As a diverse nation that embraces its mosaic fabric, we Canadians do have to live down a certain stereotype to our neighbours.
Or, like hip hop artist B Rich, we can embrace that image of the plaid and toque wearing, maple syrup and beer guzzling, eh spewing Canuck – and go for a rip.
The self-professed Canucklehead “hick” hop artist for the YouTube generation has made the term “out for a rip” part of the Canadian vernacular.
The name of B Rich’s single and ensuing viral video, Out for a Rip has received more than 10 million hits since it was released in late-2013, and his new single/video, Oh F**k Yeah Bud, is on its way to the quarter-million mark.
“Out for a Rip was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a fluke and amazing for someone who is self-employed. As soon as it blew up, it opened more doors. I went down to California, starred in a commercial and got to hang out with Tom Green,” said B Rich, while stopping in Big Sky country on his way to Vernon to take the stage at The Green in the Village Green Hotel, Monday.
A tradesman carpenter (yep, he’s still hammering nails when not touring), B Rich (born Brendan Richmond) has been rapping for the past 20 years and has performed both solo projects and with groups, including Shark Tank and Slaves of Spanky. He even recorded a kids album before switching hats to become the trailer park boy of hip hop.
Now living in Kingston, B Rich got the song title for Out for a Rip while driving near his birth home of Tamworth, Ont, a small town located just north of Napanee.
“I was driving to a friend’s place and stopped at this gas station and there was this guy pumping gas who asked me ‘just out for a rip, are ya?’
“I thought, ‘That’s it. It’s a sign from above.’ It just came out of that.”
The song was actually born from a suggestion by some of B Rich’s U.S. buddies.
“They liked my local accent and said I should do a whole track using my hoser voice,” he said. “I based my character on everyone from my hometown and I’ve had people say to me, ‘that sounds just like my buddy from Saskatchewan.’”
B Rich hoped for the same momentum when he set out to record his new track, but didn’t want a carbon copy of Out for a Rip, so he took his time.
“I could have many times thought let’s write another one, but I didn’t want to force it so I took a one-year break. About four-to-five months ago my buddy who runs a studio brought me in and he had some instrumentals that he had goofed around on and he had this catchy verse. We hit the ground running and have been busy in the studio, making the video and putting the PAs in the van.”
Satisfied with the organic process of making Oh F**k Yeah Bud, B Rich says the response, so far, has been good.
“The funny thing is how’s the video been doing. It’s just at 200,000 hits, but that’s actually not bad,” he said. “I realized that as long as I’ve put out something I am 100 per cent satisfied with, then I’ve got the job done.”
Joining B. Rich on the Okanagan leg of his tour is Kelowna standup comedian Jamie Charest, whose alter ego Reggie Reynolds is a beer drinking, swearing rapper.
“It’s a great fit,” said B Rich, adding he will be joined by his general master of trinkets, Dinky.
“He does live percussion, vocals and likes to get in people’s faces. It’s a weird show. It’s kinda nice to have a song that is super well known, but (the show) also has to be entertaining and something that I would want to see.”
B Rich takes the stage at The Green Monday, Sept. 12 at 9 p.m. Cover is $10 at the door.