Tysheam Morton, of Fair Lawn, will be one of 38 New Jersey high school students performing Thursday at the 8th Annual Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey's Shout Down Drugs competition.

The competition challenges high school students across the state to create original music with lyrics that contain powerful peer-to-peer drug prevention messages.  

Morton, a student at Chancellor Academy in Pompton Plains, will perform his original song “Influence,” at Thursday's concert, which is being held at Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

"I went through this experience," Morton raps in the song's final verse. "It ain't worth it to have the people that you love hurtin'/Finally got up and like a good transmission and I'm working/I'm working/And it's so perfect 'cause I'm working."

An aspiring police officer, Morton said he's been making music for years and counts Drake and Jay-Z among his influences.

He will be competing Thursday for a $10,000 music contract from the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey to perform his song at statewide events.  

Visit the Shout Down Drugs website for a profile of Morton and the other teen contestants, and cast a vote for your favorite song. Morton's song can be heard in its entirety on his contestant page.

Online voting, which is factored into a contestant's final score on the night of the concert, is open until Wednesday, May 23.

Tickets to Thursday's show are free, but must be reserved at www.shoutdowndrugs.com.

--

Follow Fair Lawn Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to receive our daily newsletter in your inbox each morning