The 49ers' Ray-Ray McCloud Says Having a Music Career Is Something He Was 'Born' to Do (Exclusive)

In an interview with PEOPLE, the wide receiver opens up about producing the music for his documentary series 'Runt: An Underdog Story'

Football isn't Ray-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.

Related: Ray-Ray McCloud Reflects on 49ers' 2024 Super Bowl Loss: ‘To Win You Got to Lose Sometimes’ (Exclusive)

But with the football season over now, music has become McCloud's focus once again with Runt: An Underdog Story, a sports docuseries, which he helped produce the music for through Legend Tribe Entertainment.

The series, which he collaborated on with the artist Balewa Muhammad, is available for streaming on Tubi, 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.

Aside from writing the music, McCloud also stars in the series along with other NFL stars Juju Smith-Schuster, Dion Cane, Dionte Johnson and Joe Haden. Additionally, the series features rappers Naughty by Nature, music producers Tricky Stewart and executive Chris Hicks.

The process for making Runt: 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 for Madden 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 multiple albums and, sadly, that's just the way it is," he explains.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs Beat San Francisco 49ers in Overtime to Win Second Super Bowl in a Row

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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 features Tupac and 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 2024 Super Bowl against 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."

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