aK Conversations: 5 Songs I Work Out To
You may know our foreign correspondent, Black Hercules, from his “7 on 7” series, and as one half of the rap duo, Oxymorons. But you may not know that he’s a professional athlete doing what he does, dominating basketball courts across the globe. He shares his top five songs that fuel his superhuman workouts, in no particular order. And although his high velocity options may get you pumped like a pro, his abs are not included.
Mike Macaluso- “The Final Chapter”
Depending on what kind of workout it is, I usually like something that’s a little more upbeat. If it’s a cardio and distance thing, where I’m going to be tired and I need something to push through, I usually like more house or techno, beats that are kind of high energy, high volume. If it’s a kind of thing where I’m battling fatigue in terms of strength, I usually like something that’s more rockish, something that is more of a headbanger to get through. So if we’re talking about overall workouts, the first song that would definitely pop in mind would be Mike Malcuso’s “The Final Chapter.” It was on my workout mixes in high school, and that was when working out became a big part of my life, when I first started playing real competitive sports. That was when it was cool to create playlists, and share with instant messenger friends, and put it in the weight room in high school, and lift with your football and basketball teammates.
Slaughterhouse- “Cuckoo”
I think Slaughterhouse is a very lyrical group. But the actual title of the song is “Cuckoo,” and they’re not really rapping about anything. It’s just a crazy concept song. They’re just kind of making words rhyme. But the beat is very intense and they play off each other real well. If I hear it before a basketball game, it’ll get me jumping a little higher, it’ll get me running a little faster. If I had to go on record I would say Royce Da 5’9 is my favorite, just because I like his style the most. And he’s the only one I think can get on with Eminem, who I think is just one of the best rappers of all-time, if not the best. But they all just attack the beat, and it gets me going. It just hypes me up like none other.
Breaking Benjamin- “Polyamorous”
This one’s kind of weird. The song is called “Polyamorous,” and I actually have no idea what that means. This is the kind of song that I’ll have to play when I’m getting to the end of a lift, and I need headbanging rock music to push me through it. In high school, me and my friend were the biggest Nas fans I know. He listens to some pop but he’s not a big rock guy. And I was kind of the same way in high school. But we had a love for this song. Whenever we would lift with the football team, this one seemed to get everybody going. I’ve listened to the songs a thousand times and I don’t even know what they’re saying. I kind of hum along to the lyrics, but it’s more about the beat. It’s more about how it makes you feel. And it’s intense.
Eminem feat. Dre Dre- “Say What You Say”
I was a big JD fan, a big Bow Wow fan, I liked Da Brat. I was a So So Def guy. But then when Eminem came on the scene and was beefing with JD, I definitely jumped on the Eminem and Dr. Dre side. And I just loved the energy that they brought on the record. It was the kind of song where the beat pumped you up. It was like you were getting ready for a fight. They basically were saying, if you want to say something, just go ahead and say it. But just understand that you’re starting something that you better be able to finish. And I think that for a while JD and So So Def were on top but never could have the reign that Eminem and Dr. Dre had for those years. I just love their confidence.
Snoop Dogg feat. Lil Jon- “Step Your Game Up”
My dad wasn’t a big rap guy, but he was a big Snoop guy. So when my brother and I would lift weights in the basement, we would always put in a Snoop CD, because if my dad was down there working or doing something, he would never mind. The song wasn’t really about lifting weights, but it was all about doing things a little bit better, depending on how you take it. When I was thinking about songs that would make the list, I was a little bit on the fence about this, but it’d probably crack the top 5 in terms of just the way it brings me back to lifting with my little brother, getting the OK from my dad, and to just a good time, when we were instilling those hard working values to be healthy and have a solid frame. I just think it’s about finding that motivation. It’s always good to have music for sure. Good music. I’d almost rather work out in silence than listen to bad music.
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