RAPPER Eminem has been helping Bolton pupils to get their environmental message across.
They have reinterpreted one of his songs for a new CD which tackles issues ranging from litter and graffiti to global warming.
The album features around 180 pupils from 14 primary schools and was the brainchild of Bolton Council’s youth and community environment worker Dave Shuttleworth.
The CD emerged from workshops he conducted with Year Five classes and is a mixture of cover versions of chart songs with their lyrics rewritten on an environmental theme, and new compositions.
There was one slight problem with playing Eminem, the world’s most popular rapper, in the classroom. Mr Shuttleworth said: “We had to bleep out some of the words before we let the kids listen to it in class.”
The album was recorded at Ionian Studios in Halliwell and Phoenix Studios in Bark Street with financial help from Bolton At Home, the organisation which manages the council’s housing stock, and the Government’s single regeneration budget.
Mr Shuttleworth said: “If you look how many programmes there are about being pop stars, it’s great for the kids to have a chance to go to a proper recording studio and see the mixing desk and other equipment.”
The CD will not go on sale but Mr Shuttleworth will encourage owners to “recycle” it by burning a copy onto a recordable CD and spreading the word.
“They love it, although they always get this half-embarrassed look on their faces when you play the recording back to them as if they can’t quite believe it’s them.
“The whole project is about taking something that’s quite difficult like the environmental message and associating it with something they like so they can see that it’s not boring.”
Musical styles on the album vary from rap to reggae and R ‘n’ B.
The full tracklisting for the album is:
1. The Power of Nature- Red Lane County Primary
2. One step closer- Red Lane County Primary
3. G-G-G-Graffiti- Crompton Fold
4. Beautiful- Crompton Fold
5. Captain Clean- Green Generation
6. Vandalism- Lever Edge County Primary
7. A place Where I Can Fly- Lever Edge County Primary
8. Extinction Blues- St. Columba’s Roman Catholic School
9. Why?- Castle Hill School
10. Been to the Year 3000 (and it was hot!)- Moorgate County Primary
11. Funky Planet- Green Generation
12. Don’t Drop The Can Baby!- Wally’s Youth Club
13. Messy- St. Andrews RC
14. Down in the Jungle- Top o’th’ Brow County Primary
15. Warraloadarubbish- Holy Infants Roman Catholic School
16. The Green Team Rock- Oldhams County Primary
17. Get the Low-down on the Ozone- Roscow Fold Guides
18. Keep Our Environment Clean!- Mean Green Team