Quotes by Emmanuel Jal

About Emmanuel Jal:

Emmanuel Jal is a South Sudanese musician, former child soldier, and political activist. His autobiography, War Child: A Child Soldier's Story, was published in 2009.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Rap music is amazing, it's beautiful. But the problem is the lyrics. The person who writes the lyrics - that's the problem.

Emmanuel Jal

Sometimes words are not needed, and the simplicity of expressing yourself through an art form is one of the best ways of communication.

Emmanuel Jal

I had thought about forgiveness more and more...I knew it wasn't a light that could be switched on in an instant-it grew day by day, week by week, month by month-but something was changing inside me now during the hours when I sat alone and tried to ...

Emmanuel Jal

I lost my childhood. I didn't play football or video games. Or have birthdays or the love of a family.

Emmanuel Jal

I am proof that one person can rise above any challenge, and if I can, then so will others if they are given the chance.

Emmanuel Jal

We lack role models who can inspire our young people to make change.

Emmanuel Jal

If I sleep for more than half an hour, I get horrible dreams in which I'm firing a gun and helicopters are coming down.

Emmanuel Jal

I don't know anywhere where the people are hungrier for education than South Sudan.

Emmanuel Jal

Education is the only solution for peace.

Emmanuel Jal

As a child, I didn't know what they mean by 'to die.' So I grew up in a place where people used to die all the time, but a child is not allowed to see a dead body. When you ask, 'Where is so-and so?' you're told, 'He's gone to another world where we ...

Emmanuel Jal

Any child soldier has to go through a lot of love, care and understanding to become normal.

Emmanuel Jal

There's no pride in having been a child soldier.

Emmanuel Jal

Knife crime and gun crime is poverty-driven, and poverty leads to insecurity.

Emmanuel Jal

Violence in Darfur is cataclysmic.

Emmanuel Jal

When people know you've been a soldier, they judge you: you are a thief, a lost boy.

Emmanuel Jal

A cold heart is my protection mechanism. I don't really feel anything for anyone.

Emmanuel Jal

When I listen to hip-hop, it's like no big difference how people sing in my village, 'cause bling would be their cow.

Emmanuel Jal

What I always wanted to do when I was a kid was to speak out and help people which I continue to do afterwards.

Emmanuel Jal

When I was in south Sudan, people used to rap in my village. But the rapping was more in the mother tongue, Nuer.

Emmanuel Jal

I'm kind of weird - I don't get excited. Sometimes I fake that I'm excited just to make people happy.

Emmanuel Jal

Author Bio

  • NameEmmanuel Jal
  • DescriptionSouth Sudanese musician
  • Born1980
  • CountrySudan
  • ProfessionRapper; Actor