U.S. Army Rappers Take Center Stage at Historic Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – PEOPLE

The United States Army Field Band now has its first hip-hop artists in U.S. Military History — and they’ve been performing throughout August at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Staff Sergeant Nicholas Feemster and Staff Sergeant Lamar Riddick rapped in front of thousands in Scotland for the world-class event that began Aug. 5 and ended on Wednesday. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo provides a platform for both military and cultural acts from around the globe to connect through their voices and music.

In an interview with Forces News, Feemster and Riddick spoke about the significance their rap music is bringing to the military.

“It’s using music to reach the people and to unite the country to show our support as soldiers to our civilians, so we’re happy to be that and be the representation of the rap community,” said Riddick.

Feemster spoke about what their goal is in providing their unique sound.

“The best kind of music to me, which is what I took from like Tupac, is translating emotions, translating stories, translating the things that really unite people and us all together, and we try to really bring that to this unit,” he told Forces News.

Riddick added: “We’re going to be in the position to impact the masses and infiltrating a lot of places that the army field band may not have been able to go to before. We’ll help to push that mission forward.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Michael Braithwaite, Creative Director of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, said in an official statement: “This year, the Tattoo is inspired by people all over the world who have found a way to connect with each other through their creative voice and the Show will celebrate this expression by bringing together over 800 performers on Edinburgh Castle’s iconic Esplanade.”

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series that takes place each August at the Edinburgh Castle and includes performances by British Armed Forces, international military bands and artistic performance teams.

A 1949 show called Something About a Soldier at the Ross Bandstand in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens first inspired the festival. By 1950, the first Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo production took place, though at the time it was called simply Edinburgh Tattoo.

In 2010, the event was given its new name after Queen Elizabeth II awarded the Royal title in honor of its six decades of longevity.

The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 for the first time in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.