NC high school’s YouTube music video is surprise hit with Russian teens

For reasons that aren’t yet clear, students at Charlotte’s Providence High have a hit music video that has been embraced by the Russians.

It’s a rap song that has been viewed nearly 90,000 times on YouTube and Facebook.

Hundreds of people have posted YouTube comments on the video, the bulk of them written in Russian. Apparently, they think the Charlotte students are good singers.

Some among the Russian commenters say they connected to the video via the Polina Sladkova lifestyle channel on YouTube, which caters to Russians. On Wednesday, the video had 38,000 views on YouTube and 51,000 more on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Facebook.

“Girl is my love, her voice so pretty,” posted Angelina Arkhitskaya on YouTube.

“In love with these people. I can't stop watching this video,” posted Fjxjfh Tjrhdh on YouTube.

“Guys, you are so cool,” posted Alexandra Primorskaya on YouTube.

“I do not know what you are singing about, but it sounds like cool,” wrote Полина.

The video, called “CANZ 7.0,” is a parody of rapper Waka Flocka’s song “No Hands,” and it’s part of a push to publicize a good cause: The Carolinas Student Hunger Drive. The drive is a national campaign that promotes volunteerism and recruits high school students to help feed the hungry.

In the video, students are seen rapping about various types of canned goods and vegetables, with with guest appearances by school staff and the Charlotte skyline.

The rappers include seniors Kelly Berenfield, Ethan Scheper, Aniketh Dumpala, Elliott Schultz and Bryce Desai. Student Patrick Meehan worked on the other side of the camera, helping the team with filming, production and directing.

This is not the first time the school has done a video for the hunger drive, but it is apparently the most viewed.

The Charlotte-based chapter of Carolinas Student Hunger Drive was founded in 2010 and has collected 1,084,182 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and its regional food pantry partners, providing 722,788 additional meals for hungry children and families in our community. Each fall, the Carolinas Student Hunger Drive organizes a 6-week competitive food drive in partnership with area school systems.

The Canz video is a seven-year senior tradition, put together by Providence High’s Executive Board. It took about a month to create, with “a zero dollar budget” and donated film equipment, said one of the students.

To donate to the Providence High food drive, click here: bit.ly/provshd

Coincidentally, Ardrey Kell High came up with a 10-minute rap response to the Providence High video, also as part of the hunger campaign. For details on their campaign visit: www.classy.org/fundraiser/1272356

Here’s their video, posted Monday on YouTube:

This story was originally published March 13, 2018 at 6:47 AM with the headline "NC high school’s YouTube music video is surprise hit with Russian teens."