Halifax hip-hop phenomenon Wordburglar has dropped a brand new music video for “Bill Mosienko” (alternatively, “21 Seconds”), from his 2015 album Rapplicable Skills. Featuring a beat by Toronto-based producer Savilion and sound mastering by DJ Irate, the rapper spins a 67-year-old tale about National Hockey League great Bill Mosienko and his legendary, unbeaten record of scoring three goals in a mere 21 seconds.
It was the final night of the National Hockey League’s 1951-1952 regular season, and Mosienko’s Chicago Blackhawks were facing off against the New York Rangers. The 3,000+ spectators, about a fifth of the stadium’s capacity, had no way of knowing the history that would unfold that night.
With six minutes to go in the game and the score at 6-2 in favour of New York, the Blackhawks seemed to have called it a season, but the small Ukrainian-Canadian forward had other ideas. In a flash, he shot the puck past Ranger’s goaltender Lorne Anderson before repeating the action twice more between the times of 6:09 and 6:30. The Blackhawks would go on to win the game 7-6 thanks to a pair from Mosienko’s teammate Sid Finney.
Wordburglar would hear this story repeated to him time and time again from his father, and would one day look to hockey legend’s feat as a sign; a sign of never giving up no matter what is stacked against you.
“My dad explained the legend of Mosienko to me as a kid, and it just stuck,” says Wordburglar. “ It became an inspirational expression that I’ve always carried with me, and I just like the idea of Mosienko defying the odds with this hat trick.”
“If nothing else it’s just great Canadian hockey trivia.”
Set in an outdoor hockey rink, Wordburglar begins the video by reciting a short version of the story he was always told as a kid before a loud brass beat echoes in our ears, reminding us that we truly can rise to any challenge we put our mind to. Wordburglar then drops verse after verse of wondrous, metaphorical hockey imagery that bolsters our newfound confidence and bravery in the face of adversity.
“I just wrote it because ever since I was a kid I’ve thought of Mosienko when the chips were stacked against me,” says Wordburglar. “Whether it was just a game or dealing with more pressure and life stuff.
“At its simplest, it’s about never giving up, and about appreciating and enjoying the unpredictability of life.”
UPCOMING SHOWS:
04.05.19 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
04.06.19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
04.18.19 – Toronto, Ontario @ Junction City Music Hall
04.25.19 – Edmonton, AB @ TBA
04.26.19 – Calgary, AB @ TBA
05.05.19 – Winnipeg, MB @ Wee Johnny’s
05.11.19 – Halifax, NS @ HFX Record Fair
05.16.19 – Moncton, NB @ Hell’s Basement
05.17-18.19 – Moncton, NB @ East Coast Comic Expo