It's a proven fact Melvin Ingram has game between the white lines, but outside of them, he's establishing himself as a presence in a second field: music.
If you went to a Los Angeles Chargers training camp, chances are you heard number 54's signature cadence rapping over the loudspeakers as his track "Run it Up" kicked off practice.
"It makes me feel amazing," Ingram said. "That's what I do it for; I do it for the world. I feel like I make great music and it's a blessing for other people like the team or just fans in general to appreciate my music."
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On Friday, Ingram debuted his third mixtape, "Reap What You Sow". Much like his play on the field, number 54 doesn't lack in confidence when discussing his EP.
"It's an EP one of my friends and I created in three days. It's a masterpiece, man. It's going to change the world."
Ingram collaborated with rapper and friend Bizzy Crook for those 72 hours in Los Angeles. Both artists can be heard on each of the five songs on the EP.
"We've been friends, but he's an artist and has been doing music for a while. We always talked music every time we were around each other. At that point in time, we were together in L.A. for three days and cooked up the project."
"RWYS" is the follow-up to Ingram's "Franchise Tag" project from earlier this year. He released his debut EP, "From Nothing to Something" in 2015. While he has had many autobiographical projects in the past, the tracks on this EP are described as being "good music" stemming from the "vibe" he and Bizzy had at the time.
Ingram writes all his own lyrics and helps with production. The latter being one of the most intriguing parts of the whole process.
"I love it. I get pumped with music. The whole process of making music is amazing because it's a way to just think outside the box and be yourself…. I've grown comfortable putting different genres of music together. I've grown more learning how to do every single thing myself. I've been writing my own lyrics, but I've gotten more into the process of producing. I try to co-produce and co-engineer everything I do. Because it's like, when you're in there with the (crew) and you can help engineer or help produce, it makes the music so much better."
The EP is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music and can be purchased on iTunes. As for a track recommendation? Check out the second song.
"My favorite track is probably 'Lifestyle'. I like everything about it, but I like the whole EP though. The whole EP is just amazing."
