(silent) (Jazzy piano) WORDSMITH: Ladies and gentlemen, please don't mind us.

We're going to get started very, very shortly.

We're going to pull the curtains on life real quick and we're going to start this show.

Hey Kory, real quick, please let them know.

(Kory continues to play piano) ♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: See, things started with such hope.

A new year in a room full of cheers with good folks.

These things never last and that's cliché.

2020 could be a movie, or better yet, a play on Broadway.

I'm not trying to be silly.

We're all shaking our heads laying in the bed saying: really?

This is life and we still got to live it.

Even though the Prez kept a secret that turned to a pandemic.

We carry a mask like a wallet or a purse.

Most of the artists can't rehearse.

We were the first to lose jobs.

And we've been robbed of some great perks.

I could go on and treat it like the blues our kids in virtual school and we still don't know the next move.

The time will never slow and the problems will surely grow.

Oil prices hit record lows, while the economy stayed closed.

(Piano music) ♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: See, the news comes and goes in a flash.

We're all going to remember where we were when Kobe Bryant passed in that crash.

On the flip side, we saw the Prez get impeached.

The NFL made a plea, but Derek Chauvin thought it was okay to take a life on one knee.

But now, the world is woke and we all got to believe.

It's so beautiful to see a Black woman elected as VP.

Sports took a break.

No more Sunday morning huddles.

Then, the NBA took a chance and started balling in a bubble.

NASA and SpaceX sent a rocket to space, while the USPS slowed down to a snail's pace.

If I can sum this all up, life truly ebbs and flows.

From Kory, and I'm Word, we'd like to say, "Welcome to our show."

(Piano music ends) (Up tempo melodic piano music) ♪ ♪ MALE VOICE: My brothers and sisters, peace be with you.

MALE VOICE 2: The natives of our land have for centuries struggled to just survive, never mind thrive.

MALE VOICE 3: Forgive us for believing that some people's lives matter more than others...

FEMALE VOICE: But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

♪ ♪ FEMALE VOICE 2: An officer's knee on his neck.

We grieved for him.

MALE VOICE 4: God made into different nations and tribes that we may come to know one another.

This is the heart of the American dream.

FEMALE VOICE 3: [speaking in Spanish] MALE VOICE 5: He asked you to make this nation as a safe nation.

FEMALE VOICE 4: That we are, despite all of our troubles a privileged people.

FEMALE VOICE 5: To be able to make our voices known.

(Kory plays piano, music builds and other musicians join) ♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: I need a moment to express how I'm feeling now.

I'm in America and I just wanna feel proud.

I just wanna feed every need of a lost child.

I just wanna see all the greed in the trash pile.

Sick of the violations.

Rewriting the rules due for this occasion.

Yeah, it's been amazing, heavy anticipation.

Making a new way for some reconciliation.

Now that's real and never cheap.

This is for the heartbeat of every hard week.

'Til we bring back Black Wall Street.

What a great feat.

Put us on the same field.

We just want to go compete.

Enough said.

And that's a hard thing to say.

Hard to live a day when you steady have to pray just to have a little peace please, put the gun away.

I'm not another name dead on the concrete.

Going for the top and I'm taking me a higher seat I just want to be elite.

Nah, I'm never being brief.

No time for being weak.

See, the path is never bleak.

Think before you ever speak.

Freedom, man, let it leak.

Yeah, protest for the hopeless.

There's no risk I quote this.

I won't quit.

I won't sit.

March and I'm so lit.

No guns that go click.

You know this.

Attacking every angle, so ferocious.

Keep rising and keep riding.

We all surviving.

No depriving.

Who's not abiding a new horizon.

I just wanna cry less.

Looking to the highest.

We just want progress.

Everybody get blessed.

Everybody get a test.

COVID, it'll never rest Mask on through the mess.

please end the unrest.

Hard times come and go, But we need 'em.

Bleeding what we lost for the cost of a reason, But we still getting silenced, what a game full of cheating.

Man, this is life.

Roll the dice.

