. Everybody's the exact same. "Rap music became my diary," says the 24-year-old, who now works as a recruiter for the National Guard. "We've been given a gift to get to speak our voices for those that don't get a chance to."

Anybody will tell you the military represents a poverty draft, so there should be a lot of talented rappers in the pool to choose from. Young, poor and seeking answers are the perfect recipe for Hip-hop inspiration. However instead of “fancy cars, money and women," the lyrics are all about Iraq. Just like in the normal rap world Females are the minority but they do get some representation. Marine Sgt. Kisha Pollard, 22, aka Miss Flame who is her third tour in Iraq says "You're stressed and you can't be violent or do anything bad. Freestyle rap is a big relief, and everybody will come around and listen. An example of her freestyle is heard on a song "Girl at War."

"I could get shot, too, just as well as a boy," she raps. "You look me up and down 'cause you're thinking I'm weak, until you see me in Iraq, patrolling the streets."

The anticipation is that consumers are anxious to hear this CD for its lyricism, it does not have any Dr.Dre beats, in fact it was produced using laptop computers, CD players or Xbox consoles. "The songs still try to copycat big label production as much as they can even offering skits between songs. Dialogue and live sound from the war zone precede each of the CD's 12 tracks.

This album is also very much like any other rap album on the market because it does not totally tell the story of what is going on. The truth is too gruesome to be conveyed over track and although true, I can’t even stand by the rest of this story for fear of what it could mean.

Enter my childhood friend, we shall call him Sgt.Sicko for the sake of anonymity and accuracy (Because I want no beef at all with him and the purpose of this is not to expose him and endanger me.). He is back from Iraq and not only did he have some stories to tell he had the pictures to prove it. But first a little story or background on him.

Growing up Sgt.Sicko was the first person to ever smoke the “love boat” (PCP). DC area people know what “Boat” is. He was wild, (still is) reckless (still is), irresponsible (still is) but he had your back in case anything bad went down (still will). It was always best to be on his good side and have it so that he considered you a friend because if he was your enemy he could make life miserable for you.

One time he just happened to be on the scene when some “stuff” jumped off over at unnamed D.C. establishment. Despite the fact they searched people for weapons he let me see that he had his guns on him anyway and he was going to ride if “need be”. What constituted “need be” for him and me were two different things but that’s who he was and everybody who knew him, knew how he was.

Never a beef shy or trouble avoiding man he recently returned home from Iraq with tall tales and a griots flair for making people listen. He told of vicious episodes of rape, plunder and civilian murder. Abu Gharib was not just happening to detainees but to helpless villages.

Sgt.Sicko even had evidence of his tales and he had no problem admitting that not only had he taken part in these “exercises”, but in fact he was a ring leader. Stating that any solder who they even thought might tell commanding officers might get caught with some “Friendly fire.” Now I can understand why suicide among U.S. Soldiers is at its highest since 1999. He had Polaroid pictures of this savage activity that gave me a better idea of how some G.I.’s were desecrating Iraq people all in the name of “liberating them from Sadamm.” Rape of girls and women was happening if the opportunity presented itself or a little chaos could be created. Sgt.Sicko reasoned that they had to get off some way, and Iraq women weren’t going to just give it up. I already knew Sgt.Sicko was not in Iraq to liberate Iraqis, he was there cause he was told to go. He was told to go in the name of finding Weapons of Mass destruction but he knew he was really there for “oil concerns”. He didn’t have the factual information about how invasion plans of Iraq had been planned long in advance of bogus WMD concerns but unfortunately he and many in his rampaging horde seem to have been bolstered by the immorality of the invasion and occupation.

Tales like these are not conveyed on “Voices from the Frontline” but they are also reality. Nowadays Polaroid pictures are a staple mark of prison photographs and early Hip-hop photography, as graffiti writers used the instant cameras to capture their art work when it was still fresh. NY designers like Mighty Shirt Kings often used Polaroid to capture a subject before air brushing images into clothes. In Iraq a small group of warped soldiers have used Polaroid cameras to capture horrific images of an untold battle on the backlines in small villages in places that many of us can not even pronounce. After all Americans are only concerned with American casualties, we totally ignore the exploitation and murder of Iraqis. British Medical Journal Lancet estimates that 100,000 civilians in Iraq have been killed. These deaths don’t even register to most Americans.

But why should I make a fuss over a half dozen Polaroid pictures that disturbed me and the fact that this backline story wont be mentioned in a authentic rap album that is said to capture the real stories in Iraq? I can’t be since the American press does not even allow the photographing of dead soldiers returning home. You won’t ever see those who have given their lives return home either unless you over in Iraq with a Polaroid.

Released: April 23rd, 2006

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