Keem Jones: Pain and second chances for Fayetteville Army veteran, rapper
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, pain is an unpleasant signal that something hurts. Pain comes in different forms — physical, emotional and mental.
Responses to pain vary, dependent on the person and circumstances. Although pain is a symptom of a bigger ailment, it requires immediate relief.
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Every person has a level of pain they can endure. One can grow from their pain, like Keenan McMillan, better known publicly as Officially 2x.
McMillan was born in South Carolina, just outside of Charleston, and raised in the 17th ward of New Orleans. He fell in love with music at an early age.
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At 12, he could be seen carrying a notebook to write his music. However, he did not take music seriously until he was 15. It was around this time that he met Terrell “Noble Beats” Flowers at his school in Waltersboro, South Carolina.
Each morning before school, Flowers would make beats using the bleachers and McMillan would rapover them. Flowers invited Keenan back to his studio built inside his home to record music. His first song, “5 Star, My Star,” was released on the digital platform MyMixtapez.
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After completing high school, McMillan enlisted in the Army and served as an infantrymen. His frontline experience would change his life, and his name.
He served two tours in Iraq. As a young soldier on his first deployment, he admits that he didn’t listen or know the protocol. He nearly lost his life on two separate occasions.
The first instance is the night he was standing watch and a suicide bomber attempted to drive through the gate he was guarding. The second, and possibly most traumatic, instance is when his convoy struck an improvised explosive device (IED).
The explosion led to significant damage. McMillan was in a coma for two months and had been shot twice in his right leg. He suffered from bleeding on his brain, along with broken bones and torn muscle tissue.
After the explosion, he only remembers waking up in Germany after being in a coma. He had to learn who he was all over again as a part of recovery.
He returned to the United States to continue healing. His battle buddies jokingly gave him the name “2x” because he nearly died twice in such a short span. However, the name stuck with him.
He continued to record music under the moniker “Ray 2x.” During this time, he was staying with his brother who had been stationed at Fort Bragg. His brother eventually left Fort Bragg, but McMillan decided to stay in North Carolina.
He had been staying in a home on Tangora Lane, off Bingham Drive in Fayetteville. McMillan became friends with his girlfriend’s cousin, the rapper Morray (Morae Ebony Ruffin). The friendship grew over time. The pair worked together and hung out in their spare time.
One day, Morray went over and asked McMillan could he film a music video in front of his home and McMillan agreed. Morray gathered his friends, and his coworker, JaxofNorth, brought out his camera.
They shot the video to “Quicksand” that day. Around two weeks later, the video garnered national attention and lifechanged. Ultimately, Morray signed a record deal with Pick Six/Interscope Records. Currently, Quicksandsits at over 188 million views on YouTube and became certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Morray’s career was also propelled by a cosign from Fayetteville native J. Cole.
Morray joined Cole on his OffSeason Tour and was nominated for two Grammy awards. However, Morray has never forgotten about 2x. McMillan joined Cole and Morray on the Offseason Tour.
One of 2x’s greatest experiences was seeing the energy from the crowd during Morray’s set at the Houston tourstop. However, he is often challenged with helping others around him to understand his journey.“You not going against the grain. You are going against those who are afraid to do what needs to bedone to make it happen,” says McMillan, the self-proclaimed Prince of Pain. “Keep doing you until they start asking how you did it.”
2x is an artist on Morray’s Everybody’s Family Music Group imprint. He has been entertaining meetings with major record label reps and is set to release his EP “Prince of Pain” later this year. To follow his journey, follow him on Instagram @officially2x.
Salute to 2x and every activist getting active. Peace.
Rakeem “Keem” Jones is a community advocate and father of three from the Shaw Road/Bonnie Doone area of Fayetteville. He can be reached at keemj45@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Keem Jones: Fayetteville rapper and Morray friend nearly died in Iraq
