In March, Chance the Rapper donated $1 million to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), prompting three high schoolers to write a beautifully sincere open letter to the rapper expressing their gratitude. Joined by soul singer Jamila Woods, Chance is once again supporting the youth of CPS, this time in a unique way.
The two artists wish to inspire students and ignite their creativity by holding a music video treatment contest. Both artists are from Chicago, and it is clear they are always looking for new ways to give back to the community. In addition to being a talented singer and songwriter, Woods is also an influential poet. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Youth Director Authors, a non-profit aimed at inspiring and educating Chicago’s youth through writing and performance, and she is involved in the large poetry festival, Louder Than A Bomb.
Additionally, Woods helps with the curriculum for CPS and teaches poetry. Being so involved with the education of Chicago’s next generation, it makes sense why Woods would seek a student to be involved in her upcoming music video.
The artists invite CPS students to submit ideas for a video for Woods’ song “LSD (featuring Chance the Rapper).” When the single was originally released in July of last year, Woods shared her inspiration for why she wrote it:
When I was a kid, getting on Lake Shore Drive from the south side to go downtown was magical. I lived on the east coast for a few years and people would laugh when I told them we have beaches and a lake we can swim in. I always wanted to write about that. A lot of people get Chicago wrong. I’ve developed this protective feeling about how we’re portrayed, and at the same time I’m acutely aware of the issues we face and the root causes of these issues. It’s important to me that there’s not just one story told about our city. LSD is an ode to Chicago, a song for the complicated love I have for my city.
The winning student will have the opportunity to be on set for the video shoot, which will include Jamila Woods and Chance. The student will shadow those involved in the filmmaking process, including the directors and production crew, and see their ideas come to life.
Directing the video will be Vincent Martell and Sam Bailey. This is certainly a great opportunity for anyone interested in screenwriting or filmmaking to meet people in the industry and see what really happens on set.
ATTENTION CPS STUDENT FILMMAKERS pic.twitter.com/0u9fR0yX1W
— Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) May 23, 2017
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