If you wanna get freedom.

We're believing.

Time to roll the dice, if you wanna get freedom.

♪ ♪ (Song ends) (Kory starts to play "American Hymn No.

4") ♪ ♪ (Song ends) KORY CAUDILL: [sigh] Well, it feels great to finally be making music.

It's different doing it without an audience, uh in person, right now.

I'm used to at least having my mom back there clapping somewhere.

Um, but it is a privilege and an honor to be here with everybody at the wonderful Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral.

Thank you guys so much at home for joining us.

This is the first in what we hope to be many of the Concert for the Human Family Series.

We're really looking forward to getting to do these in person, hopefully, sooner than later.

Um, and we'll tell you more about the concert series as we go along.

I'm honored tonight to be joined by my friends, Marcus Hill, Justin Smith, Hailey Sullivan, James Whited, Sean Truskowski.

And me, being a Nashville resident who is a native eastern Kentucky hillbilly from as deep and rural Appalachia as you can get without having to turn around, it is a real pleasure to be able to make music with my friend, Wordsmith, a hip-hop artist from Baltimore, who I'm a huge fan of.

Uh, Wordsmith, thank you so much for jumping in on this with us.

WORDSMITH: Thank you.

Thank you.

Definitely, we're working with fate here [Kory laughs] because we met because I ended up on a country music bill.

And maybe I shouldn't have been on it, maybe not, but bottom line is, you and I, we both saw something in one another.

We both had that hunger to work with one another and we saw common things in one another, though we had so many differences.

So that's how this beautiful situation came into play.

KORY: It's funny how, throughout the process of doing this, we've realized how surface level the differences are and how... ...what brings us together is the stuff that really matters.

Um, and finally been writing for this record, everything that we've created is based on experience or it's based on conversation.

It's based on the work that we've been able to follow along with the folks in the Episcopal Church...um...with, in regards to reconciliation and strengthening communities.

And this next song...uh, was written based on an email that I received from a dear family friend.

Uh...is a really strong, driven, loving, passionate, successful woman who, like my mother and like your mother...um, uh...somebody who I can point my daughter towards and say, "Look, you can do this.

And it shouldn't be hard for you just because you're a woman."

Um...and so, I passed the email along to you from Benita and you added some perspective to it.

WORDSMITH: Definitely.

You know, Benita, she's a strong, powerful, successful woman, but she represented hundreds of thousands of women around the world in that same position, so we had to come up with somewhat of an anthem to pay homage to them.

KORY: Absolutely.

(Kory and musicians start to play "Benita.")

♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: Hey Benita.

Hey Benita.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

Treat em' like a boss and we call that Benita.

Hey Maria.

Hey Maria.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

Treat 'em like a boss and we call that Maria.

All the women by the millions.

Going nine months just to carry our children.

Out to the women, who the boss in the building.

I'm talking about you.

So true what a feeling.

Yo, Ramona's on deck.

Got to show love and respect.

With the rest.

We don't want to hear less.

Not a thing to contest.

Oh, Rita, don't play.

She'll put you in check.

No lie.

Got to stay sharp.

Got to be true to the facts from the start.

And a little bit of tough love, good for the heart.

We include every woman you're a piece to the part.

You're the glue to the fam.

You're the mom, you're the wife, you're the one we call Grams.

If you don't know Benita.

That's a woman with a plan.

You can rise to the top.

Let's stand.

Give a hand.

♪ ♪ Hey Benita.

Hey Benita.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

Treat 'em like a boss.

And we call that Benita.

Hey Malika.

Hey Malika.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

Treat them like a boss.

And we call that Malika.

Hey Aliyah, how you doin'.

Told me that you're busy, all the things you're pursuing.

If I'm in the way, got to say get it movin'.

Never slow down.

You can do it.

And it's proven.

Never listen to the hate.

We just want to celebrate.

And dedicate weight.

Please take a bow.

So proud.

When you're great and you live by the faith.

That it's gotta be fate.

That's right.

Tell it to the world.

