Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The Pre-Game Playlist Part II: The Flip Side

As our regular readers will remember, Big Daddy Drew used this space last week to profile his picks for the best pre-game locker room music. His list was a reflection of his personal experience and his musical background, while lots of our readers loved the list there was also a fair amount of dissension. In response I decided to compile a mix of songs from a genre more befitting my tastes. Keep in mind, this is the mix that I'd have on my Ipod if I were an NFL Player. I'm not saying these are the best songs of all time, instead this is the music that fuels my inspiration.

So take a look at my list and feel free to chime in with your reactions and a list of your own (if you feel so inclined).
Note: This is not a ranking of the top ten, instead it is the order I would want the songs to appear on my playlist.

1.
Ante Up remix
MOP ft. Busta Rhymes


If this song doesn't get you jacked up you probably aren't breathing. The beat lends itself perfectly to Busta's hard hitting style. This an absolute must for any pregame session.

2. Bia Bia Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boys ft. Ludacris

Granted I'm not the biggest fan of southern rap, but it's songs like these that make all the other crap worthwhile. Songs like these are what makes people want to hit other people; for our purposes, that's a good thing. A few minutes of this song could turn Andy Katzenmoyer into Ray Lewis...for a few seconds at least.

3. Hit 'em Up Tupac

This Tupac gem is perfect for any true renegade linebacker (I'm looking at you LaVar). It's all about one man taking on a line of enemies without the slightest hint of backing down. As much as I love my East Coast, I've gotta say that this is the best of all the feud songs.

4. Boom
Royce da 5'9"

An absolute classic from an artist you may not expect to see in this sort of company. The beat alone will lift you up and carry you out to warmups. Every undersized defensive back in the league might as well set their ipod on reapeat when this pops up. I actually find it difficult to watch an Ed Reed highlight reel without Royce running through my head.
5. Deadly Combination Big L ft. Tupac

Just an absolutely epic track for so many different reasons. The combination of the powerful beat and sublime lyrics are perfect for a tandem like Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson. While the two may come from entirely different places and got to the top in entirely different fashion they are able to function like brothers from another mother. Anybody who's seen the episode of ESPN's Teamates with Carson and Chad know exactly what I'm talking about. The same is definately true for Tupac and Big L, hopefully Carson and Chad's combination will only be deadly for the opponents.

6. M-E-T-H-O-D Man Wu Tang Clan

The intro to this gem should make you a little sickened at first, and that's an ideal way to prepare for a violent competition. This is the kind of song I imagine Alvin Mack listened to before every ESU game.

7. Who Run It 3 6 Mafia


All the badass running backs in the league have got to be blasting this song. They're the ones with the targets on their backs and if they have their way, that's all the defense is going to see. The fast paced beat should get you all riled up, if not, Crunchy Black will shove his Oscar up your ass.
8. What's My Name DMX

With all do respect to Dylan, DMX is the only rapper out there that spits hot fire. He could read the Magna Carta aloud and get people to scream the words along with him. There's no better example of his tenacious style than this anthem. Any player suffering from low self-esteem (Aaron Brooks) needs a song like this. It's the football player's equivalent of a daily affirmation.

9. Forgot About Dre Dr. Dre ft. Eminem

I'm sending out this song over the airwaves with a dedication to al the Brett Favres of the world. Sure everybody on the periphery thinks he's totally washed up and out of the game, but now he's got a chance to come back and blow everybody's shit out of the water. Of course I donst expect Favress 2006 campaign to see the success of Chronic 2001, it's not entirely impossible (just ask all of those douchey NFL pundits).

10. Kick In the Door Notorious BIG

There's no list without Biggie, it's that simple. This one's about nothing more than utter domination of the game. Plus, any reference to Howard Homecoming results in bonus points as far as I'm concerned.

Bonus Post Game Cool Down

11. Seventh Floor Crew The U

Hell, half the league went to the U. It just wouldn't be right to leave off such a classic. The chorus really speaks for itself...

If your ho only know
That she was gettin’ fucked on the 7th flo’
If that bitch only knew
That she was gettin’ muddied by the whole damn crew.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

I demand to know why there's no country music in that playlist! 5% of all NFL players are natty-light drinking, Copenhagen chawin', hillbillies and you not including the Toby Kieth "boot-up-your-ass tune" is a disgrace! It's blatant racism!

Anonymous said...

No LL Cool J?

Ruthless Gravity said...

Lil Scrappy Head Bussa is also a good one. It use to get me pumped to play Fight Night....yes, my life is that sad these days.

mutoni said...

phenomenal list, UM.

The Frank White, Big L and MOP joints are simply insane. if they don't get you pumped, you're a fucking corpse.

Anonymous said...

The only thing missing from that cracker-ass-cracker playlist was the Beastie Boys and one of those late 90s conscience-rap tracks.

The Last Unitard said...

For all those mighty-mite wideouts and tailbacks out there...

"Niggaz my height don't fight"

From the dear, departed poet-laureate of Compton, CA... Eazy-E

Unsilent Majority said...

leaving eazy e off the list was not easy...until i thought about his love affair with the republicans

The Last Unitard said...

Hey, not cool, man... some of my best friends are republicans.

I can do their secret handshake and everything.

Anonymous said...

no c&c music factory? wtf

Ruthless Gravity said...

Rappers and republicans have a lot in common. They both did scandelous shit in their lives before becoming what they are now and both hate paying taxes.

pmk3 said...

Great call with the Busta & MOP song.

But how can anyone put together a list of music to fire you up for competition and not mention Rage Against the Machine. High school music or not, that isht would make a nun want to throw blows.

Personally, I like to get ready for athletic competition with a little Al Green.

