Parody PPE rap wants Canadians to wear face masks, obey health guidelines

A Winnipeg produced rap video encouraging Manitobans to mask up and wear their P.P.E, has made its debut. Mark Neufeld speaks to the people behind the hip hop parody and why they were motivated to share it at the start of 2021.

By Mark Neufeld and Kelsey Patterson

WINNIPEG (CityNews) – Who’s down with PPE? That’s what one not-for-profit organization is asking Canadians in a catchy new way.

A new rap music video out of Winnipeg – a light-hearted parody of ‘90s hit O.P.P. – is reminding Canadians to wear masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

With lyrics like “pack some hand sani to disinfect your digits” and “mask on your face, not your neck like some jewelry” – the song puts public-health recommendations to a fun beat.

The video was developed by Winnipeg’s St. Amant Centre, a facility that provides services for people with disabilities.

https://twitter.com/StAmantMB/status/1349143463275737093

“We are protecting ourselves and protecting others by wearing this, wearing these things… and we would like everybody else to do the same,” said Dena Torchia, the recreational instructor at St. Amant.

Torchia, who was featured in the video, says the message of the rap was important to get across.

“A lot of people don’t believe this virus is serious, and it is,” she said.

The video clip features Torchia and others dancing along, wearing masks and keeping a safe distance. Other participants included a school principal and a young elementary school student.

“We all have a reason to need to wear PPE,” said Jocelyne Nicolas, the project lead on the PPE rap video. “We all have to take care of somebody, and we want this to be over for different reasons.”

The modified song lyrics were written by hip hop artist Charlie Fettah. He says parodying the song O.P.P. by the group Naughty by Nature just made sense, and the song fell into place in one day.

“I was grateful for the opportunity to have fun, flex some creativity and do something that’s dedicated to the health-care workers on the front line putting their lives at risk,” said Fettah.

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