Every woman who Benita.

You're the beauty of a pearl.

And I recommend Anita.

Let me give you this referral.

You're the next role model.

To a lot of little girls.

You're the glue to the fam.

You're the mom.

You're the wife.

You're the one we call Grams.

If you don't know Benita.

That's a woman with a plan.

Who can rise to the top.

Let's stand, give a hand.

♪ ♪ Hey Benita.

Hey Benita.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

Treat 'em like a boss.

And we call that Benita.

Hey Benita.

Hey Benita.

Wash away the haters and all the non-believers.

Loving all the women in the world who are leaders.

You can put your name in the blank, you're the feature.

(Song ends) (Kory starts to play "Wounds" and Wordsmith starts to sing) ♪ ♪ ♪ You got me lost in time.

I hate this empty room ♪ ♪ Now you got me feeling down Exposed my open wounds.

♪ ♪ Now you take a hold of your life ♪ ♪ Take a hold of your life.

♪ ♪ It's on you ♪ ♪ You got me lost in time.

I hate this empty room ♪ ♪ Now you got me feeling down ♪ ♪ Exposed my open wounds ♪ ♪ Now you take a hold of your life ♪ ♪ Take a hold of your life.

♪ ♪ It's on you ♪ WORDSMITH: Let me see, let me see.

What I get when I try.

To be the nice guy And this guy get all the loss and the heartbreak.

I'll never miss.

Never open the wound when the pain still exists.

But the hate penetrate put the fake in the mist.

I believe I can leave when I wish.

No salt on the wound to the moon, this is bliss.

And the hope, feeling like that very first kiss.

I've been looking for a moment of silence.

In the world full of violence.

Giving you guidance.

I ain't talking no science.

More compliance.

Don't treat me like y'all want more defiance.

The world never waits.

For those that never speak up.

Keep up.

Heal the soul for any break-ups.

Here for the ones who need a little shake-up.

Change your life, redo the whole makeup.

♪ ♪ ♪ You got me lost in time.

I hate this empty room ♪ ♪ Now you got me feeling down Exposed my open wounds.

♪ ♪ Now you take a hold of your life ♪ ♪ Take a hold of your life.

♪ ♪ It's on you ♪ ♪ You got me lost in time.

I hate this empty room ♪ ♪ Now you got me feeling down Exposed my open wounds ♪ ♪ Now you take a hold of your life ♪ ♪ Take a hold of your life.

♪ ♪ It's on you ♪ WORDSMITH: I've been living with a ton of regrets.

The respect that I want was lost like a bet.

So I build from the ground up.

Time I flex.

I'ma tell my story through a brand new sketch.

Any wound that I had been erased no mess.

Be true and I'm due success.

And I'm so obsessed.

Let it all manifest.

And reap the rewards of a life now blessed.

Love and hate.

It's time we dedicate all the energy we got to strengthen our faith.

Saw what you need I'm reading ya'll face.

Saw when you quit, I'm here to embrace.

Raise up and sharpen that pace.

I'ma be that rock to rock for your case.

All love to each and every race.

I'ma kill that doubt and give you good grace.

(Song continues, Kory plays the piano) ♪ ♪ (Song ends) KORY: That's James Whited on the guitar.

I think I sent that instrumental to you uh, about two years ago, actually.

And it was um, after one of the far too many mass shootings that had happened in a school.

And the best way I know how to communicate how I feel about something is to play a piano.

And uh, a lot of times when I do that, and there's more to be said, Um, Wordsmith is there and hopefully that's vice versa.

But...um...I remember feeling really down about the fact that the national dialogue after one of those events was very focused over here on something that didn't seem as important when um, there were parents whose kids didn't come home from school.

And I think that...with last year everybody...um, being in lockdown and everything, those things that happened that are tragic, they've kinda taken a back seat to other things.

But it's important that those things stay at the forefront, I think, of our conversation.

So, I appreciate you putting into words what those tragic scenes were like.

And it's also got a message of healing in the middle of it.

