W.A.R.20 may sound like an unusual name for a rapper, but for W.A.R., which spells out Wildin And Rhymin, that’s just one meaning of the term. War has also his reality in his physical and mental life. W.A.R.20 real name Rod Harris joined the army as a combat solider after high school and was stationed in 2nd ID in TDC Korea from 1999-2000, and got drafted into the Iraq war from 2005-2006. Admitting to having PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the war, being in war definitely changed him as a person, his outlook on life and the stories he tells in his music. It is in the army where he really honed his rapping skills and had the urge to rap more then ever. Recording in a studio for the first time in downtown TDC Korea in this club called Black Rose, he developed his flow and how to maneuver his words over a beat just right, before then he was a battle rapper.
W.A.R20 says “Just being in the army you want to see like more in life then what people just talking about what’s happening on the block. I barely even curse, the army just instills in you like different characteristics like loyalty, dignity and respect like that and it’s not something you can get out off the street”. W.A.R.20 attended the University of Alabama on the G.I. bill before getting drafted to Iraq. He went to college to prevent from being homeless, after his dad wouldn’t let him come back home after coming back from New York trying to get a record deal. His family jumped around a lot when he was younger, as his father was in the Air force. “My dad didn’t teach me how to be a man. The military and in college you know meeting certain people in college kind of put me on my game as far as being not just an artist but being a man in general” says W.A.R20.
In 2006 he put together a mixtape called Back Off Hiatus that he did for the troops in Iraq only. After Iraq W.A.R.20 came home frustrated with PTSD saying “I got fired from like 10-11 jobs in 2007 when I got back from Iraq”. This gave W.A.R.20 more to talk about as he continued with his music, releasing his first album This Aint Gangsta…This Terrorism in 2010 on iTunes. Making music wasn’t enough for W.A.R.20 though; his appetite to help his fellow veterans grew increasingly until he started his non-profit organization, The Wars Home in 2011. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a Black Panther and later turned Pastor; it is clear it is in his blood to dedicate time to helping others in need. Through The Wars Home he has helped the tornado victims in Tulsa, Alabama by sending them care packages and also held a music showcase for the troops, in Kileen, TX headlined by rapper Kurt Kobain along with other musical performances as well. W.A.R.20 said about his non profit, “I want it to be like a median for veterans and their jobs, it’s easy for veterans to get a job but hard for them to keep one.” He continues to say “It’s really not fair, its not fair to go to Iraq or any war, or foreign war to serve a country, that is the ultimate sacrifice, come back and things are mentally and physically wrong with you and nobodies helping you, like how selfish is that of America”.
In 2012 he released his mixtapes Ultimate W.A.Rrior and 1:12 In The A.M. With his non-profit organization on the rise, so is his music. W.A.R.20 is currently gearing up to release his second album GhostWriter4Hire, EP off his music label K.O.T.A (Knock’em On They Ass) Media Group. When speaking about the new album W.A.R.20 said it’s going to be “Lots of hits” and every song he is doing is a single. When asked if he would rather be famous being a rapper or a ghostwriter, he said “Ghostwriter because they make more money”. He doesn’t mind being known as a ghostwriter because he can get more clients that way. W.A.R20 says he writes every song with an artist in mind, and said he wrote “Get it” for Young Jeezy and “Wit It” for Future. Working with one of his biggest mentors and friends, famed audio engineer, Aubrey “Big Juice” Delaine, on GhostWriter4Hire, EP was easy. W.A.R.20 says about Delaine, “He has the bom ears and he knows my style”. I asked him why was Delaine considered one of the best and he said, “He works fast and good and gives you quality and quantity”.
Recording for his next album GhostWriter4Hire, EP is top on his list, but something even more important that he is tending to right now, is his week and a half old son. W.A.R20’s mantra is that his family is more important to him then anything, before music, before anything. W.A.R.20 says he just wants everyone to “Give the truth a chance”, because that’s what he is about, real life problems, his ups and his downs. Outside of his own music, currently he is vibing to AR AB from Philly, W.A.R20 says, “The realness in his music, you can feel” and Max B “I love his melodies and the stories he tells” says W.A.R.20. Want to hear more of W.A.R.20’s story, check him out on www.war20.com.
