Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick stood before a crowd in Manassas as part of the U.S. Army Field Band's celebration of 80 years of music and service, representing a role that didn't exist in the Army until 2021: the military's first full-time hip-hop artist. He joined Good Morning Washington to talk about his path into uniform and his lifelong pull toward music, and about how the Army has shaped him both personally and as an artist.
Riddick and fellow soldier Nicholas Feemster became the Department of Defense's first two official full-time rappers in 2021 after beating out more than 150 applicants in a nationwide audition, according to Prince William Living. Only eight candidates made it to the final round of in-person auditions before two were chosen for the honor. It was a competitive process, and the audition also tested singing and freestyle skills.
Riddick completed basic combat training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma in 2021, as reported by Military Times.
From Marching Band Scholarships to Army Stages
Riddick's musical foundation was built long before he enlisted. He earned a bachelor's degree in music recording engineering from Bethune-Cookman University, later adding a music business certificate from New York University, per the same Military Times account of his background. Growing up, he was encouraged by his parents to participate in marching band, choir, theater, and dance, according to The Dominion Post.
That grassroots streak carried into his early career. While working as a music school program assistant at West Virginia University, Riddick founded the community organization Revive Collective in 2017 to host workshops and events for emerging local musicians in Morgantown, The Dominion Post reports. He returned to WVU this month to perform alongside the university marching band during a halftime show, a full-circle moment for the outlet's coverage of his rise.
An International Debut and a Recruiting Mission
The Army's rappers made their formal international debut for the military in August 2022 at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, an annual gathering of international military bands, according to Military Times. It marked an early sign of just how far the Army's hip-hop experiment would travel.
Army Field Band communications officials said in 2023 that bringing hip-hop artists into the fold was meant as an authentic outreach strategy, one designed to attract younger demographics and better reflect American societal diversity during a period of severe recruiting shortfalls, according to Military Times. Military Times described the Army's 2022 recruiting season as difficult.
On tour, Riddick performs with the 65-member Concert Band and Soldiers' Chorus, blending genres in what he calls “classical rap fusion” to reach audiences who wouldn't otherwise expect to hear rap at a military concert, Prince William Living reports. Riddick has noted that older concertgoers in their 60s and 70s frequently respond with enthusiasm to the hybrid sets, a reaction that has become something of a signature of the shows.
Eighty Years of Musical Outreach at Fort Meade
The 1st Combat Infantry Band was organized at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, while the Army Ground Forces Band was commissioned by General Jacob Devers in 1946, according to the U.S. Army Field Band. Today the band operates under the U.S. Army Military District of Washington as “The Musical Ambassadors of the Army.”
Stationed at Fort Meade, the band now consists of five primary performing components — the Concert Band, Soldiers' Chorus, Jazz Ambassadors, Six-String Soldiers, and Commercial Music Group — presenting more than 400 concerts annually across the country and abroad, per Wikipedia. Riddick's hip-hop act fits into that eight-decade tradition of using music to connect soldiers with the public.
His outreach has extended well beyond concert halls. Riddick's national television appearances and civic events include a Veterans Day showcase on The Kelly Clarkson Show in November 2022 and a performance at Atlanta's Juneteenth Celebration at Centennial Olympic Park in June 2023, according to WABE. Those appearances, the station notes, are intended to educate civilians about non-traditional military career paths.
Back in the Washington, D.C. area, Riddick was scheduled to perform in Manassas. Riddick can be followed on Instagram at his artist account for updates on future performances.
