--- title: A Dollar For a Ride and a Show | TIME description: Hail the Dollar Van for the cheapest transit in Brooklyn - but be prepared to share the ride with singers, rappers and poets who record their demos en route canonical: https://time.com/video/iCecVwAL/ og:title: A Dollar For a Ride and a Show og:description: Hail the Dollar Van for the cheapest transit in Brooklyn - but be prepared to share the ride with singers, rappers and poets who record their demos en route og:url: https://time.com/video/iCecVwAL/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iCecVwAL/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Dollar For a Ride and a Show twitter:description: Hail the Dollar Van for the cheapest transit in Brooklyn - but be prepared to share the ride with singers, rappers and poets who record their demos en route twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/iCecVwAL/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # A Dollar For a Ride and a Show > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: A Dollar For a Ride and a Show [Watch (HLS stream): A Dollar For a Ride and a Show](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/iCecVwAL.m3u8) (4:14)  _Published 2010-08-04. Hail the Dollar Van for the cheapest transit in Brooklyn - but be prepared to share the ride with singers, rappers and poets who record their demos en route_ --- Jul 27, 2023 2:23 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [6 Facts for a Dollar](/video/RnGFIOEi/) ### 6 Facts for a Dollar [Family Dollar Bidding War Continues, Dollar General Takes Bid to Shareholders](/video/Xy2BoaOV/) ### Family Dollar Bidding War Continues, Dollar General Takes Bid to Shareholders [Family Dollar Rejects Dollar General Offer For Merger](/video/7iRjZUsQ/) ### Family Dollar Rejects Dollar General Offer For Merger --- ## Transcript >> Up early in the morning, thought my day would be whack. I turned the-- >> Millions of people have seen the McDonald's ad. It ran during the last American Idol series. >> I get into, McDonald's got a new dollar menu-- >> But, if you know, it all started on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. >> One week, we were shooting something for Lily Pennies and it was kind of fun to just see it transform into, you know, a national commercial campaign. >> The concept for the ad, and artist featured in it, came straight from Joe Revitte's experimental Dollar Van Demo series. Once every few months, he scouts a few talented local artists and they set out in a van to record a series of music videos with a twist. >> We, basically, take rap and reggae performers, put them in the backseat of the van and have them perform a song. But also, we picked up and dropped off passengers while we do it. >> I'm a poet, a rapper and a singer. I'm gonna be doing a little bit of everything for you guys. Oh yeah, hey. >> Shanelle Gabriel is one of the performers today. She's been singing since she was 2, but she says a recent diagnosis with lupus drove her to turn her hobby into a career. >> We've got the same tools, it's all and how we use them. >> I looked at it and said, " Wow. What if God forbid ?" You know, if this takes a turn for the worse. Did I lived the life that I wanna live, you know, all these years and that would gave me the courage to be able to tell my family no, I'm not going for that job. >> They should invest-- >> Joe found Shanelle and the other performers, Eric Sosa, Haitian Jones and DaMilliMan through social media sites and asked them to join the project. >> No, I ain't got a life-- >> Growing up in Brooklyn and Queens, most of these artists are no strangers to the Dollar Van. For those who aren't familiar, they are black and white vans that drive predetermined routes in New York City neighborhoods where access to the subway is sparse. When they first emerged in 1980, they were illegal and unregulated. But now, they are commonly licensed to specific routes by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. Winston Williams, like most Dollar Van drivers, owns his van and bought his commuter van permit from the city which allows him to drive up and down Flatbush Avenue. He picks up those who signal for a ride and charges a dollar or two to drop them off anywhere along the route. >> I'm more of just looking to see what people are gonna get in, whether they're gonna be like, I mean they're like be scared. Are they gonna just jump right in? Are they gonna rap with me? Please say we got some happy people. >> Getting into an unmarked van with other strangers does require a bit of an open mind, but no one quite knew what to make of this. The responses varied from shocked-- >> Oh, Lord Jesus. Have mercy-- >> surprised to slightly annoyed. >> I've gotta start something, find something, ignite a plan B to cause a change at the moment-- >> But talent is hard to ignore and even the grumpiest of patrons were smiling after a few verses. >> Well, she put me in a good mood. You know, a different face of mine. I was tired from work and I come and just she entertained me. >> One night, one place at the time with my lips to your mind [ unk ]-- >> In the tradition of mixed tapes and demo recordings, Joe uses the videos to promote these artists online, hoping to eventually take them out of the van and into a record studio. >> I can't make a million- dollar video, but this is a good way to show that you have ability. They're not using lights, smokes and lasers they have to hide behind. It's real raw talent and I think people respond to that. >> What could I get into? McDonald's got a new dollar menu-- >> The response from the McDonald's campaign has brought more than a few Dollar Van modes of attention to WordSpit and Joya Bravo. The 2 artists featured in the ad have signed other endorsement deals. Shanelle and the other performers today hope that comes in time. For now, they say it's enough to lighten up someone's day. -[ unk ] Sing some more. -[ unk ] see a thing but sing some more songs. 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