This next tune is my favorite tune that I've ever written.

Um, I'm from a county called Floyd County in eastern Kentucky.

And Eastern Kentucky, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is largely known for the coal mining industry.

Now, unfortunately, it's slowly becoming the absence of the coal mining industry.

But um, I wrote this song for my grandfather who, like a lot of folks, especially in his generation, they powered an entire nation for decades.

And they did so at the cost of their health and their time with their families, in some cases, their lives.

And they did so uh, with very little or for very little in return.

Um, and I think that folks like that are too often forgotten about.

And so, I wrote this song for him.

And uh, at the time of us recording this, Papaw has recently passed and um, we're all really down about that obviously.

But I'm really excited and happy about the seat that I believe he has to watch this concert.

And this is for my Papaw, Julius Mullins.

It's called "Song for Appalachia."

(Kory plays piano, "Song for Appalachia") ♪ ♪ (song ends) (Song "Anti") (Wordsmith sings) ♪ Live your life with an open mind.

♪ ♪ I hope it's time to bring this up ♪ ♪ If the world's gonna make good change, ♪ ♪ We'll take the pain and raise it up ♪ ♪ You've got fight.

Better flex your rights.

♪ ♪ It's not all right.

Don't know what's up ♪ ♪ Saying why You wonder why ♪ ♪ This is why, We got no trust ♪ WORDSMITH: You're so anti anti rap.

Anti anti Black.

With all these anti anti facts.

Hold that thought.

Let me run this bag.

You're so anti anti race.

Anti anti hate.

With all these anti anti fakes.

It's that time to show some faith.

Let me say my peace.

So OG, but the boy unique.

I'll take a stand.

You can have them seats.

I'm anti fake when you want that beef.

Anti hate when you need relief.

I'm anti mad, let me show my teeth.

Anti threat when the talk is cheap, I'm anti sleep when I'm zoning deep.

Yeah, I'm anti chill.

I got mouths I need to fill.

I got kids and I hate these bills.

Got no time to break my will.

♪ Live your life with an open mind.

♪ ♪ I hope it's time to bring this up ♪ ♪ If the world's gonna to make the change ♪ ♪ We'll take the pain and raise it up.

♪ ♪ You got fight.

Better flex your rights.

♪ ♪ It's not all right Don't know what's up.

♪ ♪ Saying why.

You wonder why.

♪ ♪ This is why.

We got no trust ♪ WORDSMITH: You're so anti anti rap.

Anti anti Black.

With all these anti anti facts.

Hold that thought.

Lemme run this bag.

You're so anti anti race.

Anti anti hate.

With all these anti anti fakes.

It's that time to show some faith.

Lemme talk my 'ish.

I'm the man when it comes to this.

Anti fail, let me earn my wish.

There's no salute when you've been dismissed.

Yeah, I'm anti-hack.

Stay online when you need these tracks.

I'm not no act.

And matter of fact.

Who got my back.

If I lose these stacks.

Yeah, I'm anti slippin'.

Nah, I'm anti trippin'.

All this winning's in my pedigree.

I'm more like Jordan/Pippin.

Let's go.

(Song continues, guitar solo) ♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: You're so anti anti rap.

Anti anti Black.

With all these anti anti facts.

Hold that thought.

Lemme run this bag.

You're so anti anti race.

Anti anti hate.

With all these anti anti fakes.

It's that time to show some faith.

Anti anti.

♪ ♪ Anti anti.

♪ ♪ Anti anti race.

Anti anti hate.

With all these anti anti fakes.

It's that time to show some faith.

(Song ends) KORY: Yeah, man.

You wrote that one pretty much on the spot with us in Nashville.

WORDSMITH: I did.

We were recording "Wounds."

You asked me, if I had something else.

I always write music.

So, that's kinda what was on my mind at the time.

And it was beautiful to see how it came together 'cause I remember seeing you and the rest of the team, your guys are literally putting together while I was saying the lyrics and writing the lyrics.

So, it was just very cool process.

