Q&A: Clovis native's Dallas Cowboys song a YouTube sensation

Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott was mocked early in the season for his spoon-to-mouth gesture — a thinly-veiled signal to keep feeding him the ball.

It worked for the Cowboys, as Elliott led the league with 1,631 rushing yards and the Cowboys finished 13-3 on the season. It's also worked for Clovis native Keize Montoya, a rapper now living in the Phoenix area.

Montoya is hoping to do a local concert soon, but his current project is "Feed Me," an unofficial Dallas Cowboys theme song. The song is a frequent sound at AT&T Stadium during Cowboys games and Dallas radio stations. Montoya's two YouTube videos of "Feed Me," one with the recording session and a music video sponsored by the Arizona Dallas Cowboys Fan Club, have a combined 182,000 views.

Montoya also has 400,000 views for a 2014 Cowboys theme song called, "We Dem Boyz."

The Cowboys host Green Bay (2:40 p.m., FOX), and hope to reach their first NFC championship since 1996.

Does it rankle Phoenix residents that you promoting the Cowboys while living in another NFL team's city?

Oh no, they actually have a lot of fans out here. When they come out here, it's like another home game. The Cardinals fans don't like it much, but that's how it is. I'll wear Cowboys gear to Cardlinals games when the Cowboys aren't even playing. I'll get booed a lot.

How did you shoot the video, as far as locations and getting team footage?

I shot our footage in the Phoenix area. The other footage I got was game footage. I got reachout from (the Cowboys') social media strategist. They've been so busy we haven't been able to work together yet.

How long have you been a Cowboys fan?

My earliest memory was about 5 years old. It was one of those Super Bowls in the 90s. My mom put me in front of the TV. She said, "The Cowboys are who your grandpa likes, so you can be a Cowboys fan."

What's your best moment as a Cowboys fan?

Probably the game I went to, the Cowboys-Eagles game this year, when they came back and won in overtime.

How about your worst moment as a Cowboys fan?

I went to one of the Cardinals games here. It was the end of the year and it was a close game. The Cowboys missed an extra point, and just like that the Cardinals kicked the game-winning field goal.

Who is your favorite Cowboy?

Probably Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin.

Whose jersey out of the current players do you sport the most?

I still have my (Tony) Romo. I may have to update that (if he's traded or released).

How do you get an opportunity like this? Were you asked to write a song? Did you submit something? Did you compete against a pool of other people?

I did one a couple of years ago, a remix to a popular song the Cowboys adopted, "We Dem Boyz" (by Wiz Khalifa). They were playing it, so I did a remix to give the Cowboys their own version. After that, people kept asking for others. They asked last season, but it's hard to get motivated when Matt Cassel or Brandon Weeden is your quarterback.

The more they played this year, the more people asked me to do it. I was working with an A&R in Atlanta, and he kept sending me different music to work with. When I heard that track (I eventually selected), I started thinking of the "Feed Me" gesture. It all came together from there.

The official DJ of the Cowboys Stadium had asked about songs, and everybody blew up his notifications about mine. Everybody said, "I heard it at the Thanksgiving game," or they were at another game and they heard it. Somebody else gave me video.

Is it easier for you to write a song about something like the Cowboys, or more limiting because you have to stay within certain parameters (language, player names, etc.)?

It's easier for me because I'm such a fan. It's easy to flow off of metaphors having anything to do with the Cowboys.

What was the feeling like the first time you heard any of your songs on the air?

It's a good feeling. It's cool to hear the quality, being in rotation with bigger names. It's progress, and I always like progress.

How's it different knowing your song played at a Cowboys game?

Even more excited. I just grew up loving that team. And it's the best stadium in the world. Knowing about 100,000 people are there, knowing those people are getting up is a real cool moment.

If you knew these Cowboys songs would get a few hundred YouTube videos, and that's it, would you still do it?

I'd probably be less motivated. It's all good to get the recognition, and you keep on improving to get more recognition. That's why you do it.

Compared to the "We Dem Boyz" remix, is it a bigger deal to have a song like this when the Cowboys are a top seed instead of a wild-card or a bubble team?

You can feel the buzz is way bigger. Everybody else is more excited. The fan base hasn't been this excited in quite a while.

I don't know if you'd risk jinxing anything, but are you working on anything if the Cowboys have some postseason success?

Not at the moment. People want me to do some stuff, but I'm going to let it wait, let this video ride out.