Diaz Grimm enlisted the help of Leamington Primary School students for his latest video, Sinse 7.
Diaz Grimm enlisted the help of Leamington Primary School students for his latest video, Sinse 7.
Cambridge school students helped a local rapper film his new music video - with hilarious results.
Diaz Grimm channelled his inner seven-year-old to write his latest single - so it makes sense primary school students helped him film the video.
The results are released today with the Cambridge rapper's latest single Sinse 7, a track he says was written by his inner seven-year-old.
"The song's not written exclusively for the youth," he says. "The idea is it's filled with universally ageless ideas that have been shaped in a way the kids can keep up with and understand each line, without the distraction of too many words or ideas too complex for them."
Grimm headed back to his old school in Cambridge, Leamington Primary School, to film the accompanying video, in which he appears only briefly at the start.
Instead, school children take starring roles, dressing as their future selves to star in a clip that quickly subverts hip-hop video cliches.
Grimm says filming the video was a challenge - but the kids quickly picked up on the song's themes.
"It was the first time I had ever had to deal with that many children at once so it was definitely a memorable life experience for me," he said.
"It was an incredibly fun video to create. The kids were overwhelmingly enthusiastic to be a part of it so getting them into playing their roles was relatively easy.
"I was blown away by just how much all of these young minds really did understand about each line in the song."
The song is the second single from Grimm's sci-fi-themed second album 2077, and features the vocals of seven-year-old singer KT, who provides the song's chorus and also stars in the video.
Grimm says the clip took plenty of planning, including several visits to his old school as well as school newsletter requests for willing participants.
"I imagine their parents were understandably a little unsure about a rapper coming into the school to shoot a music video," he says.
"I went into the school a few times to chat to the kids and to hold auditions for parts and each time the teachers freely allowed the ones who were interested in being a part to leave class and come and chat with me."
He says his old school is just as he remembers it: "It's a very open-minded school that spends a lot of time focussing on creativity and kindness."
He hopes the video helps the song reach more than just hip-hop fans.
"I'm hoping the music video helps the track to connect even more so with not only the young ones but the parents, aunties, uncles and grandparents too."
