Rapper BIA teamed up with the NHL to produce a hockey-themed version of her hit single "Skate" just in time for playoff hockey.
"I'm so, so happy with how it came out," BIA told NHL.com on Monday. "I'm so, so grateful for the opportunity because I'm from Boston ... so this is just a win for us, especially for everyone back home because we're a big sports team and we're big sports fans, Boston] Bruins fans, so this was monumental for us."
BIA released the rap song, which features the refrain, "Wrist Stanley Cup, I can show you how to skate," in 2020. Although hockey runs in her family -- BIA's sister, Trinady Jackson, played high school hockey in Medford, Massachusetts -- the song's reference to the Cup was a reference to diamonds.
"I believe we were in the studio vibing out and we were just rapping about ice," BIA said. "Ice in every way. Ice on the floor. Ice on my wrist, and we just took it and ran with it."
NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer worked with Bia and her team at Epic Records to slightly alter her lyrics to produce an edition suitable for the postseason.
"We're thrilled," Mayer told NHL.com. "It's so much fun. It's got a great energy to it, and it's different."
Mayer sent BIA's team a list of prospective hockey terms in April and she recorded a full song and video, the first original song produced by the NHL in Mayer's 5 1/2 years with the League, which was released on the NHL's social platforms Monday.
[Bia NHL Playoffs Hype Song
"I'd say it was easy because I love sports and I love music," BIA said of turning her song into a hockey anthem. "Even for them to give me keywords because I thought I had my own hockey knowledge down pat but there were things they sent me that got the ball rolling."
The song includes the lyrics, "Etch your name forever, cuz you don't know when you're coming back. If I wanted that shiny trophy then I'm getting that."
"I've always been interested in doing an original song, rewriting a song, we've talked about it forever," Mayer said. "I sent over a list of terms … and I really played to the passion in my mind the greatest tournament in the world. I sent it to them, and BIA said, 'Let's do this,' and then it was a process of BIA going in on her own and taking some of those words and putting them into her own words and she recorded everything."
The song and BIA's video, which took about 10 days for NHL Studios to edit after BIA sent it to the League, first appeared on "Hockey Night in Canada" ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Round between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals on Saturday. The fact it appeared before a Bruins game was especially important to BIA.
"To be able to do stuff like that with your friends and then take it back home and to show everybody back home that you can still have fun and follow your dreams and bring it back like that, it's just amazing," BIA said. "It's a blessing."
The song will appear on promotional spots for each of the eight first-round series broadcast on NBC and Sportsnet, with highlights and commentary as the playoffs progress.
"We'll have more surprises as we move along, especially when it comes to music," Mayer said. "We're going to debut some other new songs as the playoffs go on."