KORY: And it was a growing experience for us because for you it's somewhat... Well, it's largely autobiographical...um, based on some of your experiences, I think.

Um...if you care to share... WORDSMITH: Definitely.

You know, I feel you know, unfortunately, we live in a world where we're judged a lot.

You know, based on our skin color, how we dress, you know, how we wear our hair.

To me, those are the things that make you special, make you unique.

You know, if we can get people to think that perspective more of, "Hey...yeah, this person looks different, but that also makes them unique and special."

So this song was just stop being "anti this and that" and let's give more people hugs and love, you know.

KORY: Well, that'd be nice.

WORDSMITH: It would be nice.

That's why we're trying to move things with this music.

KORY: And we were working on this music.

I like to point out we...

The stuff that you're talking about and the deeper stuff in the song, um, you were talking about things um...that were relevant.

And that happened long before George Floyd was murdered.

Um, and I remember when that happened just after having gone through this process with you and growing our friendship and just how tragic that was in general.

And I can't imagine what that was like for you.

And here you'd already given a song about... with those kinds of things in it and you're saying, "No, I'm telling y'all."

And... WORDSMITH: I mean, I appreciate that it hit you like that.

I remember getting a text from you.

And one, you know, after George Floyd had passed and that incident you checked on me to see how I felt.

You know, George Floyd isn't something I knew personally, but you knew it affected the Black community.

So, you knew it was like, "Let me check on my friend."

And even with Sean, same thing, got a text from him.

"How're you doing?

How're you doing with everything that's going on?"

So, that meant the world to me.

Just those small little things that show you care.

You recognize what's going on in society and that we got to move forward and progress.

You know?

KORY: I think the whole thing is about progressing and how do we respond to those kinds of things.

And I'm nobody worth listening to in regards to that.

But we draw inspiration from seeing other folks respond in a way that is motivated by making things better, I think.

Better for everybody.

And um, a lot of the experiences we've had in creating this Concert series have been life-changing for folks like me, and us.

One of the conversations, um, that I think too often is a conversation that I was blessed to be sitting in on with Ken and Mel Rodgers in Liverpool.

And he told us about his experience with the murder of Anthony Walker and it's the most horrific story I've ever heard in my life.

And it's real.

And...um...at the same time, the way that Ken and Mel and the community responded to it has changed their world around them.

And their world in that community is a better place because of how Ken and Mel chose to respond to it.

Uh, and I remember he kept using the words "horrors."

He said, "there are just these horrors that are here and they're in our reality."

And um...him and his team around him, they had a very tangible angst about them.

They were uneasy and they were unsettled and they were motivated to keep going out and making things better.

And they were restless, but in a very beautiful way.

And I think those events were largely what sparked that.

And...I wrote a song in response to it.

And I hate that the song even exists, but I'm inspired by what those folks did in response to it.

This is called "Anthony's Song."

(Kory starts to play piano) ♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: It's hard to hear that you lost your life.

A fateful night full of inner spite.

Where the hate was ripe.

July 2005.

Was your last day to be alive.

Only 18 years old.

What a soul so deprived.

Babysitting, doing good deeds.

You never would've guessed where the rest of your story might lead.

You were leaving to catch the bus.

A couple kids started to fuss.

And they followed you in a rush.

And things turned dangerous.

One swing of an ice ax.

And your lifeline went flat.

We would find out later these kids were racist.

That's the tragic fact.

But here's a promise.

You didn't die in vain.

Because Black Lives Matter.

We're gonna ease some of that pain.

♪ ♪ WORDSMITH: Did you know we share the same name?

I was born Anthony too.

Salute to you.

Now let's refrain.

From being sad when your life's a celebration.

2006 you got a gift called the Anthony Walker Foundation.

Now it's your time to shine.

Your help for all the victims dealing with hate crimes.

Educating' minds that lovin' one another was fine.

And race should never matter.

We should flatter-all-kinds.

Now that's a powerful point of view.

Oh yeah.

Did you know they named a scholarship after you?

And I think it's so cool.

