Rams defensive end Kobie Turner collaborated with Watts rapper Stix to give local youth the experience of creating a song. The collaboration is a part of the Canvas of Culture initiative created by the franchise that celebrates Black culture.
Turner and Stix met with six high school students at TILT. Inglewood shoe store to discuss with them the process of making a song. The students involved are alumni of the Watts Rams youth football program.
Turner, also known as “The Conductor,” participated in season 12 of “The Masked Singer.”
“I actually had a similar experience back when I was in fifth grade. I made a rap for Black History Month,” Turner said. “It’s really, really special to be able to pour back into the younger community to give them an outlet to know that their voices do matter.”
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Before going into the studio, the students discussed how music has impacted their lives. Turner shared how music played a major role in his childhood while the students talked about songs they listen to on game days.
“It opened up my creativity, it reminded me how powerful music can be,” said Los Alamitos junior Johnny Howze. “Being able to collaborate with those people and create something in that environment was truly special.”
Stix decided to pay homage to late Rams legend Kenny Washington in the song. Washington broke the color barrier in the NFL. Stix was inspired by the documentary “Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington” to name the song “In the Gap.”
“They said in the [documentary], he was like “man, Kenny Washington, he was in the gap,” Stix said. “What that mean to me is he fit in a very thin spot and the Rams were courageous enough to place him in that spot.”
The students went to the studio to put their voices on the track. Through the process, they learned how songs are made.
“I learned about what it takes to produce and what it takes to make music from the numerous amount of takes that it takes to produce a song,” said Serra student Evan Williams. “It shows me the amount of dedication that you need to have when it comes to making music.”
After the song was edited and finalized, the students visited the Rams training facility to listen to it with Turner.
“The moment was very enjoyable to me to the point where I was like I low-key feel like I can actually do something with music,” Williams said. “I felt like a really deep connection with it.”
