Whether you're a baseball player or a rapper, it's hard to produce the best results unless you have one big thing: confidence.
On the field or in the recording studio, old-fashion self-assurance can go a long way toward success. That's one thing rapper Waka Flocka Flame makes clear as the guest on the latest episode of the 6-1-1 Podcast co-hosted by former Phillies greats Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.
"When you don't have tools, you lack confidence. So, the music is not as creative as it should be," the rapper tells Howard and Rollins. "But when you've got the confidence as an artist -- y'all know how it is -- you get on this field, if you don't got the confidence from people, you ain't hitting the same no more. ... It gives you that extra [boost]. That's part of entertainment, man."
That's just one thing covered in a wide-ranging interview with the award-winning Atlanta rapper. Other topics include Waka Flocka Flame's musical inspirations, his love of Pokémon -- "Pokémon taught me how to use my imagination" -- MLB players' bling and 50 Cent's infamously bad first pitch at Citi Field in 2014.
They also discuss how a great walk-up song can seemingly work magic to create a big moment in a game. For Howard, that perfect song was his guest's hit "Hard in da Paint."
"Any time they played that, I was about to do some damage," Howard says.
For the song to create such a warrior mindset is fitting, given the inspiration and intent behind it.
"The first thing I thought about was gladiators," Waka says. "I wanted to think like if you were in a coliseum sitting in the back about to get ready to go fight. ... It was definitely inspired by some gladiators and sports. That's exactly what it was."
The 6-1-1 Podcast is available on MLB.com, MLB.TV, all podcast platforms and YouTube.