LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Real Young Prodigys, a group of Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) elementary and middle school students, released a new hit music video, "Where My Bus At," in August.
The Louisville superstars caught the public's attention with catchy lyrics and calls to reinstate busing for JCPS students.
Months ago, the group brainstormed this idea in response to the busing cuts to most JCPS magnet and traditional schools.
“This is just their way of saying 'hey, this issue is affecting us, however, we want to use our language, which is hip hop, and we want to do it in a fun and meaningful way,'" said Antonio Taylor, the founder of Hip Hop N 2 learning. The Real Young Prodigys is a project within the local nonprofit.
They have a simple mission: write lyrics for action.
"For every one song that we create, every piece of art we create, there's an action that goes to it," Taylor said.
"We are the future," said Braylon Blocker, 12, a seventh grader at W.E.B. DuBois Academy. Blocker participated in the writing and recording of the track, and appeared in the music video.
He said his favorite lyric is the one he wrote: "It's all on the news, but I don't want a fuss. Don't got no one to drive? Hold on, let me whip the bus."
Blocker rides the bus to school, but he wants bus transportation for everyone who needs it.
"We just got to speak it out and let them know that we need our buses back," Blocker said. "Let’s make it happen, make it easier on families.”
He said his inspiration is just from what he witnesses in real life.
“I was just thinking about it for real, because it’s real life stuff that I see normally," Blocker said.
Andrene Flowers is a senior at Central High School, and mentors the younger kids throughout the music production process.
"I'm really proud of the littles," Flowers said. "They worked really hard on this song."
She shared her excitement for the public attention the song was getting both within the community and beyond.
“I’m so glad they could experience this, because not many kids can experience this," Flowers said.
Earlier this week, JCPS announced there could be additional bus routes added, but it's contingent on training 60 TARC drivers.
"It's amazing when the kids are able to use their voices for change," Taylor said.
Busing would be returned for students who qualify for free or reduced lunches at Butler Traditional, duPont Manual and Louisville Male high schools, and all busing would be restored at Johnson Traditional Middle School, Coleridge-Taylor and Young Elementary schools.
"So I really hope that our kids feel that their voices were heard and because of that, an impact was felt, and changes were being made," Taylor said.
Dalauren Peoples is in sixth grade at Western Middle School for the Arts.
"I hope that changes so it can be easier on my mom and me," she, a car rider, said about busing.
She wrote and recorded some lyrics in the studio, including "wheels on the bus go round and round can't get to school no bus in town."
"They truly are understanding the power of their voices, they are learning that they can make impact," Taylor said.
This song is just the first single released of an album coming out in September.
You can watch the music video below
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