Tragically Hip fully completely on board for Boi-1da’s World Cup music project

The Tragically Hip's Rob Baker signs a fan's poster after a public sing-along with Choir! Choir! Choir! at the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto, on Thursday Sept. 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paige Taylor White

Award-winning producer Boi-1da feels like a kid in a candy store. And why not when The Tragically Hip gives you access to their entire catalogue.

The Hip, Alessia Cara, Charlotte Cardin, Loud Luxury, Nelly Furtado and Zeds Dead are the first wave of Canadian musicians joining forces with Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Wonder) on the so-called Perfect Pitch program, which will produce a FIFA World Cup-themed album with proceeds going to the Canada Soccer Foundation to benefit youth soccer programs.

“It’s going to be amazing,” said Boi-1da. “I’m very excited to work with all these people … I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

Hip guitarist Rob Baker said the band has given Boi-1da “carte blanche” to their music “because it’s for a cause we really believe in, which is promoting soccer in Canada and awareness of this coming global event in Toronto.”

More talent is expected to join the project. The album, to come out next year in advance of the June tournament kickoff, will include original music, reimagined tracks and collaborations from an array of genres.

“I’m happy my country has so much talent for me to select from and I can go in so many genres and figure out amazing music with all these amazing artists,” said Boi-1da.

“It’s going to be fun. It’s been amazing so far,” he added.

The Hip has offered up its entire catalogue

“I’m quite excited to be involved,” said Baker. “This is a beautiful thing for Canada and Canadian soccer.”

Baker is a football aficionado who has coached the sport. His son Boris, the bass player for the band Kasador, played semi-pro for Kingston United SC, and father and son have seen a lot of matches together, including a string of Canadian World Cup qualifiers ahead of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

In June 2024, the pair travelled to Atlanta to attend Canada’s Copa America opener against Argentina. They have also taken in an English Premier League game in Brighton and watched from the stands in Italy and Morocco.

“These days I’m cheering for Juventus because I love (Canadian striker) Jonathan David,” said Baker.

Baker says the band will give Boi-1da whatever he wants musically. He is looking forward to seeing what the star producer, whom he calls “a heavy hitter, a super pro,” comes up with.

“We give him the streams so he can say ‘I’d like to use the drum part from this Hip song or I’d like to use this guitar riff.’ And then he can reimagine it in a different way. He can take the guitar riff from ‘New Orleans is Sinking’ and put it to a Jamaican dance hall track with a rap over top of it or something,” he said with a laugh. “I think that’s so exciting. Our music becomes a flavour, an ingredient. Whatever he’s going to cook up.”

Boi-1da can’t wait.

“It’s going to be a bit of everything. A lot of it is coming from just collaborative ideas between me and the artists. There’s been a one-two where it’s been my spin on something you’ve already heard before, like working with The Hip.

“Taking something classic from them and remaking it into something modern and new is one of my ideas. It’s been a real honour to work with The Tragically Hip. A honour and a pleasure, they’re a legendary band from where I’m from and I can’t wait to re-envision one of their classics and let everyone hear it.”

Boi-1da is also a soccer dad. His teenage daughter plays in the Ontario Player Development League for Markham.

Boi-1da was born Matthew Samuels in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Toronto. Nominated for 19 Grammy Awards, the 39-year-old was honoured with the 2025 Juno International Achievement Award earlier this year in Vancouver for his contribution to the Canadian and global music scene.

His previous collaborations have included Drake’s “God’s Plan” and Rihanna’s “Work.”

The Perfect Pitch project is a partnership between Canada Soccer and Infinity &, a Toronto-based entertainment agency.

“We’re thankful to the artists who’ve stepped up to be part of this projection,” Samantha Rogers, vice-president of philanthropy at Canada Soccer, said in a statement. Together, they’re helping us tell the story of our sport in a new way, one that is truly representative of Canada.”

The Hip are no strangers to lending a helping hand to sport, having collaborated on a T-shirt and jersey with Rugby Canada to help raise funds for the Canadian women ahead of the recent Rugby World Cup in England.

“It’s something we will continue to do,” Baker said.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press