NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville is known as "The Music City," so Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe -- a budding music producer and hip-hop artist -- fits right in.

He is part of group called GMR -- short for Get Money Regardless -- that has a mixtape scheduled to be released on March 29.

"I have always been a music lover,” said Sharpe, who has 67 catches for 838 yards in two seasons. “Music can put you in different types of moods. There are so many different types of music that can match how you're feeling."

Growing up in in Piscataway, New Jersey, Sharpe was exposed to hip-hop early and often -- particularly by his dad, who liked to play Jay-Z.

Sharpe said he started rapping during his freshman year in college. He needed something to do after summer workouts, when it was only the athletes on campus. Anyone who has taken part in summer football workouts knows freestyle rapping is ever-present in the locker room, but Sharpe took it a step further.

He remembered how various songs could be associated with different times of his life, so he bought a microphone and started recording himself. Sharpe said he started out recording with GarageBand software and worked his way up to more professional applications, falling in love with the process along the way.

"When I got back to Jersey after my rookie year, I linked up with some of my homeboys from around the way, and they were making music, as well," he said. "I saw the vision and didn't want to put myself in a box. I wanted to do multiple things and I've been having fun with it, so I wanted to see where it could go."

Sharpe’s method of writing lyrics used to simply consist of notes he would take on his iPhone. He used to look up instrumentals on YouTube while typing the words on his cellphone.

Going from listening to beats on the phone to being in the studio was a smooth transition. Sharpe's beat producer, Reem Ali, puts the beats together on the spot, and Sharpe comes up with lyrics to flow to them. While it sounds easy, putting a track together takes a lot of work.

Now, Sharpe is ready to release a self-financed project that was produced and recorded in New Jersey under a label he and his team created, Band Gang Entertainment (BGE). GMR already has two videos released called “Julius Erving” and “Blackin' Out.” The group recently finished recording two videos for the upcoming mixtape called “First Quarter,” which Sharpe is really excited about.

"I want to take it to the top just like I am working to do in football,” Sharpe said. “It's a hobby that I picked up and fell in love with. Anything that I do, I want to be the best that I can be. I want to put it out there for the fans. I think I have something that people want to hear!"