On a Tuesday night last year I saw Matt “Spek” Watson post his “Bout That Action” remix, which featured the peer pressuring Deion Sanders and the now infamous Marshawn Lynch line, “I’m just ‘bout that action, boss.” The song ended up – quickly – going viral, getting played more than a quarter-million times in two weeks. It was also featured at the Seahawks Victory Parade for Superbowl 48. A year later, on a similar Tuesday night, right after Superbowl Media Day, Spek put out his follow up, a remix track featuring Lynch’s line, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” Deion makes another cameo. Each of the past two years, Seahawk and sports fans alike have rallied around the latest Spek tune. It’s an anthem, it’s catchy and hooky and beautifully repetitive. It crystalizes our excitement for the big game and our disgust with the NFL and it’s penchant for uniformity. And it reminds us how much we love the unique performance art of the man who may just become this years’ Superbowl MVP, Marshawn Lynch. 

I had a chance to catch up with Spek as he was managing all the feedback from his latest song, featured, among other places, on Vice, SB Nation and Sports Illustrated.

You were reluctant to make a new Marshawn remix – when was the moment you realized you had to make, “Thanks For Asking”? 

It wasn’t so much reluctance as just not wanting to force it. As ridiculous as it sounds, “Bout That Action” happened really organically and irresistibly. There’s a rhythm and a melody to the way Marshawn speaks, and when I heard yesterday’s press conference I knew right away that it needed to be done. I had it in my sampler before most major news outlets had reported on the interview. 

Marshawn Lynch seems to strike a chord with you – what are the factors that seem to resonate with you the most about this fellow? 

Marshawn has been my favorite Seahawk before I even thought about making “Bout That Action.” His approach to the media, and his insistence on not being a part of the theater of it all, really appeals to me. He treats his interviewers like Bob Dylan treated his, by refusing to participate in the superficial. But it’s not because he doesn’t care, as his charity work and the way he supports youth (in Oakland in particular) shows, he’s more than willing to engage when it’s something that really matters. On top of all that, when a reporter sticks a mic in his face, I can see his social anxiety creep up, and that’s something I can relate to more than anything else. 

What have you learned about the sport of football – the fans, the x’s and o’s, the essence of Media Day – that you didn’t before this remix project? 

I’ve learned that Seahawks fans are some of the most loyal, excited and grateful people in Town. I’ve also learned that the NFL is a backwards, racist organization that is probably slowly ruining the sport. It’s hard to hold both of these ideas in my head at one time without getting very frustrated. 

What is the most striking thing about going viral – this now your third time (see: “Bout That Action” remix and The Bitter Barista Blog)? 

I don’t know if I can say for sure that this particular time would qualify as “viral”, but it’s certainly showing symptoms. If I’ve learned anything it’s just to enjoy the ride, and not to expect it to be a long-term thing. When people encounter this kind of media through viral posts, they tend to quarantine it in their mind, and generally speaking they don’t seek out more info about the artist. The first couple times it happened, I expected my career to be a bit less of an uphill battle, but for the most part these things are isolated events that are really fun in the moment, but not very long lasting. 

Where will you be Sunday when the game kicks off? 

I’ll be working at The Station Cafe on Beacon Hill, and we’ll have the TV and caffeine on full blast. My boss gave me the option of closing for the day, but truthfully, that’s where I watched last year and it was too fun to pass up the chance to do it again. Fingers crossed that it ends the same way.