Pep rallies before rival football games are so yesterday.
A group of Gwinnett County students has ushered in a new era for metro Atlanta gridiron grudge matches by posting a cyber-spirit video on YouTube.
The result: "Brookwood, Where You At?" Their clever rap hyping Friday night's game between the Grayson Rams and the Brookwood Broncos has already seen more than 200,000 hits since its release, turning its student stars into overnight sensations. The Grayson teens who created the rap and produced the beat have appeared on local television performing their hit. It has spread across metro Atlanta radio and is being downloaded on iTunes by the score.
“This is a modern day version of saying ‘I’ve got spirit, how about you?’” said Grayson senior Kawan Moore, who came up with the idea for the rap and appears first in the video. “Hopefully, it will catch on.”
The song has sparked several responses, including "Grayson, Step Your Game Up," the "official" comeback released by Brookwood seniors Wednesday.
A Gwinnett schools spokesman would not comment on the videos, except to say they were not school sponsored.
The students say they plan to donate any proceeds to Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society charity supported by Gwinnett County Public Schools, where they honed the talent that helped them to rhyme.
"It’s not about money to us. It’s about making a difference,” said Grayson senior Ryan Hutcheson, who also raps in the video.
Moore, Hutcheson and Patrick Sullivan began writing the rap for fun back in August because the friends like to make music together. They picked Brookwood not because it is Grayson's arch rival, but because Brookwood is a formidable foe and they could have fun dissing its Bronco mascot. A friend from Grace Fellowship Church, Kyle Sklenar, a junior at Heritage Academy, heard the rap and asked to turn it into a video.
"This has been amazing," Sklenar said. "The Lord has truly blessed us."
The rap video begins with a sample from the commercial "My Little Pony," with the trio sitting on top of Brookwood High School's welcome sign. The rap goes on to throw friendly jabs at the Broncos and their 2010 state championship team:
"Brookwood, where you at? We don't even see you, tell me are you even on the map. ... I see a lot of talkers but I hear no voices. Welcome to a world where rams eat horses. ... Let's just keep in mind it's not just about the scores, because even our cheerleaders look better than yours. ... Green and gold fans are taking over the stands. [Broncos running back] Nick Tompkins even told me he wanted to be a Ram."
On Wednesday, Brookwood seniors fought back with a rap also written, produced and starring students. The video touts the winning record of Brookwood's athletic teams and championship. The project was filmed and edited by Kaleb Flores and produced by Joey Moore, broadcast students at Brookwood.
“We have shots of all of the different sports teams and the whole school," said Moore, who added proceeds would go to the Amanda Riley Foundation benefiting children cancer patients. "They kept it clean and we tried to come out with something clean. I think it’s an awesome way to represent all of what our school is about.”
Their lyrics poke fun at the Rams, saying the Broncos turn Rams into lamb chops:
"Grayson, step your game up; 1255 Dogwood is where I am. ... I count sheep in my sleep so I ain’t scared of no ram. Keep your team locked up like Lindsay Lohan. ... Stampedin' to stadiums 'til the seats started tipping. Rams eat horses? Ya'll trippin.' ... You know we are winners; we eat lamb chops for dinner."
Some expect the songs to blast from the stands.
Proud parent B.J. Hutcheson, who works in transportation at Grayson, plans to be there to support her son. She said administrators and staff have all told her how impressed they were with the boys' production.
"It's very professionally done," she said. "You hear it everywhere you go ... in elementary schools, in middle schools. The boys have inspired the football players to go to the next level."
YouTube fans will be able to pick which video they like best and which iTunes song raises the most money. Officials with the American Cancer Society couldn't be happier.
“We are getting a real kick out of this,” said spokeswoman Elissa McCrary. “The high schools have ratcheted it up a notch trying to get each other to support us. It’s fun for a great cause.”
About the Author
