Emmanuel Jal’s one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan, a former child soldier. His mother was killed, and his sister was raped by soldiers by the time he was 9 years old. He’s also a rapper, and instead of the typical fare you might hear in mainstream hip hop, Jal is bringing something very different.

“The music I used to hear was bombs and guns,
So many people die that I don’t even cry no more.
I ask God the question: What am I here for?
Why are my people poor?
I ate snails, roaches rats, frogs — anything that had life.
I know it’s a shame,
But who’s to blame?”

His music has topped the charts in Kenya, and has become popular in Europe. But will an American hip hop audience get it? He has an album coming out soon — we’ll see.

[CNN]

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