Class of 3000

Li'l D's heart is broken and his faith is shaken when his musical idol, Sunny Bridges, and his music teacher both go missing on the same day. Joined by his fellow student music prodigies, Li'l D decides to have a benefit concert to raise money for a new teacher, but is unable to sell any tickets. Li'l D runs into Sunny, who has quit the music business and returned to Atlanta to lay low. Li'l D and his incredulous classmates set out to convince Sunny to play at their benefit concert. Sunny rejects this proposition, but when he hears the kids play, he realizes that though he may want out of the music business, he doesn't want out of the music. He helps the kids with their concert and then agrees to become their music teacher.

Sunny's first lesson teaches the kids to be musically and artistically free. When Principal Luna gives Sunny an overwhelming number of teacherly duties, including being responsible for the annual Peanut Pageant, Sunny instructs his students to use their newfound "artistic freedom" to do a production that's so free that it's a free-for-all.

Intent on getting into the upperclass performance of "The Kong and I," Li'l D meets and befriends another drum prodigy - who happens to be a four hundred pound gorilla. The gorilla breaks out of the zoo to be with Li'l D, who soon finds that he is welcome in the play only if he can convince his reluctant ape friend to perform the title role.

Eddie has an amazingly exorbitant birthday party, the value of which Sunny feels Eddie's not appreciating. Sunny gives him a magical compass which will lead him to his "real" birthday gift and Li'l D convinces Eddie to embark on a trip through Atlanta to find it. Along the way, Eddie learns a life lesson that is as good as any gift Sunny could give him.