BIG W recruits Jess Mauboy to do ‘rap readings’ of children’s books

Jessica Mauboy is rapping the lyrics to some popular children’s books as part of a BIG W publicity and fundraising campaign.

The tracks will be available across digital and social media, and major music streaming platforms including Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music.

For every listen on Spotify and YouTube, royalties will be donated to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation.

A new track will be released each day between Thursday October 1 and Sunday October 4.

Tom Thum will also release rap readings as part of the campaign.

The discount retailer’s general manager of marketing, Kristen Linders, said she was delighted with the initiative.

The campaign was developed by creative agency M&C Saatchi. The agency’s executive creative director, Avish Gordhan, said 2020 had forced families across the country to be inventive with entertainment.

“We took the notion that ‘if it rhymes, it raps’, and created BIG W Rap Books, tapping into culture to put a new spin on story time,” Gordhan said.

“Jessica and Tom masterfully combined rap, melody and beat boxing to these rhyming books to make them head-boppingly fun and engaging. It was really important to us that this content inspire families to have a go themselves and they can, thanks to our karaoke tracks.”