TEXAS -- Do these simple five steps to stop the spread of coronavirus: wash your hands often, cough or sneeze into your elbow, don't touch your face, give space between each other, and stay home.
- Music video features Spurs mascot with catchy dance
- Artist Ray Villarreal is one of the in-arena hosts for Spurs
An Austin-based rapper has teamed up with the San Antonio Spurs to make these steps into a song and produce a "hip-hop health PSA." The song not only features a beneficial way to stop the spread of coronavirus, it also has a pretty fun dance to go along with it.
The "Do The Five" music video features the Spurs Coyote dancing along to the song by artist Tone Royal (who goes by Ray Villarreal off the stage). Villarreal, who is one of the in-arena hosts for the Spurs, was asked by the organization to come up with a song that could teach listeners about the five steps to help stop coronavirus.
The result? A minute-long catchy but family-friendly hip-hop track with the beloved Coyote.
"I immediately was like okay, I want to make it sound like Da Baby or Roddy Ricch or Megan Thee Stallion, like I wanted to make it a turnt up song. I was just kind of like trust me, I’ll do it. It came out to what it is now," Villarreal said. "Was the most challenging thing I've ever had to probably make. Because it's like how do I make this cool? How do I make this fun and also family friendly and health-oriented? And we did it."
The song is featured on the NBA's TikTok account, and the dance has even been done by another famous Texas mascot, Hook 'Em.
"I've had so many people that have messaged me like 'Yo, that song is stuck in my head' or like 'Yo it's a banger, like we've been bumping it in the house, we’re turning up,'" Villarreal said. "I got a call from one of the people in the [Spurs] organization that was just like, 'This is amazing, this is better than anything we expected.' And they were like 'Not that we doubted you, but this is a hard ask, like this is cool.' So yeah, it was cool to hear that feedback right away."
We first caught up to Villarreal back in March after his SXSW Official Showcase was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Since then, he's also lost his announcing gigs and callbacks for auditions have been canceled.
"I've been announcing with the San Antonio Spurs for the past, I don't know, three or four years now. They’re a great organization. I announce for a lot of different sports teams and for different events, like I was supposed to be announcing for the Final Four in Atlanta, so I lost that contract. I do some stuff with the NFL Draft, I lost that, NCAA, NBA. So I literally lost all my music income and I lost all my announcing income. So it was just like, wow, this is all hitting me at one time, and it was pretty insane."
Villarreal is now doing odd jobs and working with delivery services like Favor just to bring in some income. So until he’s able to get back to the stage or the arenas, you can find him quarantining at his in-home studio, just maybe creating the next viral hit to follow "Do The Five."
“This is a difficult time, like I've said, and especially in the entertainment business. So y'all be safe out there, wash your hands, don't touch your face, do the dance, check it out and look up Tone Royal. I'm out here making music,” Villarreal said.
The full lyrics to "Do The Five" are below:
[Verse 1]
Washing your hands do it often (often)
Using your elbows to cough in (*cough *cough)
Keeping your distance I’m jogging (jogging)
Touching your face hands off it (off it)
Staying at home what you watching (Netflix)
Hit up a friend who’s calling (*ring*)
Video games I’m a log in (log in)
Reading a book or you blogging (blogging)
[Chorus] x4
Hands, elbows, face, space
Staying home staying safe
[adlibs]
Washing your hands do it often
Using your elbows to cough in
Keeping your distance I’m jogging
Touching your face hands off it, hands off it/
(Bridge)
Do the five (do the five)
sterilize (sterilize)
Wash your hands (wash em)
Great advice (ok)
Feeling sick (*cough*)
Stay inside (wooh)
Read a book (wooh wooh)
Pass the time (do the five)
Do the five (do the five)
sterilize (sterilize)
Wash your hands (wash em)
Great advice (ok)
Feeling sick (*cough*)
Stay inside (wooh)
Stay inside (wooh)
Stay inside (wooh wooh)
(Verse 2)
Washing your hands do it often (often)
Using your elbows to cough in (*cough *cough)
Keeping your distance I’m jogging (jogging)
Touching your face hands off it (off it)
Staying at home what you watching (Netflix)
Hit up a friend who’s calling (*ring*)
Video games I’m a log in
Reading a book or you blogging
[Chorus] x4
Hands, elbows, face, space
Stay at home staying safe
(Ad-libs)
Wash your hands, wash your, wash yours hands(2x)
Do the five sterilize (2x)
Do the five sanitize (2x)
Do the five