Holiday Rappin From America SCORES New York Soccer Stars

Rapper Psalm One (center) in the studio with the America SCORES New York PS 325 girls soccer team from West Harlem. (image source: christopher dobens)

People often ask me what’s the best part about this Total Footblog gig. Is it the hefty salary and limitless expense account? The young, effervescent groupies? Or the inevitability that, when I walk into a room, someone proclaims, “Stand back, it’s a soccer writer!”

Well, those are all pretty good perks, even if the are entirely imaginary. But the best thing about this gig is being able to share a story like this one. I’ve had several opportunities to write about America SCORES New York this year. I told you about the SCORES Cup, the non-profit’s fundraising tournament. I wrote about the time Edwin van der Sar played soccer with their kids. And, most recently, I penned a piece about the annual poetry SLAM in which their young poet-athletes participated.

It’s through the incredible journey of the winners of that local poetry SLAM, the America SCORES New York PS 325 girls team, that enables me to shed new light on the transformative powers of soccer – and the merit of pairing of the game with the art of poetry. You see, as winners of the competition, these girls got to create and record a rap song with a professional artist, Psalm One. And I, an esteemed fringe journalist, got to tag along for the ride.

The PS 325 girls soccer team (dark blue) in an America SCORES New York training session earlier this year. (image source: christopher dobens)

America SCORES & ASCAP
America SCORES may seem like just another after-school soccer programs for inner-city youth, but they are so much more. The national non-profit has built a comprehensive youth development program for boys and girls in grades 3-5 that integrates soccer, poetry, and community service. Using the team as both the model and the medium, they teach kids about the benefits of working together, creative expression, healthy competition, civic duty, and good sportsmanship.

And they run the program with style. Their kids don’t just write poetry as individuals and as a team, but they compete on both the local and the national level – with winners getting to do absolutely awesome stuff like recording a song with a rap artist.

To achieve the latter, America SCORES has partnered with ASCAP. You know ASCAP – the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers? OK, maybe not, especially you youngins with your MP3s and what-not. For those of you who don’t know what liner notes are, ASCAP is a performing rights organization owned and operated by its members: those who write, record, and publish music. They support everyone from big-name artists to the folks who make the music for things like commercials and video games as well as the scores for movies and television.

As part of their support for American music, they created the ASCAP Foundation, which champions music education and talent development programs. In many ways it’s similar to what programs like America SCORES do for soccer – using the medium to get kids interested, fostering individual creativity and talent, and giving them a platform to grow and develop.

America SCORES and the ASCAP Foundation have been pairing winning teams with artists in the ASCAP Songwriter Residency program since 2006. Across 12 America SCORES cities, each team that wins their local poetry SLAM gets a chance to record a song with a professional artist. It’s a tremendous honor and experience for any young kid, let alone the dozen West Harlem girls who won the America SCORES New York competition.

Rhymesayers recording artist Psalm One at PS 325 in Harlem, getting to know the school's America SCORES New York girls soccer team. (image source: christopher dobens)

The One & Only Psalm One
There are artists and there are artists – and then there is Psalm One. Chicago-native Cristalle Bowen goes by the rap name Psalm One, and she is not at all what I expected. In fact, you couldn’t create a better role model for these kids. She’s cool, clever, and down-to-earth. She stayed in school, graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in chemistry, and actually worked in a lab for two years before pursuing her musical career full-time. And, perhaps most crucial off all, she knows how to talk to kids, gaining their attention and trust.

A former America SCORES coach in San Francisco, this is her second year working with the organization through the ASCAP Songwriter Residency program. And this time around she’s actually doing a nine-city tour, recording with America SCORES kids in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington.

As a hip hop artist, her star is still on the rise. Psalm One has a few CDs under her belt, including The Death of the Frequent Flyer, her 2006 commercial debut on the Rhymesayers label. Her abundant talent has given her diverse opportunities, ranging from opening for 50 Cent to performing on the Warped Tour.

