Corps questions rapper on alleged Marine past

[CommunityEditor]

Hip-hopper Bioniq MC, aka former Staff Sgt. Steve Austin, says he was a Marine, but the Corps has no record. From the article --

With the April 24 release of his new album, “800 LB Gorilla,” it’s a subject the former staff sergeant, who now is known as the Bioniq MC, was only too happy to talk about with Marine Corps Times. “My music is a mirror image of my soul and the life experiences I have gone through,” he said in a press release sent to this newspaper, offering to speak “about how being in the Marines influenced” his music.

He said he was inspired to join the Corps by two uncles who were leathernecks — one killed in action, the other wounded — and a need for some grounding in his young adult life, the self-proclaimed high school valedictorian said in a recent telephone interview.

A search of Corps personnel records based on his real name, given service dates and ethnicity, turned up dry, according to one Marine official. “No one matches the Stephen Hall with whom you’ve spoken,” he said. A representative of the National Personnel Center in St. Louis — the clearinghouse of service records for all services — also found no record of the singer’s time in the Corps, or in any other service.

After the initial phone interview, Marine Corps Times made numerous attempts to contact the performer through his publicist for clarification about his claimed prior service — all of which went unanswered. Austin refused to provide any information that would substantiate his claim or assist in a military record search, such as his date of birth, the date he entered service, where he went to boot camp or the last four digits of his Social Security number.

In addition to that, Austin’s story could not be substantiated with the unit he claimed to serve with, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion. First Sgt. Carlos Sepeda, who has been with the unit for more than a decade, could find no record of Austin.

Sepeda added that Austin’s claimed rank would have been difficult to achieve after four years in the active duty, which is what Austin claimed. “It would be hard; I’ve never seen it,” he said. “Most staff sergeants have eight or more years before they’re in the zone.”

During the phone interview, Austin said his tenure as a Marine was “four and four,” referring to four years’ active duty, followed by four years in the Individual Ready Reserve. He said got out of the Corps in 2000 as an “E-6.”

When asked about his prior Corps service, Austin quickly parroted the recon mantra: “swift, silent and deadly.” While he was shy about giving much detail about his duties there, he did say he was a war veteran and served with his unit in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

“We take the Marine Corps very seriously, especially the recon family,” he said. “For someone to say they were there” — and not be — “it’s very disturbing.”

Full article: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news...bioniq_070419/


Is it possible for the Corps to "lose" someone? Is this something that should be pursued with legal action taken if, in fact, he never served as a Marine? What are your thoughts?

[JIMMIEWOODS]

This "supposed" former Marine (and Recon Marine at that) needs to as we would say ... "Put up or Shut Up!"

If HE and the Corps can't substantiate his past then he needs to not continue to refer to himself in this light. As a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant with over 20 years in the Corps, I can and always will be able to (as would the Corps) substantiate my past - IF this "Marine Wannabe" rapper is the real deal, prove it - otherwise stick to what he does now .... talking .... and leave the Marines to doing what we do best .... taking care of protecting HIS rights and freedom!

Semper Fi;

JIMMIE E WOODS JR
GYSGT / USMC (Retired)
Beaufort, SC

[MICHAELWOOTEN]

Sounds like publicity. I bet someone he knew was in the Marines. It obviously got him national coverage though. However, our public affairs crew needs to counter attack and reveal the fake.

and for all the extemists out there...death by firing squad.

[PDD02060]

Did anyone do the math. He spent 4 active & 4 IRR in the Marine Corps and got out in the year 2000. That means the earliest he could have joined was 1992. He states he was a Gulf War Vet. THE GULF WAR WAS 1991!! A year before he supposedly joined the Corps. Please track this down and out this wanabe!
Semper Fi

[MICHAELWOOTEN]

ahh! good catch PDD02060...someone did their Math for Marines MCI correctly.

I think he was shooting for publicity, and whether good or bad, it worked. However, lets make him pay for pretending that he sacrifices the same as us.

[mas2178]

What I don't get is why do they pick the Marine Corps? And why did he give himself the rank of SSgt? You just can't pretend to be a SSgt, those guys actually know what they're doing (for the most part).

http://www.matt-sanchez.com/matt_san...ng_marine.html

[MICHAELWOOTEN]

maybe he was thinking of an army equivelant and didnt understand the difference. Like I said, someone he knew probably is a marine. He was going for publicity...good or bad...to sell his album.

[momo9969]

Amazingly enough he also picked up SSgt in 4 years, seeming from my understanding he picked it up within his brief 4 year active duty tour. I know of SSgt's whom make it in 6 and even so are selected and make the rank in their 7th year in the Marines. This man is amazing!

[BoozerMan]

This story perplexes me. As any other "wannabe Marine" story I see. I mean how hard is it to produce a DD214? Or at least check SS #'s You telling me there is a chance that the Corps actually might not know I was in? Silly.

[SSgt2651]

These stories make me sick.

You know what makes me sicker? The growing fad of wearing the Marine Corps MARPAT utility uniform as gangsta clothes on stage. I've seen a couple rappers do it now.

You didn't earn that uniform, you didn't earn that title, and you are slapping the collective faces of those who sacrificed so much (in some cases - everything) to earn it. These "fake heroes" or whatever you want to call them should be forced to do community service on a Marine Corps installation, so Marines driving/walking by can give them their due.