The Rams are back in L.A. after 21 seasons in St. Louis — and to help celebrate the NFL’s return to the City of Angels, Ballin’ Out had none other than ScHoolboy Q and fellow L.A. native Akeem Ayers (who also happens to be a linebacker for the Rams) hop on the line to speak about the team’s transition back to the West Coast.
Though Q is a devout Niners fan, he still took the time (along with one of his compatriots you may have heard of, Kendrick Lamar) to visit Rams training camp just in time for the team’s appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks. The pair even got to spend some time on the field, which both Ayers and Q speak more about on this week’s episode.
Kendrick Lamar & Schoolboy Q show up to support the #Rams pic.twitter.com/qr7M4rgGvy
— History Of Sports (@BeforeFamePics) August 10, 2016
Q also spoke about the impact his time as a football player (he was a receiver through high school and college) had on his rap career — as it turns out, the effects go even deeper than you might expect.
“Being able to listen to authority, hearing other people’s opinions,” says the rapper of his biggest on-field lesson that’s translated well in the studio. “You think you’re great at everything you do when you’re playing football, but you still got a coach. Just like with rap — somebody will tell you, maybe you shouldn’t do this, maybe you should add another verse. You need to take criticism from people. A lot of people can’t take it — this is our craft, but a lot people don’t want to hear, ‘This is not a good song.'”
For more insights about life on and off the field, listen to the full episode below, or download it (and subscribe!) on iTunes.