'Excellence First!': 6th graders' uplifting rap video goes viral
Teacher Terrance Sims says the project came together in an effort to get students excited about being in the classroom
Teacher Terrance Sims says the project came together in an effort to get students excited about being in the classroom
A rap video featuring Milwaukee sixth graders, set to the beat of Tee Grizzley's "First Day Out," has taken social media by storm and attracted the attention of some high profile people, including former first lady Michelle Obama.
The track and video -- "" -- promotes the positive message of staying in school and setting high expectations.
At one part, one of the rappers from Milwaukee Excellence Charter School leads a group to recite the following lyrics: "I am smart. I am strong. My life matters. I'm a blessing. I'm a queen. I'm a king. I can achieve anything."
, teacher Terrance Sims said the project came together in an effort to get students excited about being in his classroom.
"It started with one verse. I wrote the first verse as a welcome, and they started jumping in like, "Oh, Mr. Sims, we should add this line. We should add this line." So, we took a bunch of the lines, and worked them in to make it all flow together," .
Sims published the video to his YouTube channel last week and has amassed tens of thousands of views. Versions posted to Instagram and Twitter have caught the attention of Obama, ESPN sportscaster Jamele Hill and actress Jada Pinkett Smith.