Emmanuel Jal: Warchild

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Marc Gabriel Amigone wrote in the Huffington Post: "When he was about seven years old, his father joined the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). His mother was killed by soldiers loyal to the government, and his aunt was raped in front of him. He was then taken to Ethiopia with a group of kids who were promised an education in the neighboring country, but upon arrival, they were forced to become soldiers in the SPLA. Jal returned to Sudan to fight in the civil war, and for nearly five years, he was a war child, forced to fight carrying an AK-47 that was taller than he was. In the early 90's, Jal was rescued by a British aid worker named Emma McCune who smuggled him into Nairobi, Kenya to raise him as her own. It was there he first heard hip-hop. … While he draws his inspiration from contemporary hip-hop artists like Kanye West and Nas, Emmanuel Jal is nothing like a typical American rapper. Songs off his latest album like 'Skirt Too Short' and 'No Bling' speak out against what Jal sees as being wrong with the hip-hop industry: rampant sexism, materialism, and violence" ("Emmanuel Jal …," 3/1/09).