That even in the afterlife you can graduate too.

Man.

It's farewell, but it's never goodbye.

We got a movement going on.

But I promise I'll stop by.

♪ ♪ It's farewell.

But it's never goodbye.

I told you we got a movement going on.

But I promise, I'll stop by.

(Song ends) KORY: Yeah, Word.

Thanks for doing that, man.

I... WORDSMITH: Thank you.

KORY: Too much of this you just can't even try to talk about it or explain.

Uh, and I think that's why we're doing this.

I think that in what has been the most...um...uncertain time, at least of our generation, I think that the arts are going to be what helps people heal.

Um...so...um, a lot of times when we talk about this process or anything, I just wind up stuttering and I'm best served just playing, (chuckles) I think.

WORDSMITH: Well, hey, it's tough, you know, when you're doing songs like this that are emotional.

It's hard to, I guess, you know, put that out to the public, sometimes, of how you feel.

But I love what you said.

You know, we're using music, you know, as a way to talk to everybody at once, to talk to the masses at once.

And the bigger thing with Anthony Walker's story is, though it's sad, we did see some great things that came out of it.

His foundation, his scholarship.

And like you said, he had people working in his corner that were passionate about his loss.

So, he just wasn't another Black life that was lost.

And you've got to remember, this is back in 2005.

So, people have to understand this has been going on for some time.

You know, we have incidents every now and then that really bring it to the forefront.

But us talking about it in the music keeps the conversation alive.

KORY: Yeah.

Well, that's the goal.

Well, while we're here, if y'all will indulge me, I'd like to take advantage of being in one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world and having a gorgeous Steinway piano here.

Um, I'd like to do one of my favorite songs.

And one of the things that I've really enjoyed working with... and that always attracted me to the folks in the Episcopal Church is...uh, how often they use a rainbow as a symbol of God's love.

And...uh, to me and mine, we feel that God sends us literal rainbows at some very cool times.

And um, so I'd like to do this song, and I'd like to send it out to my wife Amanda, who is the best mother in the world to our two kids, the oldest of which is our rainbow baby.

(Kory puts the top up on grand Steinway piano) (Song "Over The Rainbow") (Kory plays peacefully on piano) ♪ ♪ (Song ends) (Song "I Pray") (Hailey Sullivan sings) ♪ I pray for the mountains ♪ ♪ And I pray for the rain ♪ ♪ And I pray for the people ♪ ♪ I pray to ease the pain, ♪ ♪ I pray ♪ WORDSMITH: For a purpose.

For a passion.

For the marching that we starting when it's time to take action.

♪ I pray ♪ WORDSMITH: For the souls.

For the sick.

For the lives that we've lost.

At the cost of this mischief.

♪ I pray ♪ WORDSMITH: For the kids.

For the crisis.

For the knowledge.

We acknowledge.

That we gotta live righteous.

For the mission.

For religion.

For the Black lives lost at the cost of the system.

(Hailey sings) ♪ I pray for the mountains ♪ ♪ And I pray for the rain ♪ ♪ And I pray for the people ♪ ♪ Lord, I pray to ease the pain ♪ ♪ I pray ♪ WORDSMITH: For the sinners.

For the winners.

For the love of all genders.

To my military members.

For the weak.

For the strong.

For my independent women.

To my birth-giving moms.

For the mountains.

For the rain.

For the sun.

For the things.

That'll take away the pain.

For the teachers.

For the leaders.

For the speakers.

With a message that'll make us all believers.

(Piano solo) ♪ ♪ (Hailey sings) ♪ I pray for the mountains ♪ ♪ And I pray for the rain ♪ ♪ And I pray for the people ♪ ♪ Lord, I pray to ease the pain ♪ WORDSMITH: In these uncertain times.

We have to be willing to push aside.

The hate, the jealousy, and the envy.

And form one family of love.

Don't be afraid to give somebody a hug and tell someone that you love them.

So repeat after me.

Amen.

♪ ♪ (Song fades out) ♪ ♪