Evan, Andrew and Michael Gregory released the song “Bed Intruder” – based on an Alabama man’s interview about an assault on his younger sister – on YouTube on July 31. It racked up 1 million views in less than a day. It’s up to 25 million hits, and has become a popular iTunes download, the brothers say. “We thought, ‘If we’re lucky, we’ll sell a few thousand,'” said Andrew, 28. “In the first 2-1/2 weeks, we sold around 65,000 tracks.”
The inspiration for the song was Antoine Dodson‘s raw interview with a local news station about thwarting the rape of his sister in Huntsville, Ala. In the broadcast, he vows to find the predator. “Overall, I would add that our primary motivation for working on this piece was that we were compelled by Antoine’s personality,” said Evan, 31. “We heard within the interview the melody.”
The brothers used an auto-tune device to harmonize Dodson’s words and then added hip-hop beats.The outcome is Dodson soulfully singing, “Well, obviously, we have a rapist in Lincoln Park. He’s climbing in your windows, he’s snatching your people up.” The refrain: “So y’all need to hide your kids, hide your wife and hide your husband, ’cause they raping everybody out here.”
Some critics question whether the song exploits a serious situation and reinforces racial stereotypes, but Dodson said he is thankful for the fame. “Blessings come in disguise,” said Dodson, who is getting half the proceeds from the song and using his share to move to a safer neighborhood. “This is a golden opportunity for us,” he said. “I’m gonna take it and run with it.”
The Brooklyn siblings also said some listeners are getting the wrong message. “I think people who think it’s exploitative are filtering it through their own perceptions,” said Michael, 25. “What Antoine did was send a message of strength and anger, and we translated it into a song.”
-“The BklynBandette.” Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.
The Word According To Heaven Hollywood 