Anonymous said...

yo... Deadly Combination is an awesome choice. I also really like Banned from T.V. with Nore, Big Pun, Nature, Lox... shit's hot.

Anonymous said...

Yall need more commenters like bigo good list dawg

Unsilent Majority said...

nice list bigo. the only reason i left off b.o.b. is because they play it at some sporting events. once a song becomes a stadium anthem it drops off my list.

anon- banned is indeed a great addition

Anonymous said...

Glad to see that M.O.P. still getting some respect these days. Ante Up is a great choice, although I prefer the original over the remix, with the awesome Funkmaster Flex intro. It all goes to show you that, when you're preparing to compete on the gridiron, you must first imagine yourself robbing a dice game at gunpoint.

Ryan said...

I really don't want to start a comment-battle, but, I think BigO's list is kinda weak. Anything that includes any of the Cash Money Millionaries automatically gets disrespected, in my book.

A few other ones to consider, UM:

- "Hip Hop," Dead Prez
- "Tear Da Club Up," Three Six Mafia
- "Da Rockwilder," Metheod Man and Redman
- "Boom!", The Roots


Eh, I could go on forever

Dat RoRo Kid said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Dat RoRo Kid said...

yea, you could...but just shut the fuck up.

Otto Man said...

I think I'd have to warm up with the following hiphop cocktail....

Mos Def, "Close Edge"
Gang Starr, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"
Blackalicious, "Your Move"
Game and 50 Cent, "Hate It or Love It"
The Roots, "Don't Feel Right"
Asheru, Ken Starr and Talib Kweli, "If"

... and then right before I took the field, I'd dive into the Holy Trinity of Hiphop Asskicking:

Eric B. and Rakim, "Follow the Leader"
LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Big Daddy Kane, "I Go to Work"

Anonymous said...

I weep for the state of popular music and for the future of this country. Mostly for the state of popular music.

KaLiBLeeK said...

I applaud that list, mainly for the fact Royce made the list:

"The shit that I spit split thread into fiber and bits, so trust me I'm as live as it gets"

Props to you, UM.

Anonymous said...

Good call on all of those. I'd like to add, "Victory" by Crucial Conflict, "I Don't Give a Fuck" by Lil' Jon, Mystikal, & Krayzie Bone, and "Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp. Seriously, the seniors in charge of the stereo my Jr. year actually played that. No wonder we sucked that year.

Anonymous said...

Actually "Victory" is by Do or Die...my mistake

Big AL said...

unsilent, that was horrible. And for a DC native, if you are one, the lack of some go-go is pretty F'ing disappointing.

Unsilent Majority said...

sorry al, unfortunately overnight scenario by rare essence faced the chopping block. i tried to remain geographicaly objective otherwise i would have to include backyard band.
besides, go go's are where you go after the game

Anonymous said...

The list is pretty good; as others have said, the Royce pick was a good addition. If I'm going with rap to pump me up, I just have to have some hard shit:

- X-Raided - Mortal Kombat
- Brotha Lynch Hung - Locc to da Brain
- Dre Dog (aka Andre Nickatina) - Mind Full of Hatred
- Brotha Lynch Hung - Rest in Piss
(Actually, the entire Season of Da Siccness album)

Anonymous said...

Nice list but what about Bow Down by the Westside Connection?

Anonymous said...

Man, there ought to be at least one Public Enemy song on this list.
What about Bedlam 13:13?

Anonymous said...

"Walk Like a Warrior" - Dead Prez

enough said.

Anonymous said...

I've been reading you KSK guys since nearly the beginning, and this post totally confounds me. I thought I knew where you guys were coming from.

Please stop with the music thing and get back to your otherwise superb football writing.

Busta and Lil Jon are peons at the behest of the corporate machine. Their music is, as the kids would say, 'wack'. If you get fired up by that stuff, I've got a Spin Doctors album that will really rock your world.

Mayor McRib said...

My "Pre-Game" is a 45 min commute to work and this is the routine.

4 shots of espresso
White Zombie "More Human Than Human"

Then I am ready to go in my cube for some office dominiation.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't matter that he's not a real rapper, but "Whoop that Trick" by DJay from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack always does it for me.

BoSox Siobhan said...

"Whoop that Trick" lost a little of its allure for me when the Memphis Tigers basketball players were singing it non-stop during the NCAA tourney.

Starting Aces said...

I feel like T.O. or Randy Moss writing this, but my Wu Tang pick would be CREAM.

Anonymous said...

My pregame involves a heaping pipeful of crystal metho and the Neil Diamond's "We're Coming to America."

Urge to kill...rising...

Anonymous said...

DMX- We Right Here

enough said.

pmk3 said...

Anonymous, Old Busta was good. Especially some of the tracks he did with Tribe Called Quest. And whoever had a problem with Cash Money Mil., you're right, they suck dong. Except Juvenile. That 400 Degrees album was pretty good.

Has anyone noticed that every football team plays that old Mystical song during pregame warmups (not the man right here song).

Anonymous said...

"WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE" BY GUNS 'N FUCKIN' ROSES IS BY FAR THE GREATEST PREGAME ANTHEM OF ALL TIME.

Anonymous said...

shadowboxin - meth and GZA
the champ - ghostface
the militia - gangstarr

Cheddar Ben said...

Honestly, literally the only time "What's My Name?" should be played is on a pre-game warmup mix tape. Sort of a marginal song. If DMX has to be on the tape, I would take "Stop Being Greedy," which has a good, fast-paced edge to it.

"Ante Up" and "Boom" are both fantastic. M.O.P. also did this song on the X-ecutioners' first album called "Let it bang" that is absolute adreneline with a deep guitar riffs and scratching. Perfect for this sort of thing.