[Instrumental Music] Take a look around.

What's next?

Good morning.

Good morning.

What are you doing?

Why are you asking?

Good morning.

It's lunchtime.

I'm looking through some music and books for inspiration.

I just finished flipping through "Woke a Young Poets Call to Justice" by a Mahogany Brown.

Music and lyrics to poetry can be very similar.

And... And I'm working on a new song.

And the morning isn't just an a.m. it's when you wake up.

Check out what I got so far.

Good morning.

Seems you've been sleeping for a while.

Good morning.

It's time to wake up morning child.

Good morning.

Sun is here to tell you who you are.

Listen up, baby boy.

You're a star.

So what do you think?

OK, OK.

Still sounds like a morning song.

[Laughter] Mr. Lovett was that you singing?

I didn't know you were a singer.

Yeah, and a writer.

But sometimes writing can be a little harder than singing .

Maybe you three can help me finish this song.

Have a seat.

OK.

It can be a morning song, but it's more about you waking up to who you are, what's going on around you, like noticing it's a beautiful day outside.

What's going on in your world Ashley?

Well, it is nice to the out, but so far I've not had a beautiful day at all.

Let's see if we can turn your day around.

Take a look around.

The sun's looking down.

Everybody running with their heads in the ground.

Double X with a smile, walking dead for a while.

Everybody running with their heads in the ground.

Open your eyes.

yeah, I like that.

I like that, OK.

Thanks.

Open your eyes.

What?

What what do we want people to open their eyes to?

That it can be a good day?

OK. Yeah, no matter what's going on in the world.

All right.

Open your eyes.

Remember, you're Royal.

Pick up your crown.

What rhymes with royal?

Oil?

Soil?

Nah!

Soil's lame.

Actually, soils is awesome, Cameron.

OK, let's take it from the top.

[Music] Take a look around, the sun's looking down.

Everybody running with their head in the ground, Double X with the smile, walking dead for a while.

Everybody running with their heads in the ground.

Open your eyes.

Remember your royal pick up that crown.

Get your head out that soil.

Live for your dreams don't wait for tomorrow.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Good morning.

Seems you've been sleeping for a.

Good morning.

And it's time to wake up Morning child.

Good morning.

The sun is here to tell you who you are.

Listen up, baby girl, you're a star.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

Ain't it funny how you can suffer with a smile 'cause Jah keeps the sun right above the clouds.

Rain falls down on every man's house.

Jah keep the sun right above the clouds.

Good morning.

Seems you've been sleeping for a while.

Good morning.

And it's time to wake up, Morning Child.

Good morning.

The sun is here to tell you who you are.

Listen up, baby boy.

You're a star.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Yeah, yeah.

Let me pour you some coffee.

No sugar.

Heat it on the block, so put down the ruger.

Give the gun to cupid he'll be my Give the gun to cupid he'll be my shooter.

Wake up the poor, wake up the rich Wake up the working man, digging the ditch.

Wake up my enemies, Let's build a bridge Wake up the Rebel with reason's to live.

Good morning.

Seems you been sleeping for a while.

Good morning.

and it's time to wake up.

Wake up.

Good morning.

The sun is here to tell you who you are.

Listen up, baby boy.

Baby girl, you're a star.

Good morning.

[Music] [Clapping] OK, I do actually feel better after hearing that.

Plus, it was fun to help create it.

A lot of you put ideas from my words and Ashley's T-shirt and even books.

Mr. Loveitt.

Do you have any other songs?

I do.

I do.

Would you like to hear another one?

Yeah.

All right.

Picture a black woman raised in the thirties, working hard, raising 12 children in the time of hatred and segregation that we will never understand.

My grandmother.

I asked her how she kept her dream alive, trying to make a better world for her children.

Ask her how she got up every morning and she says she did it for love.

Actually, this song that I'm going to play reminds me of a book called Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle.

Up for Love, Up for Love, Up for love.

It's easy sing it with me.

Say up for love.

Up for love.

Yeah, I want to be fly, fly, fly, fly, fly floating through the sky like a dream.

When they say I can't fly, fly, fly, fly.