Rapper Psalm One working with the America SCORES girls soccer team at PS 325 to develop ideas and lyrics for their song. (image source: christopher dobens)

The Making of a Rap Song
I’ve toured Sun Studios and Stax. I was even given a personal tour of Muscle Shoals when they caught me peering in the window one day. But I’ve never seen music actually being recorded. That all changed when the girls from PS 325 and I walked into Sugarbox Studios on West 25th Street in Manhattan. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The process began two days earlier, in the library at PS 325 in West Harlem. That’s where the girls (and I) met with Psalm One for the first time. Cool and casual, she quickly coaxed the kids out of their silent shells. She broke the ice by encouraging the girls to perform their winning poem, and then followed that by performing one of her own songs.

Psalm One walks the PS 325 girls through the chorus of the song, which is written on the whiteboard. (image source: christopher dobens)

Once she had developed a rapport, she played the kids the five beats donated by various producers for the project. I must confess to being appalled by the beat that the girls chose, as it seemed more suited for the theme to Beverly Hills Cop IV: Greased Axel.

Then Psalm One encouraged the girls to talk about the theme for their lyrics, what the song would be about. She had them each write down their thoughts, and any lyrics they felt like contributing. She also asked for volunteers who would want to perform a lyrical solo on the song, with three young ladies stepping up for the honor.

I was even inspired by the process, jotting down a few verses of my own. Though, in hindsight, I was clearly just upset by her assertion that Chicago has better pizza than NYC:

New York’s got the best pizza,
Classic, like the Mona Lisa.
Chicago may be second best,
A thick cut above the rest.
But for me, there’s only one,
New York Pizza, that’s how it’s done.

And since she encouraged everyone to pick their own rap name, I signed it Candy Rapper, because my lyrics are so damn sweet!

Psalm One took their contributions home (I kept mine, shredding it later), along with the selected beat, and started to hammer out a song. She developed her own lyrics, created a chorus so all the girls could join in, and identified places for the three soloist to strut their stuff.

Psalm One working with the America SCORES New York poet-athletes to prepare for their recording session. (image source: christopher dobens)

The next day we met in a classroom at PS 325, where Psalm One laid it all out for the girls. She went through the song as she envisioned it, showing them the chorus and the solo spots. And, I must confess, I was quite blown away. What I thought was a chunk of cheese looped for my own personal torture had somehow magically transformed itself into a very cool and catchy song. I was almost as excited as the kids were.

I asked Psalm One if this is how she typically creates a song, picking a beat and then writing the lyrics. She said it depends. Sometimes she’ll start with a poem, some lyrics, or even just words that are stuck in her head. But often times she’ll get her hands on a great beat and go from there. Which is probably the most important thing I learned about the genre, in that knowing the producers with the best beats – and getting them to share those with you – is the real key to success.

She then explained to the girls what would happen once we were all in the studio. And she had them rehearse everything a few times. It was a lot like soccer practice, ending in a scrimmage where they walked through the song a few times. I don’t know about the girls, but I left there feeling quite confident in their ability to nail this thing the following day.

Psalm One works with Brisa T. at Sugarbox Studios. (image source: christopher dobens)

Goodpenny at Sugarbox Studios
Which brings us to the commercial recording studio called Sugarbox, where we all gathered the next day. Located on West 25th Street in Manhattan, it is operated by a company called Goodpenny. David Wolfert gave the kids a tour, and then showed them what he was working on – music for an upcoming Pokemon project.

Psalm One had arrived early to lay down her lyrics, so she could focus on the kids once they arrived. She invited half into the recording booth while the other half got to listen in the other room, with the sound engineer, Morgan Inman. Assistant engineer Brady Hearn was in the booth, helping the singers with the myriad of wires, headphones, and microphones set up for them.

Jocelyne V. reviews her lyrics with Psalm One before recording at Sugarbox Studios. (image source: christopher dobens)

I should also mention that I was far from the only one who came along for this ride. America SCORES New York site director Rob Uvanovic was a constant presence, running the entire show for America SCORES. He was assisted by America SCORES New York program manager Rose Lee and PS 325 teacher Kristin Flood, who both coach the girls team. And ASCAP also had their staff on hand to help oversee things, including Sue Devine, Heather Anvik, and Kevin McClain.

After the first six girls sang their parts of the chorus, much to the delight of those sitting in the other room, they traded places so everyone got their turn. I actually got to go in the booth as well, taking many of the photos and videos that accompany this story. And though I’m sure you all find it hard to believe, I was able to keep my mouth shut throughout most of it.

