EXCLUSIVE: Wale Speaks On Contributing Title Track To RG3 Doc - Page 2

Robert Griffin III was last year’s NFL rookie of the year, quickly establishing himself as one of the NFL’s premier players. Gatorade and NFL films have teamed to create a documentary, RGIII: The Will to Win, about the star quarterback, which will also feature a title track courtesy of MMG rapper Wale called “No Pain No Gain.”

Hip-Hop Wired spoke to Wale about contributing to the documentary. A devout Washington Washington Football Team fans, the decision was easy. “Gatorade and Rob wanted me to be a part of it,” says Wale. “It’s just a no-brainer to me because I’m a big supporter of Rob and everything that he’s been doing and what he stands for, as well as Gatorade.”

Wale added with a laugh, “I played football for twelve years so I know a thing or two about electrolytes, too.”

Before Wale became a rap star he played football at Robert Morris for a couple of years before transferring to Virginia State. A football career didn’t pan out, but considering his last album, The Gifted, debuted at no. 1, he’s doing alright.

The MMG rapper first became familiar with RG3 when he was at Baylor University. “I first became aware of him the year he won the Heisman [2011], the first game of the season they aired it on ESPN. He was killing so bad, I was like Who is this dude? I never in a million years thought [the Washington Football Team] would draft him and it would be on. I always been a fan of dual threat quarterbacks.”

Wale first met RG3 in 2012 the night he got drafted when they both happened to be at the 40/40 Club. “I had the footage on my old iPhone, I was there. That was history for me. The second pick of the NFL draft, the Washington Washington Football Team select… I was there.”

As for “No Pain No Gain,” the song features lyrics like “This is hard work, this is our turf, I’m a carry the city till my arms hurt
I’m a move make and never lose faith I know the easy plays do the hard work.”

“I did my best to speak for him,” says Wale of “No Pain No Gain.” “[RG3] ain’t no rapper, at least I don’t think so; he probably could if he wanted to. If I was telling a story to get inside of Robert’s mind, what would he say? That’s pretty much it.”

Check out the trailer for RGIII: The Will to Win, which airs August 27, on ESPN, below. Also listen to, and download, “No Pain No Gain” below and check out lyrics on the flip.

Download: Wale – “No Pain No Gain”

RGIII: No Pain No Game from Gatorade Productions on Vimeo.
—
Photo: NFL Films

“No Pain No Gain” Lyrics:

Intro:
Keep fighting till you overcome
In the jungle beat the drums
Ooooooo ooooooo
Victory I must get
Tell me can you feel my pain?
Noooo oooooo

Verse 1:
Uh uh, yea I’m a Gladiator I’m a fighting champion a warrior
I’m a family man I gotta pay my dues but can’t afford to run
Hold my head up high and never let up nah maybe it’s foolish pride
And if I gotta lose then make me fall down four times, I get up five
I’m committed to this, I’m addicted to winnin but ain’t livin for that
Tryin to get em to see I don’t do it for me as long as I’m givin civilians a hundred million percent
This is hard work, this is our turf, I’m a carry the city till my arms hurt
I’m a move make and never lose faith I know the easy plays do the hard work

Chorus:
No pain no gain
No strife no stripes
No blood no bash
For the burgundy & gold never hold nothin’ back

No pain no gain
No strife no stripes
No blood no bash
For the burgundy and gold we gone always fight…
x2

Verse 2:
Look we came to work, we came to win, they came to watch so let the pregame begin
The defense will be sick, when we get up in
The trenches, relentless till we put up six
Where your focus at?
Where your soldiers at?
You never got to ask
It ain’t no holdin back until we on the map
No pain no gain
Though it hurt I won’t quit yea
And if I’m on one leg I’m a still be here all year won’t sit
Stand tall for the whole team
Work hard when its dark keep focused
See the odds keep dodgin them all if you fall go harder
Cuz you here for a purpose

Chorus