Metro Boomin is preparing fans everywhere for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday (March 30) with a special video.
The nearly three-minute clip from MLB Network’s studio programming kicks off with Metro (who’s wearing a baseball cap that reps his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals) opening up Pro Tools on his laptop and gearing up to make hits — a normal day for the multi-platinum producer — which he compares to players gearing up for a 162-game regular season.
“Whenever I start working on a new record, there are a million different ways that it can go. I might try something new. I might just want to pick up where I left off with the last big hit. Link up with an old friend, or get a bunch of the big dogs together. Go get them young hitters, or help someone trying to follow up a huge hit,” he says as “Trance” (featuring Travis Scott and Young Thug) from his latest Billboard 200-topping album Heroes & Villains plays in the background. “Sometimes you find an artist that breaks all the rules. Sometimes, the rules change right in front of your eyes. But all throughout, you’ve gotta be true to yourself, ya dig? Inject that flavor and that sauce that makes whatever you’re creating different from everything anyone else has ever come up with.”
The piece features several images and highlights of MLB rising stars and veterans, including Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Justin Verlander of the New York Mets, Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins. Later, the song shifts to the John Legend-assisted “On Time” from Metro’s Heroes & Villains.
“You can’t beat this time of year. Everybody’s staring at 162,” Metro says while peering into the camera. “162 chances to make that beautiful music…. It’s time to play ball.”
Watch the “Eyes on 162” clip below.