Artist looks to troops for inspiration

Photo By Staff Sgt. Engels Tejeda | Sgt. Robert Seals (left), a communications NCO, and Staff Sgt. William Clark, a mechanic, both with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 2121 Mechanized Infantry Battalion, react to the lyrics of One Son's rap at LSA Anaconda.  

CAMP CEDAR II, IRAQ

02.23.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Camp Cedar II, Iraq - A Kellogg, Brown and Root employee serving at Camp Cedar II is making his way back to the stage, expressing in the lyrics of his fourth rap album his experiences in Iraq and those of dozens of Soldiers he has interviewed.

Bobby Acres, nicknamed "One Son," used to open for R&B sensation Outkast and has been researching his newest album while supporting the troops as a petroleum distribution foreman in southeast Iraq.

Following the success of his first three albums, Acres, a former soldier, wanted to release a fourth album within the next year about Soldiers" lives in Iraq.

He decided two years ago to come to Iraq and spend time with the Soldiers to help him write a proper album.

Since then, he has interviewed hundreds of Soldiers and recently tested some of the tracks he's laid out in front of a live audience at Logistical Support Area Adder.

"After doing "A Soldier's Story" (his second album) I decided I wanted to do something for the military," Acres said.

"Me, having been a Soldier myself, it's like I know that Soldiers sing but are not heard. I want to communicate that Soldiers are more than just a fighting force."

The upcoming CD, tentatively titled "The Voice from Bama 2 Baghdad," will feature the stories he's collected here from interviewing Soldiers who travel Iraq's deadly roads, he said.

"I want this to be about them," Acres noted. "I've talked to people who have been hit by IEDs [improvised explosive devices], people who've been shot at, you know. People back home are like, yeah, we are winning, but they're over there sitting on their couch."

He emphasizes that he wants to communicate the struggles that servicemembers face in theater daily.

The tracks he performed for troops at Adder seemed to resonate with the audience.

"It's pretty good, he sound[s] different," said Staff Sgt. William Clark, a mechanic with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 2-121 Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

"It's stress free and it's like they've been through the same things we've been through."

Spc. Dennis Davis, a mechanic with the 115th Maintenance Company, said the music was "excellent" and "a change of pace."

Both Davis and Clark said they would purchase the CD.

But some other servicemembers said they would have to hear the music in a different forum before rushing to the music store.

Master Sgt. William Young, an operations NCO with the 648th Engineer Battalion, said that the lyrics were hard to understand because there seemed to be problems with the sound system.

He said it probably had little to do with the artist, and much to do with the venue, a basketball court in a tent used as a stage for MWR events on Saturday nights.

Still, Young said he appreciated Acres and his two co-workers, DJ Mario Caldwell and vocalist Kevin McLemore, performing for the troops.

"It shows they care," Young said.

Acres achieved the rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, serving a four-year enlistment as a petroleum supply specialist.

He served at several locations in the United States, and his experiences during that time provided him the material for "A Soldier's Story."

He has appeared in several independent films, including "Almost Time."

• Date Taken: 02.23.2006
• Date Posted: 02.23.2006 08:21
• Story ID: 5468
• Location: CAMP CEDAR II, IQ