Ray-Ray McCloud at Las Vegas Super Bowl in February 2024.Photo:Perry Knotts/Getty
Perry Knotts/Getty
Football isn’tRay-Ray McCloud’s only lifelong passion — music is, too.
According to the San Francisco 49ers player, he was “born into” it. Growing up, McCloud’s dad worked with artists on Capitol Records, Dogg Pound, and Universal Music, and played a pivotal role in forming the Grammy-winning group J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.
“My dad made me focus on sports. That always came first. We stopped doing music for a while, and it was just something that jumped back on me when I was in middle school,” he says.
Ray-Ray McCloud III in February 2023 in Las Vegas.Ethan Miller/Getty
Ethan Miller/Getty
But with the football season over now, music has become McCloud’s focus once again withRunt: An Underdog Story,a sports docuseries, which he helped produce themusicfor through Legend Tribe Entertainment.
The series, which he collaborated on with the artist Balewa Muhammad, is available for streaming onTubi, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of professional athletes and the difficulties that inherently come with their lifestyle. It also delves into the interconnectedness of music, film, and sports world.
The process for makingRunt: An Underdog Story —which happened “organically” — began two years ago while McCloud, 27, was still playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It gives people the opportunity to speak about where they’re coming from, where they’re going, where they’re trying to go,” he says.
“We have our own studio production house in Atlanta where we have five red ARI cameras and the whole setup, the whole shebang,” he continues. “At the time we didn’t, that’s when we just started. So it kind of shows a different level of where we’re really at. But it’s great to see what we can do.”
Aside from honing the soundtrack for the documentary, McCloud has also written a soundtrack forMadden NFL 24. He also has “multiple albums” completed and is waiting for the right time to release them.
“My album, I haven’t put out because we’ve been building the business part of it,” McCloud clarifies. “I’m just waiting for the right time.”
Because of his athletic career, McCloud says that making music is “looked at” differently.
“I can’t just go and drop multiplealbums and, sadly, that’s just the way it is,” he explains.
Ray-Ray McCloud III at Wynn Las Vegas in February 2024 in Las Vegas.Greg Doherty/WireImage
Greg Doherty/WireImage
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Still, music is very much a part of McCloud’s football career. He has a go-to, game-day playlist that featuresTupacand Future, but his taste often varies daily. “It depends on my mood,” he explains. “Sometimes I need some energy to get me going. Sometimes I need something to calm me down.”
Beyond discussing his music venture, McCloud also opened up about competing in the 2024Super Bowlagainst the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We lost. Obviously, it was a hurtful feeling, but I’ve lost national championships. I lost big games my whole life, a lot of them. But obviously, in order to win, you got to lose sometimes,” the football star says.
With the Super Bowl now behind him, McCloud, who signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in March 2022, emphasizes the importance of resetting and refocusing for the upcoming season. And despite currently being a free agent, he has an unwavering loyalty toward his current team.
“I’m focused on the present,” he declares. “I don’t want to play anywhere else right now. We have a great team. Hopefully, they bring me back. God has a way of working things out.”
source: people.com
