Before writing the titular song for Spike Lee ’s Highest 2 Lowest , songwriter Aiyana-Lee was skeptical the job offer was actually real. “He discovered me on Instagram,” Aiyana-Lee said of the filmmaker at Deadline’s Sound & Screen: Film event. “I had written this one song in my room, and it went viral on the internet.”

After a fruitful meeting in person – where she verified it was actually Spike Lee who contacted her – she got to work on crafting the song that would serve as the inspiration for the film’s title. She said it was a “surreal” feeling, especially for someone on the verge of homelessness before booking the job.

“He really wanted a climactic moment that encapsulated the feeling of the film, kind of also touching on my own personal struggles,” she said. “He really wan

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