The City of Maple Ridge has now been memorialized in song thanks to a new rap single released by a local musician, tattoo artist, and all-around entertainer.
Alex Rousey, who has lived in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge since he was 10 years old, was recently encouraged by one of his friends to write a song that encapsulated his love for his hometown. Rousey quickly rose to the challenge.
“I wrote about 10 songs, some serious and some joking,” said Rousey. “I wanted to paint a picture and rap about what I know.”
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The final result was his song called Maple Ridge, which he released on all music platforms on June 29.
The two-and-a-half-minute rap song features references to many local attractions, including Alouette River, Golden Ears Bridge, and The Wolf Bar, as well as the now-closed strip club Caddy Shack.
Rousey also created a music video for the new song, which includes plenty of other Maple Ridge locations like The Office Liquor Store and the metal horse clock outside City Hall.
“It’s wild that someone would even do this, so I had to,” said Rousey.
Although most of his songs are typically light-hearted and satirical, Rousey made it clear that this song comes from a place of love for Maple Ridge.
“All jokes aside, Maple Ridge is amazing,” he said. “It’s got all of these lakes and spots, lots of trails. It really is a beautiful place to live.”
The song has received a largely positive reception so far, with the track getting more than 1,700 streams on Spotify in the first two weeks, along with 3,100 views on YouTube in less than a week.
But Rousey isn’t looking for this to be his big break in the music industry, as he explained he already has a very happy life as a tattoo artist and father.
He still has some musical passion within him though, and said that he might not be done singing about Maple Ridge yet.
“In the winter I might do a slower country version,” he said, explaining that he still has plenty of material left over that he couldn’t fit into this first song.
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Alex Rousey got a tattoo on his thigh that says “Maple Ridge Till I Die” to go along with his new song called Maple Ridge. (Alex Rousey/Special to The News)
