'Cornell kids' release 'Graduation Song' while their other song hits Billboard's No. 3

Kinetics (Jeremy Dussolliet '09) and One Love (Tim Sommers '10) have just released "Graduation Song," a hip-hop farewell to their alma mater. The song, which has already garnered rave reviews from bloggers, just may prove to be another winner for the duo, who wrote the music and chorus for the hip-hop sensation "Airplanes," now No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100.

"The response on campus to our graduation song has far exceeded my expectations," said Sommers. "It was sent out on over a dozen listservs, and now it seems like every senior knows it. I've heard it blaring from apartment windows, blasting in cars driving by, and even as the closing song at the Cornell senior rave Sunday night."

More than 6,000 people have already downloaded "Graduation Song" from Kinetics and One Love's website -- for free. "No one our age pays for music anymore," said Dussolliet, although he hopes that once Kinetics and One Love have built up a large enough fan base, they'll be able to charge for albums.

Atlantic Record's Wynter Gordon sings the chorus on "Graduation Song," with Dussolliet rapping and singing the verses. Including Gordon was a 1 a.m., spur-of-the moment idea at the end of a long studio session, said Dussolliet. "Wynter is also a very talented songwriter, so it's incredibly easy to start with nothing and just bounce ideas off of her until something hot materializes."

Writing the lyrics to "Graduation Song" a year after his own graduation was a plus, Dussolliet said. "I think having already gone through the whole process of separating from everyone allowed for a more reflective song, letting the focus expand from just another college party song to one that includes this 'let's keep in touch' sentiment." Sommers agreed, adding, "People have really picked up on the sentimental nature of the song, which is why I think it spread so fast."

With the skyrocketing success of "Airplanes," demand for the "Cornell Kids" at Atlantic Records is high. They're busy working on song choruses for such rappers as Lupe Fiasco and Maino. And Sommers and Dussolliet have already recorded another Kinetics and One Love song with Gordon, "Sign Language," which they'll be releasing soon -- for free, of course, at http://www.facebook.com/kineticsmusic.

Linda Glaser is a staff writer in the College of Arts and Sciences.

So if you don't remember all the drinks that we poured
If you don't remember all the rules we ignored
If you don't remember all the reasons that we laughed
'Cause you start to lose track as time goes by
If you don't remember sneakin' in the side door
And if you don't remember skinny dippin' at the gorge
If you only can remember one thing at all
You have to promise me that you'll remember to call
So I can say hi

So take a shower, shine your shoes, brother
Ain't no time to lose, brother, we're about to booze, brother
We're about to throw a celebration in honor of separation
Before we have to say goodbye
'Cause I woulda never made it through without each and every one of y'all
I woulda never made it through without the Adderall
I woulda never made it through without my Ray-Bans
No teacher's lookin' in my eyes
'Cause I would rather relax in my castle, havin' class was a hassle
Hopin' this razzle-dazzle pays off when they pass me my cap and my tassel
But as the hours and the minutes diminish
I think about the business that we left unfinished
Like who is gonna claim all this random jewelry that's on my nightstand?
I guess I know why they call it a one-night stand
But even if you can't remember names
If you could remember everything, it wouldn't be the same

So if you don't remember all the drinks that we poured
If you don't remember all the rules we ignored
If you don't remember all the reasons that we laughed
'Cause you start to lose track as time goes by
If you don't remember sneakin' in the side door
And if you don't remember skinny dippin' at the gorge
If you only can remember one thing at all
You have to promise me that you'll remember to call
So I can say hi

Ayo my life is like a picture of a lot of liquor
An exotic mixture of elixir and a sorority mixer
But this here, will probably be the last time
I can hit on so many girls without spending my last dime
Thankfully I passed wines, what did I take wines for?
Nobody ever used any of that on wine tours
But I guess that's the common theme
Everything you know right now will one day all just be a dream
And these faces that are glowing are going to be unknown
When the place to which you're going is what you will call a home
And you'll forget about the Palms, and all of the sake bombs
But I hope you don't forget about us
So even if you've lost every single note from class
Hopefully you come across the notes that we used to pass
And I know you will have thoughts of what we did in the stacks
I gotta say, your brain is really worth an A+
So this is dedicated to a stadium of dissipated hockey crowds
Dedicated to an empty table at Souvlaki House
Hopin' that you call me, when you get out to Wall Street
I don't ever wanna lose touch
I wanna be like ay shorty, ay shorty, I just wanna say shorty
I miss you more than I used to miss my 8:40
'Cause sometimes that is all you wanna hear
When the buzz from the beer disappears

So if you don't remember all the drinks that we poured
If you don't remember all the rules we ignored
If you don't remember all the reasons that we laughed
'Cause you start to lose track as time goes by
If you don't remember sneakin' in the side door
And if you don't remember skinny dippin' at the gorge
If you only can remember one thing at all
You have to promise me that you'll remember to call
So I can say hi

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Joe Schwartz