MOUNT Isa teenagers from the Flexible Learning Centre are on their way to becoming Youtube sensations after starring in a rap music video addressing petrol sniffing and smoking in the community.
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The video, which was shot and produced with the help of The Indigenous Hip Hop Project and Central and North West Queensland Medicare Local, will be unveiled at a preview screening at the Civic Centre ampitheatre tomorrow night.
Dion Brownfield from the Indigenous Hip Hop Project said inspiring teens to celebrate the power of music, dance and culture was a perfect tool to promote important health messages.
"We've made this deadly little song called 'Stop and think about it', there's a girls' verse and a boys' verse," he said.
"The girls address their concerns over petrol sniffing and the boys address smoking.
"They wrote the words, we guided them through the creative process and we had health workers by our side to reinforce those messages through their expertise around the facts and clinical side of it."
Hip Hop team member Dallas Woods said students were asked to brainstorm ideas and identify the causes of why their peers took up petrol sniffing and smoking.
"Once we did that and wrote all the words up the kids starting to get a lot more expressive and comfortable with the way we raised the topic," he said.
"They realised we're not here to tell them what to do, its more about showing them what they're doing is bad for their personal and mental growth."
Mr Brownfield said this was the first time a music video like this was made in Mount Isa, but guaranteed the stars of the clip would gain international attention for all the right reasons.
"There was some shyness and shame in the early days but when we gained their trust and built up that rapport with them it just started flowing, and it's amazing now - they really came out of their shell," he said.
"The video we made with some young girls on Mornington Island got 28,000 views from all over the world. I think these clips will get that, if not more."
Teens involved in the music video will be presented with a certificate and a copy of their song at a special preview screening of the music video tomorrow night.