Meet the Tax Rap Boys: How Two Students Tried to Make Tax and Superannuation Lit

The Tax Rap Boys write bars to educate you on the importance of tax and superannuation.

If you had to write out keywords to describe what’s cool among high schoolers these days, words like "tax" and "superannuation" probably won't turn up in anyone's list.

It's because of this reality that governments are constantly trying out new initiatives and competitions to try and arouse some interest in high schoolers.

For the past few years, the federal government has run the Tax, Super and You Competition, which asks students to produce creative projects that entice their peers into learning more about topics that do affect them.

In 2017, two senior high schoolers, Jordan Donahue and Cabe Barrett, from Singleton, NSW decided they'd take a different approach to the perennially dry topics.

They wrote and recorded a rap, using professional beats from U.S. producer Syndrome, and spoiler alert: it bangs. It also ended up winning the competition.

"The craziest idea we had was making a rap, which is what we ended up doing," Jordan admits to Student Edge.

Cabe adds that young people enjoy music so it seemed like a natural choice to try and work educational lyrics into something young people would actually want to listen to.

But the question that remains is: how did they actually make a track that was appealing to young people while remaining educational?

"We brainstormed ideas about the fundamental notions around tax and then incorporated them into lyrics," Cabe explains.

"It took a little bit to actually write everything out, for it to make sense and then be factual at the same time," Jordan adds.

"I found this fact, going through some legislation, doing some boring work, and two of the lines actually rhymed.

"We tried to put a conversational slant on it… it was more 'this is how it works and if we don't do this, this is what's going to happen.'"

Some of the lyrics included:

Let me just say more income equals more tax,
more tax equals better fields and running tracks.

Taxes are compulsory contributions to the state you live in,
working hard trying to earn livin', on the inside you'll be winning.
I'm sitting in my chair just chilling, paying tax can be so fulfilling.

But despite the two weeks of work that they had put in, Jordan and Cabe didn't expect to actually take out the competition.

"We doubted it completely," Jordan admits, but after their submission had been shortlisted, they realised their idea actually had a chance.

Aside from winning the prize money, Jordan and Cabe explained that undertaking the project actually allowed them to learn a lot about why tax and superannuation are important.

"When you hear adults talk about tax, it's always in a negative sense," Jordan explains.

"But through the research, [I realised] it's actually vital."

Cabe adds that even though tax is seen as a "dry and uninspiring notion", it's completely fundamental to society.

Despite being a bit apprehensive about entering in the first place, the boys recommend everyone give the competition a shot.

"We were very reluctant at the start because we thought tax was boring and we couldn't make any use out of it," Cabe admits.

"But once we got going, we learnt how [tax] is fundamental.

"I would say to other entrants, just give it a go, you never know."

If you think you've got a great idea to encourage your peers to get more interested in learning about tax and superannuation, head to the Tax, Super + You website to find out more about how you can enter. The competition closes on Friday 23 August 2019.

This article was originally published in July of 2018, but has been updated with 2019's competition details.

Header Image: YouTube.com/JDLegends