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PEHDZEH KI/WRIGLEY
A Wrigley student turned her feelings of drugs and alcohol into pointed rap lyrics early this month.

photo courtesy of Blair Sellars Rapper Aaron "Godson" Hernandez, right, helps Shenougha Hardisty record the rap lyrics she wrote about drugs and alcohol during a hip hop video workshop at Chief Julian Yendo School in Wrigley.

Jessica Clillie, 14, wrote four lines of a song during a hip hop video workshop at Chief Julian Yendo School, on Feb. 9.

"Drugs are bad for you, drugs are no good for me," her lyrics begin.

"Alcohol is the most badest drink to drink, there are lots of people who died from alcohol.

"People don't have to look stoned and just quit every good thing you have in the future.

"Alcohol can kill you and lots of people in town drink all the time."

Rapper Aaron "Godson" Hernandez worked with 10 youths from Wrigley and five from Jean Marie River to record the lyrics and footage for a music video.

The workshop captured the students' interest.

"It was a good workshop," said Clillie.

Clillie, a Grade 9 student, who'd never written a song before, wrote her lyrics without any assistance. After some coaching she read the lines to a beat while Godson recorded them.

For the workshop, each student was asked to write two lines about the negative aspects of drugs and alcohol and two about the positives of not using either substance. Put together, the lines will form a complete song.

Clillie also played a part in the video footage filmed at the school to go along with the song. The video told a story about someone who decided not to do drugs and all her friends turned away from her, Clillie said. Clillie acted the part of one of the friends.

The workshop is part of the My Choice My Voice campaign launched by the territorial Department of Health and Social Services. Since November, Godson has been travelling to NWT communities and using songs and videos to allow teenagers to voice their thoughts about drugs and alcohol.

Although rap isn't one of her favourite types of music Shenougha Hardisty, 14, said using music videos is an effective way to get people her age to think about the topic of addictions.

"It was awesome," Hardisty said while describing the workshop.

"Drugs are no good, alcohol can kill. Family members die, see them up in the sky," were Hardisty's lyric contributions to the song.

Hardisty said it was cool to write the lines and acting in the accompanying video was fun. If possible, Hardisty said she'd like to do something similar again in the future.

For Treven Cli, 11, having a rapper come to his school was one of the workshop highlights.

"It was cool," he said.

Blair Sellars, the school's principal, said having Godson, a rapper, lead the workshop was an effective way to get students to participate. It gave them a chance to have a say about teenage drug and alcohol use, he said.

"It was good to see something like this come to a smaller community," said Sellars.

Sellars said the Wrigley students were also excited to be able to share the experience with their counterparts from Jean Marie River.

After the music video is finished, it will be sent back to the school for the students to see. Hardisty said she expects it will be good.

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