Song description
The song's producer, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, usually known for his intricate, layered production, provides a dark, minimalist beat for the track, simply featuring drums, bass, and a light, wailing female vocal sample. Jedi Mind Tricks vocalist Vinnie Paz provides the opening verse, a first-person narrative telling the story of a young, scared and confused United States soldier stationed in Gia Dinh, who, after seeing the carnage of battle and the corruption of the Army, begins to question the real motives behind the Vietnam War. R.A. the Rugged Man's verse recounts the war experience of his father, Staff Sergeant John A. Thorburn, who was a cold-blooded killer, until an ambush in Cambodia nearly killed him. He reaches a moment of clarity while in the hospital, but after being sent home, he discovers he has been exposed to Agent Orange, leaving two of his children severely deformed and handicapped, and, eventually, killing one of his sons.[3]
Acclaim
The key factor to the song's acclaim was the nearly two-minute verse by R.A. the Rugged Man. Numerous album reviews referenced the verse as the highlight of the song. An AllHipHop.com review called the song "the most insightful track JMT has done in years" and states that "This record will be remembered most for R.A.'s robotic flow recounting his own father's story of war while absolutely murdering the beat." [4] HipHopDX.com writer Joshua Naber states that it is "possibly my favorite verse of the year", calling it an "epic tale of War". [5] The October 2006 issue of The Source magazine featured the verse as its "Hip-Hop Quotable" of the month, and also listed "Uncommon Valor" on its "Fat Tape" list.
While the performance of R.A. garnered considerable attention and acclaim, it was not the sole factor in the song's popularity. An online reviewer for HipHopLinguistics.com also praises the performance of Vinnie Paz, stating that he "does a great job personalizing the effects of war". [6] RapReviews.com reviewer Steve 'Flash' Juon calls the song "as creepy and hair-raising as hip-hop gets", and praises the production work, "Stoupe ups the ante by sneaking in subtle sound effects that make you feel like you're right there in the jungle." [7] MVRemix.com reviewer Michael Diston calls the song a "stunning moment", and also comments on the song's concept and fitting production, "The haunting beat does the subject matter justice – a fantastic concept and one of JMT's finest moments."