I smile then show my wings, leap frog through the clouds, never been in with the crowd.

So proud to be myself.

Yes, I got to do me.

Get out, hit the streets , spread love 'cause the world really needs some help.

Yo, I don't need a witness.

Don't neet your forgiveness.

Forgive my heart.

So you can rip it apart It will still be strong even when I'm not home.

And if you think that is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I'm taking a flight.

Yeah.

Above negativity and bad advice.

I open my eyes so I'm high off life The best things of free.

I never look aat the price Glad to be alive today.

To hug my son, to live my life.

Have some fun, to touch the sky and feel the clouds.

My soul is free.

I wanna say it.

The mothers and fathers.

Up for love.

The sisters and the brothers.

Up for love.

Daughters and the sons.

Up for love Daughters and the sons.

Up for Love, when the skies are gray.

we up for love.

money MIA.

We up for love.

And when the bills get late.

We Up for Love We still find our way because we up for love.

I want to be fly, fly, fly, fly floating through the sky like the wind .

Some people ask Why, why, why?

Why?

I never really followed with the trends Got to be myself.

Triumphant and true.

You don't need the wealth, A lot of love will do.

And when the skies are gray.

I consider them blue.

'cause if it's under the su.n It ain't nothing new And Yes, I'm feeling so special.

Yeah.

Oh, I know I got a reason to live.

Let peace be the vessel Spread love, there's a lot to give you with you hear my voice, that means you're making a choice, to keep steady the path so come roll with Royce and let your soul rejoice and forget about the pain because everybody gets a little rain.

And I'm glad to be alive today to hug my son, to live my life.

Have some fun to touch the sky and feel the clouds.

My soul is free.

I want to say it.

The mothers and the fathers -Up for love.

the sisters and the brothers.

Up for love.

daughters and the sons.

Up for love.

Daughters and the sons.

Up for love.

So when the skies are gray.

I'm up for love.

Money MIA I'm up for love.

And when the bills get late.

I'm up for love.

I still find my way 'cause I'm up for love.

Listen, Nothing can bring you down when you walking in the clouds, what a way to live life.

And we can do it till we get it right.

Nothing can bring you down when you walk in.

The clouds.

What a way to live life and we could do it till we get it right The mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers.

Yeah.

Daughters and sons.

The daughters and the sons.

when the skies are gray- We up for love.

Money MIA- We up for love.

And when the bills get late.

We up for love.

We still find our way because we up for love.

Yes.

[Music] [clapping] And you got that all from your grandma story.

That was pretty cool.

I like that you made a song for everyone.

Yeah, it was so much going on the world, we really do need more love in it.

Yeah, like no cap.

I was just on IG and TikTok I was watching some super sad/crazy stuff going on.

Plus, it's already hard to deal with my own stuff in my own life.

I agree.

We definitely need more love, more love for each other.

My love for differences and more love for ourselves.

[music] Loving your skin tone, loving your skin tone.

Listen.

this little Jackie was skinny, Knock-knee brown sugar Hopscotch Queen, ain't no messing with this little girl.

Mama got her clothes ironed out on the bed Purple beads dancing in the twist on her h yo mama love her.

daddy love her grandma, sister and brother too.

Love to read from cover to cover.

A dancing star, you never know They said she could do anything.

Well, she did believe it because she couldn't see it.

And I know just what she thinking.

She says a child, we notice it not.

Well tell me how- she sees that you fronting.

Ask her to smile- But really want nothing The magazine aisle- ain't looking like her man.

She see that don't need nobody to tell her that she lack something to get her to be that Bet that Talking to grandma like see that no school ain't for me t I tell by what I see I thinking about wearing a weave changing my heair and something Talk to mom bout it please I don't want to get teased.

Don't want these ripped jeans.

No showing my legs and my knees You know what I mean?

How you don't know what I mean Open your eyes and you'll see?

You see the world is cold and we out here on our own unless we get in the zone.

Grandma, I'm thinking of a change of a skin tone, but I want to tell her I'm loving your skin tone.

I'm loving your skin tone.

I'm loving your skin to skin tone, I'm loving your skin tone.

