Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Whether it’s sunny or gray
We gon’ ball and parlay
Keep it crunk every day,
That’s the Tuskegee Way
So take your seats ‘cause we’re live,
Marching hard eight to five,
That’s what we do every day
That’s the Tuskegee Way
A beloved Tuskegee University game day song, “Ball ‘N Parlay,” and the legendary Marching Crimson Pipers (MCP) who perform it have been catapulted to a global stage. T.I., a three-time Grammy winner, actor and producer used the song’s title and melody in his new song “Trauma Bond,” and featured the MCP performing in the video for the song released on April 3, which has sparked a lively conversation around what the song and the band mean to the university.
Tuskegee’s signature tune is an interpretation of “Ball ‘N Parlay,” originally recorded by Houston rapper Big Pokey in 1999. It has become a staple of Tuskegee game days and performances since 2004 when then-student Stefan A. Smith ‘15 wrote the music for the band at the urging of fellow students James Jones and Ian Smith. The band performed it as a catchy instrumental, but it soon became clear lyrics were necessary.
“Fans in the stands want to participate,” said Smith who wrote the sheet music by ear – no digital DIY tools were available then – using a skillset he brought with him to Tuskegee from the respected Arts High School in Newark, NJ, the nation’s first performing arts high school.
“Students came together to create lyrics that were specific to the Tuskegee experience, to the Tuskegee Way.”
The rest is Tuskegee and HBCU history – and now that story is reaching a much wider audience because of the new song, which will be included on T.I.’s new album expected to release soon. The video debuted on YouTube on April 3 and has since reached more than 1.9 million views.
The MCP is featured throughout the video, which was filmed in a part of Atlanta known as The Bluffwhere T.I. grew up, more than one hundred students high-stepping in full crimson red and old gold regalia. From precise formations to block party revelry, the band is central to the backdrop for T.I.’s lyrical commentary about rising above detractors, keeping family first, and creating generational wealth.
Those themes make the collaboration even more special because of Tuskegee’s origin story. In fact, Tuskegee’s origin story precisely illustrates the meaning of the word parlay – to increase to greatness from a starting point marked by disadvantage.
Tuskegee University was founded in 1881 as an agreement to train formerly enslaved people with an education that would directly influence their social and economic autonomy. Students made bricks with their own hands and with them built buildings that still stand today on a campus that is one of the top producers of Black professionals in engineering, nursing and agriculture. Tuskegee is currently ranked as the No. 1 HBCU in Social and Economic Mobility by U.S. News and World Report.
“We understand exactly what T.I. is saying about persevering regardless of what may come,” said Dr. Kellei Samuels, Chief of Staff to president and CEO, Dr. Mark A. Brown. Dr. Samuels led the effort to coordinate Tuskegee’s participation when the rapper’s team approached the university. That team includes Commodus Jervon Morgan, T.I.’s nephew, a 2012 graduate of Tuskegee University thanks to the financial support of his uncle, who was on site working on the production.
“Our version of Ball ‘N Parlay is an homage to Tuskegee’s founding principles, which resonate now more than ever as Tuskegee is reigniting those ideas in our Renaissance Era,” said Dr. Samuels. “Our students and alums sing it loudly and proudly at our games, knowing that Tuskegee remains committed to elevating Black people through education to take control of their destinies, reach their fullest potential and impact and improve future generations.”
Dr. Samuels added that this new relationship with T.I. is especially important to Tuskegee because of the demographic of his fans that are young Black men.
“Dr. Brown recently spoke at the largest conference in the nation focused on Black male college success,” said Dr. Samuels. “With the support of family, staff, faculty and their peers, we are deeply invested in increasing the number of Black men that graduate from Tuskegee ready to succeed.”
Whether Sunny or Gray
Tuskegee’s version of the song leans heavily on the idea that come rain or shine, Tuskegee will prevail.
“It’s really a beautiful piece of music,” said Bryson Avant, a freshman History major from Suwanee, Georgia who plays trumpet in the band. “To me, it is much like a folk song, a song for the people. We are saying that we are prepared to surmount any challenge – ‘whether sunny or gray’ – to succeed.”
Avant has quickly come to respect the talent, both musical and academic represented in the MCP, and he hopes their presence in the video will help spark a conversation about that.
“My section leader is studying to be a nurse, I am marching next to someone studying to be an engineer, the person over here is preparing to become a pilot. We will all do great things,” he said. “And we will always be MCP.”
Caleb Kelly agrees that Ball ‘N Parlay is a special song saying that it connects so many people that share a common love for Tuskegee and perfectly reflects the “nourishment and joy” in attending Tuskegee.
Kelly, a senior from Chicago who plays the clarinet, also shared that the BTS access to a video production was fascinating.
“The energy was so high, fast paced, and seeing how music videos and films are filmed was very enlightening,” he said. “Filming for 18+ hours was a lot but being in front of the camera just lit me up!”
Marching Hard Eight to Five
Eight to five is band lingo for how many steps they take to get to key sections of the field during aperformance.
For Dr. Warren Williams, Tuskegee University Director of Bands, the experience was an excellent opportunity to stretch his students beyond those well-known rules.
“We were operating under very different timelines, pressures and demands than a typical event,” said Dr. Williams who confirmed they only had three rehearsals to get ready for the video shoot which lasted almost 18 hours.
“They were so committed, remaining flexible and focused at the same time,” said Williams. “We only had time for three rehearsals – and they came back early from Spring Break to do it! But it was clear to me from the beginning that they were going to kill it.”
Dr. Williams also noted that the production team, including T.I. himself, came to the project as collaborators, respectful of the artistry and technical expertise the MCP was bringing to the table.
That shared sense of professionalism made the grueling timeframe bearable and the final product a rich cinematographic tapestry.
“In some shots, you will see a standard circle field formation, something we do all the time,” said Dr. Williams. “But students were learning most of the choreography in real time – T.I.’s team would suggest something from a Tik Tok video and we had to quickly reimagine and scale that for a full marching band.”
Williams thinks the exposure the video is generating for the Marching Crimson Pipers will help bringmore talented students to his band room.
“This is a big and fresh opportunity to grow our program,” said Dr. Williams. “It’s a great time to be at Tuskegee University and to be a part of our Renaissance Era focused on modern tools to do what Tuskegee has always done – prepare students to honor their roots, grow their talent, and be excellent everywhere they go.”
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