Rapper MattyB’s New Video Defends Sister With Down Syndrome
Young rapper MattyB is defending his sister who was born with Down syndrome.
— -- Young rapper MattyB has made a name for himself rapping to covers of top hit songs.
Now, in his newest music video, the 11-year-old YouTube phenomenon takes on the Cyndi Lauper classic, “True Colors,” but this effort may win him the title of World’s Best Brother since he’s coming to the defense of his sister, Sarah, 8, who was born with Down syndrome.
“She’s an awesome sister. Sarah, are you awesome?” MattyB, who was born Matt Morris, said to his sister.
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The Morris family, who live outside Atlanta, refused to let Sarah’s diagnosis define her.
“Sarah is just like any other normal kid. She likes baseball a lot,” MattyB told ABC News.
Sarah added, "I can do baseball, or ballet or I like to dance, I do hip hop and I play soccer and I do batting and I always play goalie.”
The rapper and his family put their pens to paper to empower Sarah, first writing the rap, and then producing the music video with Sarah as the star.
“Some people at school might pick on her for her needs, but I don’t think anybody should be bullied because of what they have,” MattyB said.
In the video posted to YouTube Sept. 2, MattyB. raps while Olivia Kay provides the vocals. The video shows a dramatized situation in which Sarah is at first spurned by her peers, who eventually come around and befriend her.
As of Wednesday night, the video had been seen more than 3.6 million times.
Blake Morris said his children really see Sarah “as a normal sibling. She does everything the family does, and Matt’s heart here was to show it in a video.”
Added the children’s mother, Tawny Morris: “It's really so special to see Matt and Sarah interact. Sarah Grace loves acting, to be in front of the camera, she was very excited.”
Sarah also has her own YouTube channel. Through his video, MattyB wants to send a message.
“I hope they learn they can do anything -- if they have special needs like Sarah. If they work at it, anything can become real and they can do anything,” he said, adding to his sister: “Don’t you agree, Sarah?”