Lyrics
Your daddy was home when you left… (you left)
Your mama was home when you left… (you left)
Your sister was home when you left… (you left)
Your brother was home when you left… (you left)
The dog stayed home when you left… (you left)
The cat stayed home when you left… (you left)
Even the fish was home when you left… (you left)
Your daddy, your mama, your brother, your sister,
The dog, the cat, the fish—
All were home when you left… (you left)
And that’s the reason you left… (you left)
I left my home… (I left my home)
To join the army… (to join the army)
I left my home… (I left my home)
To join the army… (to join the army)
The day I left… (the day I left)
My mama cried… (my mama cried)
She feared that I… (she feared that I)
Would surely die… (would surely die)
I left my wife… (I left my wife)
Standing at the door… (standing at the door)
She knew that I… (she knew that I)
Might die at war… (might die at war)
I left my son… (I left my son)
Playing in the yard… (playing in the yard)
Watching daddy leave… (watching daddy leave)
Made him cry so hard… (made him cry so hard)
The day I left… (the day I left)
I shook my daddy’s hand… (I shook my daddy’s hand)
He told me I… (he told me I)
Had become a man… (had become a man)
Ooh-wee, ooh-wee… (ooh-wee, ooh-wee)
Ooh-wee, ooh-wee… (ooh-wee, ooh-wee)
Ooh-wee, ooh-wee… (ooh-wee, ooh-wee)
To join the army… (to join the army)
About the Marine Rapper Artist
Raymond Lott, better known as The Marine Rapper, is an American hip-hop musician, combat veteran, and 12-time Billboard-charting recording artist from Hollywood, California. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps for ten years, from 2004 to 2014. He went to Iraq and Afghanistan as a soldier and turned those raw experiences into hit songs once he got out.
⚡ Quick Facts at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Raymond Lott |
| Stage Name | The Marine Rapper (TMR) |
| Born | Hollywood, California, USA |
| Nationality | American 🇺🇸 |
| Military Branch | United States Marine Corps (USMC) |
| Service Years | 2004 – 2014 (10 Years) |
| Military Role | Combat Correspondent (War Journalist) |
| Genre | Hip-Hop / Metal-Rap / Political Rap |
| Label | Ninja Punch Music (Independent, self-founded) |
| Est. Net Worth | $500,000 – $1 Million (2025 estimate) |
| Billboard Entries | 12x Chart Appearances |
| Current Base | Austin, Texas, USA |
📖 The Marine Rapper — Full Biography
🏙️ Early Life in Hollywood
Raymond Lott grew up in Hollywood, California, which is one of the most entertainment-rich cities in the world. He was surrounded by hip-hop music from a young age, but the realities of life kept him grounded. Before joining the military, he worked at Taco Bell and briefly went to the Los Angeles Recording School on Sunset Boulevard, the same street where legends had recorded. The dream was real, but the timing wasn’t right.
In 2004, a Marine Corps recruiter presented structure, purpose, and a path ahead. Raymond accepted it, and the decision would forever influence the artist he would one day be.
🪖 10 Years as a Combat Correspondent
Raymond Lott worked as a Combat Correspondent, a military journalist and photographer embedded with the military battalions in active combat zones, between 2004 and 2014. This wasn’t a safe desk job. He wore full body armor, carried an M16, and photographed Marines in actual action in four locations.
| 🌍 Location | Role / Mission | Notable Outcome |
| Iraq | Combat photography, embedded with infantry | Combat Action Ribbon; top USMC photos of 2006 |
| Afghanistan | Combat tour, operational storytelling | Afghanistan Campaign Medal |
| Africa | Deployment, unit coverage | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
| Latvia | NATO operations, media coverage | Navy Defense Service Medal |
🎖️ Military Awards & Decorations
Raymond Lott’s service record carries a substantial list of military honors earned over a decade of active duty:
Two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals
Combat Action Ribbon — Iraq
Three Navy Unit Commendation Medals
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Two Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals
Navy Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
DoD Thomas Jefferson Award — Highest Honor in U.S. Military Journalism (for photograph: “Iraqi Woman’s House”)
🎤 Music Career: From the Corps to the Charts
When Raymond Lott received his honorable discharge in 2014, fellow Marines were skeptical. Some advised him to re-enlist rather than chase a rap career. He used that doubt as motivation. What followed was years of grinding as an independent artist — writing, recording, and releasing music entirely outside the major label system.
His music genre defies easy categorization. TMR blends political hip-hop, metal riffs, and hard trap beats to create a sound that is uniquely his own — raw, loud, and impossible to ignore. His lyrics draw directly from his combat experience, his faith, and his love for American freedom.