I'm loving your skin tone, I'm loving your skin tone.

Yeah.

Oh, there's so much beauty in your skin, baby.

I'm in love with your ebony.

Yeah.

so much beauty in your skin baby I'm in love with your ebony.

Say I'm loving your skin tone.

I'm loving your skin tone.

I'm loving your skin tone, I'm loving your skin tone.

Say how I loving your skin tone.

Skin tone.

Loving your skin tone.

[Music] Yeah.

Loving your skin tone!

OK. [laughter] Yeah.

It can be hard to talk about some of this stuff Songs and books can make it easier.

Everyone loves stories.

It helps me relate.

Yeah, I feel that that's why we have to talk about the hard stuff.

And there are tons of people out there making music and writing books about the same thing.

Loving yourself like I am Every good thing by Derrick Barnes or Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy.

Just like skin tone, these books share the smae message.

You should Be proud of everything that makes you you.

My brother read those books.

He always encouraged me to be proud of myself.

Yeah.

And speaking of brothers and books, I have a song that reminds me of my son's favorite graphic novel, March by John Lewis.

The book follows people who believe in being heard.

You can make yourself heard by helping others find their voice, saying what you feel is an important message too.

[music] I know this girl by the name of Sasha a bad chick, straight outta Compton, heart full of dreams that she wants accomplished She's trying to make something out of nothing.

And she read every book on the shelf, trying to find a way to get a little help.

The odds are saying she was going to fail.

I wish she knew the love behind the veil.

Oh...

I want to say something to her.

Say something to her.

Say something to her.

Oh...

I want to say something, to her, say something to her.

say something to her.

Girl, you got wings.

Don't you know you can fly?

The stars were meant to shine.

Open your eyes.

You belong in the sky.

Girl, you got wings.

Don't you know you can fly.

The sun is meant to rise.

Open your eyes.

You belong in the skies.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, oh, oh, oh.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Whoa, whoa, oh, oh, oh, whoa, whoa, oh.

Oh, yeah, I know there's a mark that you want to make.

I know you're working real hard and can't find a break Even with so much on your plate And all the shade.

You still believe you gonna be great.

Show the wold what your mamma made.

And you bad, you bad, you bad-I know they get it.

But don't worry about what they say and they'll never admit it.

You know, the road is hard and you may walk alone.

It's cool how your kicsk are busted and still go so much soul.

I want to say something to you.

Say something to you.

Say something.

Oh, I want to say something.

Say something to you.

Say something to you.

Oh, I want to say something to her.

say something to her, say something to.her I want to say something to you.

Say something to you.

Say you got wings.

Don't you know you can fly?

Stars are meant to shine.

Open your eyes, you belong in the skies, Girl, you got wings.

Don't you know you can fly?

The sun was meant to rise.

Open your eyes, you belong in the skies.

Wow.

Yo Mr. Lovett.

I thought it was just a bookworm.

Well, I'm a lot of things writer, teacher, dad, husband, son, brother and a bookworm.

So is everybody else.

What do you all want to be?

I don't know yet, but I love math.

So what uses a lot of math?

You can be a scientist or engineer.

That can be cool because I love to create and discover thing too.

Yeah.

I want to be a teacher like you so I can sing songs and spend the day goofing off in the library.

Ah!

[Laughter] Me too.

A teacher.

I would be able to read all the books whenever I want.

Reading is such a good way, a fantastic way to open your mind and get inspiration.

There are so many books out there.

Please keep reading countless numbers of books to explore.

But whatever you guys be, just be what we talked about today, someone who looks out for others and makes a positive impact on the world.

And... And wake people up?

Yes.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Seems you've been sleeping for a while.

Good morning.

It's time to walk up morning child.

Good morning.

The sun is here to tell you who you are.

Listen up, baby boy.

Baby girl, you're a star.

Oh, ho, ho.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!

Oh.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

[Music] Hey, guys, thanks for tuning in and watching us create some music and talk about some important issues that we face every day.

Whatever you do, make sure that you always be yourself.

Stand up for others and explore books.

[Instrumental Music].