Ridley Bent is an entertainer, a crooner, a gee-tar player and a songwriter with a knack for detail. He's hell on wheels with a microphone whether he's fronting a band or on stage all by his lonesome. He has mastered the art of telling a story. Love and murder, dope and glory, politics and pop culture this is Ridley's addiction. Throw in some break beats, phat bass, sweet country and a melody and you've got yourself an earful of 'Hick Hop'. A new sound that's already made more than a few jaws drop.Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ridley Bent spent his youth as an army brat traversing across the vast expanses of Canada. He listened to his Pa play Johnny Cash and Hank Williams on his beat-up old guitar. He never did dig that old country and western. He preferred Brit-Pop and Hip Hop but those old tunes must have sunk into his subconscious because that southern twang is evident in his songs.He first picked up a guitar in Whistler BC when he came to the realization that a career as a professional skier was out of his reach. Against his loving mother's better judgment he decided to pursue a career in music. He figured if he told good stories, used lots of rhymes and played guitar at the same time, he'd probably do just fine. In the summer of 2000 he moved to Vancouver's East Side and started hitting the open mics and playing on the beach every night. He became an entertainer in his own right, and a security guard on the side.One fateful day Ridley met Vancouver based producer Chin Injeti, who saddled up as Bent's mentor at the 2002 BC Festival of the Arts. Since then, these fellows have been mining for gold and what they've created reveals a rich vein of talent wrapped in smoking grooves and wicked word play.With each passing day Ridley continues to expand his wily and crafty chops as a performer. Whether he's turning heads with a full band at a Sam Roberts show, going word for word with Buck 65 or leaving folks with the warm fuzzies at a backyard hootenanny, Ridley Bent has established himself as a true force to be reckoned with in the innovative realm of music.

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