🏢 Ninja Punch Music — Building a Veteran Empire
✔ Founded Ninja Punch Music — an independent label exclusively for military veteran artists
✔ Name references NJP (Non-Judicial Punishment), the Marine Corps’ disciplinary process — a knowing wink to his military roots
✔ Founded and hosts Military’s Got Talent — a platform showcasing veteran performers
✔ Serves as CEO of the Military Musician platform
✔ Released Ninja Punch: Sounds Like Freedom Vol. 1 — an 18-track album funded via Kickstarter and later featured by CBS
✔ Regular collaborators include Topher, D.Cure, and MJHanks
📊 Billboard Chart Record (2021-Present)
| 🎵 Song Title | Peak Position | Date |
| “The Patriot” (ft. Topher) | #1 🏆 Billboard Rap | Jan 2021 |
| “I Left My Home” (MJHanks ft. Topher & TMR) | #7 Billboard Rap | Oct 2021 |
| “Let’s Go Brandon” (ft. D.Cure & TMR) | #4 Billboard Rap | Nov 2021 |
| Total Billboard Appearances | 12x Charted ✅ | 2021–2025 |
🎵 “I Left My Home” — Song, Lyrics & Deep Meaning
📋 Song Details
| Detail | Information |
| Song Title | I Left My Home |
| Primary Artist | MJHanks |
| Featured Artists | Topher & The Marine Rapper |
| Release Date | September 24, 2021 |
| Song Duration | 3 minutes 47 seconds |
| Chart Peak | #7 — Billboard Rap Digital Song Sales Chart |
| Theme | Military sacrifice, family separation, patriotism |
| Release Type | Standalone Single |
💭 What Does “I Left My Home” Mean?
At its core, this song is about the invisible cost of military service — the act of walking away from everything you love to serve something larger than yourself. The song’s genius lies in how it captures this sacrifice from multiple perspectives simultaneously.
The chorus repeats “I left my home / to join the army / my momma cried” — simple words that carry devastating weight. Any veteran, any military family member, anyone who has watched a son or daughter deploy will feel this immediately.
🎙️ The Marine Rapper’s Verse — Breakdown
TMR’s verse goes far beyond personal storytelling. He reaches back into history, naming the Buffalo Soldiers, Doris Miller, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Montford Point Marines — placing his own sacrifice within a centuries-long legacy of Black American military service.
His line “And my dad G.I. and I served just like him / Now I’m realizing that I’m just like him” is perhaps the most emotionally precise moment on the record — a son coming to terms with having inherited not just his father’s patriotism, but his absences and silences.
The phrase “cause my only girlfriend was my assault rifle” is raw, dark humor that only a deployed combat veteran could write — and only an audience that respects that service would fully understand.
👶 The Perspective Shift — Why It Hits Hard
Midway through, the song shifts from the soldier’s eyes to the child left behind: “I left my son / playin in the yard / to see his daddy leave / made him cry so hard.” This reversal is what lifts the track from military anthem to universal human experience.
The song was released just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 — a moment when 13 American service members died during the Kabul airport evacuation. That timing gave the record national emotional resonance far beyond the veteran community, which almost certainly contributed to its Billboard chart placement.
💰 The Marine Rapper Net Worth (2025)
No officially verified net worth figure has been published for Raymond Lott. Based on his known revenue streams and professional activities, his estimated net worth in 2025 is believed to fall between $500,000 and $1 million.
| 💵 Income Source | Details |
| Music Royalties | 12+ Billboard charting songs, streaming & downloads |
| YouTube Revenue | Tens of millions of views across platforms |
| Ninja Punch Music Label | Label operations, artist management |
| Merchandise Sales | Apparel & branded products via official website |
| Military Musician Platform | Community & content monetization |
| Live Performances | LA, San Diego, Austin & veteran events |
| Podcast & Speaking | Veteran entrepreneur appearances, media features |
| AI Content Creation | AI-generated music videos, growing digital revenue |
While his wealth may not rival major label artists, what Raymond Lott has built is arguably more durable: a self-owned label, a dedicated community, and a brand rooted in genuine service — not industry machinery.
🪖 Personal Identity, Look & Philosophy
Raymond Lott is instantly recognizable. His signature appearance — a red frohawk, an American flag bandana, a bullet glove, and leather boots — is not just an aesthetic choice. It is a visual statement of exactly who he is and where he came from.
His faith is central to his music. Albums like God Save America reflect a Christian worldview that he makes no effort to soften or hide. He has spoken openly about how witnessing war on the ground permanently changed his relationship with gratitude, freedom, and purpose.
“If you live your passion and you go for it, all the followers, all the influence, all the connections in the community, and all the smiles will come.” — Raymond Lott (The Marine Rapper)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is The Marine Rapper’s real name?
➤ His real name is Raymond Lott. He was born in Hollywood, California, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2014.
Did The Marine Rapper actually serve in combat?
➤ Yes. He completed two combat tours — one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan — as a Combat Correspondent, and earned a Combat Action Ribbon in Iraq.
What is The Marine Rapper’s biggest hit?
➤ “The Patriot” by Topher featuring The Marine Rapper reached #1 on the Billboard Rap Digital Song Sales Chart in January 2021 — his highest-charting single.
What is the meaning of “I Left My Home”?
➤ The song explores the emotional sacrifice of military service — leaving family, home, and loved ones to serve the country. TMR’s verse adds historical depth through references to Black American military heroes and deeply personal deployment experiences.
What is The Marine Rapper’s estimated net worth in 2025?
➤ No official figure has been verified. Based on royalties, label operations, YouTube revenue, and merchandise, his estimated net worth is between $500,000 and $1 million.
What label is The Marine Rapper signed to?
➤ He is not signed to a major label. He is the founder and CEO of his own independent label, Ninja Punch Music, built specifically for military veteran artists.
