How Taco Bell influenced a rapper to become a Marine

In this episode of the Mandatory Fun podcast, Blake speaks with The Marine Rapper a.k.a. TMR about how he went from wrapping tacos to rapping music lyrics. "I joined the military because I was working at Taco Bell and ironically as a [taco] wrapper," TMR recalls. "I wanted more, so I became the manager. I'm going to do the same route as the [Taco Bell] founder did and become a Marine." If you've ever surfed the internet looking for military rap songs, chances are you've come across the unique sound of "The Marine Rapper." Known for sporting a red mohawk and wearing an American flag bandana, TMR served 10 years in the Marine Corps as a Combat Correspondent where he earned a Combat Action Ribbon and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals during his service. After successful tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, TMR left the Marine Corps in February 2014. After entering back into civilian life, TMR began focusing on music as a profession and for cathartic expression. The Marine Rapper 's Action Figure is a bouncy, hyper, fast-paced journey that chronicles the making of his identity. Each song is accompanied by a music video that will be released weekly on YouTube starting Sept. 29. TMR's Action Figure will be available for purchase on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Tidal and everywhere where digital music is sold Sept. 29. In addition, a limited run of signed physical copies and merchandise will be exclusively available on TMR's website: themarinerapper.com