When Adidas asked Mike Will Made-It to create a beat from NFL linebacker Von Miller’s heartbeat, the Atlanta producer jumped at the chance. “(Adidas) recorded his heartbeat and asked if we could do something with that,” he said. “So I took the approach of finding a tempo from his BPM and built from there.” The result is “Heart Of A Lion,” an upbeat collaboration with Compton rapper YG that will equally bang at the nightclub and the gym.
The song was already used to soundtrack a commercial for Adidas’ Z.N.E. Pulse collection that featured all three entertainers sporting the Adidas Athletics Pulse Hoodie, but has now been officially released for easy addition to your gym playlist.
Mike Will himself has been on a run of stripped-down, snare driven anthems lately; his beat for “Humble” was also well known as a departure from his signature 808-laden sound, which ironically also made it perfect for another rapper from the West Coast, despite the fact that it was earmarked for Gucci Mane at one point.
Unsurprisingly, YG’s verses are packed with motivational musings and his hook sums up the track: “My heartbeat make a hot beat.” Like he says on the hook, he’s not lying; between the rattling snare and Miller’s intense training session in the ad video, “Heart Of A Lion” is sure to get listeners’ blood racing. Listen above.
