My Shot: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Alan Billingsley's arrangement captures the swagger and momentum of the original while building in genuine ensemble moments that matter. The structure gives you real flexibility: soloists and small groups carry verses with personality, then the full choir locks into a chorus that has genuine drive and doesn't feel diluted by numbers. This is the kind of opener or closer that makes a concert feel contemporary and alive without sacrificing musicality.

Propulsive and purposeful. The hip-hop rhythms and text create immediate forward momentum, while the driving chorus locks everyone into a groove that feels less like traditional choir singing and more like a unified ensemble moving together. There's attitude and energy here, but also clarity and precision underneath.

High school and advanced middle school choirs ready to engage contemporary music with rhythmic sophistication and text-driven performance. Directors seeking a piece that connects to student culture while maintaining genuine musical substance and offering multiple entry points for soloists and ensemble singers alike.

• Treat the rap sections as spoken rhythm, not sung melody. Clarity and forward motion matter more than perfect pitch; dancers often nail this faster than traditional singers do, so lean into that energy.
• Layer the recorded accompaniment underneath your rehearsals from the start. Hip-hop grooves live in the pocket, and your singers need to internalize that lock early rather than fight it later.
• Give soloists and small group members freedom within the rhythmic grid. The original thrives on personality and variation; encourage them to find inflection and phrasing that feels honest to their voice.
• Balance the full choir chorus so the rhythm section and bass line remain audible. These arrangements need pocket and groove; too much vocal weight muddies the hip-hop DNA that makes it work.

Reserve this for the spots where you want to shift energy: a concert opener that signals you're not doing a standard evening, or a closer that leaves the audience energized rather than reflective. It works well alongside other contemporary or musical theater selections, and it can anchor a set that aims to reach students who think choir isn't for them.

• Rhythmic precision in syncopated and hip-hop-inflected meters
• Text clarity and diction within rapid spoken and rap passages
• Ensemble blend and pocket singing (locking with accompaniment rather than free phrasing)
• Solo and small-group confidence in featured sections
• Stylistic authenticity in contemporary music idioms