Rappers aim to inspire with their music

Buy photos » Rap group Cream Ov Da Crop are helping young people caught up in gang culture through their music. (s)

A RAP group are using their skills to help turn around the lives of troubled young people.

Cream Ov Da Crop, a Rugby six-piece, are volunteering at the Hill Street Youth and Community Centre, helping teenagers caught up in gang culture.

The band have been working with Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Partnership adviser Cec Whittlesea - several years after they were part of her caseload themselves when they needed help.

Made up of self-taught DJs and rappers, the group's last album was downloaded 1,600 times on its release day, with Cream Ov Da Crop now getting acclaim from both music fans and industry insiders - along with over one million Youtube hits.

The group has recently appointed a manager and is playing gigs in London in a bid to get noticed by record labels.

Alongside their music, the band is juggling its volunteer work helping young people involved in gangs to get out and make something of their lives.

As part of their work, they have helped young people write their own songs and produce their own music in a bid to inspire them to achieve more.

Jessica Lewis-Bell, of Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Partnership, which provides advice to young people, said of the band: "To see how far they have got is an inspiration for young people in itself.

"The amazing thing about Cream Ov Da Crop is the amount of time they give up to help their community. The group are all volunteers at the youth centre whilst juggling their own professional music careers."

Visit www.facebook.com/CreamOvDaCrop for more information.

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