4 90s Rap Songs That Are a Must-Add for Your Gym Playlist

Gym playlists are always a little questionable. Typically, they try to make the safest, most general-use selection of songs that will get you vaguely into the spirit of working out. Hip-hop heads will hold their breath through the 7th vanilla dance song in a row before you get a recognizable rap song in the queue.

But what happens when you’re a 90s hip-hop head and don’t want to listen to any of the new stuff? At that point, you’re better off coming with a backup pair of headphones in case your pair dies. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with five essential rap songs from the golden age to play during your next workout.

Four Songs From The Golden Age of Hip-Hop You Need for Your Gym Rotation

“Tear Da Club Up ’97” by Three 6 Mafia

“Tear Da Club Up” wasn’t just a saying to get the crowd hyped. Real fights used to break out whenever old Three 6 Mafia songs used to play in the club. Something about the intense, horror-influenced energy of their crunk songs used to activate people’s fight-or-flight modes. Step on someone’s shoes or brush someone the wrong way and a brawl might break out. That fight night energy applies to any kind of weight lifting you might do at the gym.

“400 Degreez” by Juvenile

The most important part of any workout playlist is to avoid a sluggish tempo. You don’t have to be operating at a fast pace the entire time. Cool-downs are essential to an effective session at the gym. However, if the music is too slow or doesn’t boom hard enough, you’re going to drag your feet through your reps.

While a lot of 90s classics tend to operate at a strong midtempo, Juvenile and Mannie Fresh specialized in the faster New Orleans bounce. In doing so, it gave them a flavor that no one else in hip-hop could emulate. Moreover, it made for some incredible records like “400 Degreez” to play at the gym.

“Brooklyn Zoo” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard

While most of Wu-Tang Clan specialized in cold, grizzled New York street anthems, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s solo music was wily and rambunctious. His deranged vocal delivery and the intense energy of his production lent itself to the kind of chaos you’d experience trying to crawl out of a bar brawl. To lift heavy weights is deranged in its own sense anyway. Why not let ODB fuel the proceedings?

“100 Miles and Runnin’” by N.W.A

Even after Ice Cube separated from the group, N.W.A. was still churning out some criminally underrated West Coast hip-hop. The group, Dr. Dre in particular, challenged their palette by rapping at a rapid pace. The adrenaline they bring to the record is perfect gym material.

Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives

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