Girls from the America SCORES New York PS 325 soccer team get ready to record their part at Sugarbox Studios. (image source: christopher dobens)

Then came the three soloists: Brisa T., Jocelyne V., and Kimberly H. Despite some early nerves, they rocked it. Kimberly seemed ready to do her own solo album. She’s a natural.

Finally, after the kids put in some last lines, including a few of the strangest shout-outs you’ll hear, it was done. And we got to listen to the thing. I have to say, it was fantastic. If I could have gotten my mitts on an MP3 right then and there, I’d have it looped on my iPhone as I write this.

But I, and the girls, have to wait until the song is officially released in Spring 2012. It will be on a CD produced by ASCAP featuring songs from all the America SCORES recording sessions this year. Naturally, the PS 325 girls from America SCORES New York will have the hit single. I’m quite confident of that.

Girls from the PS 325 America SCORES New York soccer team in the recording booth at Sugarbox Studios. (image source: christopher dobens)

The Poetry of Soccer
For those of you wondering why I spent all this time covering poetry, it’s not just because it supports a great youth soccer program. True, that’s what lured me in. But the more I dug into it, the better I understood the connection between the game and poetry.

Both have a constant flow, and demand a sense of rhythm. It may vary, but the challenge is keeping up with it. It’s all about timing, and everyone has a role to play.

Poetry requires creative expression within the parameters of the language and grammar. Soccer, at least when it’s played well, also requires creative expression within the laws of the game, and the formation on the field.

Soloists, Kimberly H. rapped with confidence and style. (image source: christopher dobens)

More importantly, producing poetry as a team, which is what Psalm One and America SCORES encourages these kids to do, helps them improve their game on the field. They learn to collaborate, recognizing everyone’s individual talents and contributions to the overall process. They build on one another’s ideas as they work towards a common goal.

It’s hard to say what any of the kids will take away from all of this. But I can tell you what I learned in the brief time I spent observing the process. As a coach, I developed a renewed appreciation for encouraging and harnessing individual expression without sacrificing teamwork.

PS 325 soloist Jocelyne V. getting ready to lay down her lyrics. (image source: christopher dobens)

As a player, I’ve been inspired to reconnect with my own voice on the field. Instead of simply playing the game, I will strive to play my game, just as I did when I was a kid – before I ever knew there was a difference.

And as a writer, I have been reminded of the value of dabbling in poetry. Years of writing for business have given me heavy legs and thumping touch. Playing around with poetry can rekindle my creativity and will hopefully improve my pose. But I guess you’ll all be the judge of that.

Make Someone’s Holidays A Little Hip Hop Happier
Having witnessed many facets of the America SCORES program, I can tell you that it is making a tremendous difference in the lives of many young soccer players. They may not all go one to soccer greatness, but they will grow up to be better people, making a better world for you and me.

The entire production team, from the America SCORES New YORK and ASCAP staff to the girls from PS 325 and the Sugarbox Studios crew. (image source: christopher dobens)

I know times are tough for everyone these days. And there are so many worthy causes that need your assistance. But I encourage you to step up and support America SCORES New York. These kids – boys and girls in West Harlem – are learning to play the beautiful game both on and off the pitch. With your generosity, this program can continue helping transform lives through soccer, and possibly even expand its reach to benefit more kids right here in New York City.

So please, take a moment to click over to this site. You don’t have to make a donation. Just click over and have a look. And remember that every gift, no matter how small, makes a difference. So whether you want to contribute a verse or a full poem, make a pass or play the full 90, any amount you choose can help enrich lives through the game of soccer. And if you are feeling extra generous, you can also support Psalm One’s Kickstarter campaign for her next album.

Below are some videos showing the progress of the song’s creation. The first features Psalm One singing it to the girls for the first time at PS 325. The second has the girls joining in, though the soloists are hard to hear. The third is the girls recording the background vocals with Psalm One at Sugarbox Studios. The fourth, fifth, and sixth feature soloists Brisa T., Jocelyne V., and Kimberly H., respectively. More videos can be found on our YouTube channel. And additional photos can also be found on our Facebook page.

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