"Devastated" by Joey Bada$$

The process

Warmoth, now a junior, has changed his song every year since he arrived at UNC. This one took a while for him. He’s been working on this one since last year and even went as far to start a group message with some of his closest friends in order to assure he picked the right one.

As with any big decision, Warmoth had nerves earlier this year — a great tune could drop just right after the season opener.

"I thought about some Kodak (Black), that “Tunnel Vision,” but it's not out yet," Warmoth said on February 8, a week before the season began.

"You can ask anybody. I took the longest this year. I'm a rap guy, a rap walk-up guy. I just try to find something that's not overplayed.”

The meaning

This song has true meaning for Warmoth. Sure, it has a nice beats and fits into his rap criteria, but it’s so much more. The lyrics spoke to him in an almost-prophetic way and proved to be a good omen.

"The words are kinda cool: ‘Used to be so devastated,’” he said. “It's kind of like a story, an image of our team from last year, and now we’re on the way up.”

That claim from Warmoth is a safe one to make. UNC finished its 2017 season with a 44-11 record and broke two school records by winning 23 conference games and all 10 of its ACC series.

The superstition

Warmoth has been nothing short of tremendous for UNC this season. Whether it’s his dazzling play at shortstop (.972 fielding percentage) or his stellar performance at the plate (.336 batting average, team-high nine home runs), Warmoth has been a force to be reckoned with. But if he has a bad series, will he lose the song?

"I'm not going to say superstitious, but I do have my routines on game days that I try not to break,” he said. “So kind of superstitious, yeah. I was going to change it, but I guess I can't right now. We're rolling, and you can't fix what's not broke.”

The opinion

This song has become a staple. Everyone knows when Warmoth is coming up to the dish. His teammates seem to be on board with it. But why shouldn't they be? Warmoth uses a catchy yet not too mainstream song that has captured the ears of fans sitting at Boshamer Stadium. It's not a sing-a-long, but it captures attention and is received extremely well across the board.

"Some of them like it, I think,” he said. “I don't know if they're getting sick of it.”

"Some days, I'm like, ‘Dang, I want a country song.’ But I'm a rap guy — got to stick with it."

The verdict

A+. This song has turned out well for Warmoth. Unknown in the preseason, it’s developed and blossomed. Mind you, I am a rap connoisseur, but his one holds something more.

Warmoth has found a song that encompasses what UNC is trying to do this year. And as North Carolina begins ACC tournament play this week as the No. 2 overall seed, it seems this tune and its lyrics “And now we on our way to greatness” are becoming a reality.

@WillDBryant

sports@dailytarheel.com