Believe the Hype! Olympians Say Hip Hop Prepares Them to Go for the Gold


Rocky had "Eye of the Tiger." Hell, even Popeye had the spinach theme song. You know, the one song that is needed before one competes. The one that makes you go a few extra miles on the treadmill. The one that gets you focused and ready to take on all comers. What is it?  The "hype" song, of course. From "The Star Spangled Banner" to "Chariots of Fire," the hype song has been around about as long as the Olympiad. However, now that golden boy swimmer Michael Phelps revealed last week that Lil Wayne's "I'm Me" stays on repeat as he prepares for his events (and then went on to win eight. gold. medals!), it's been proven that most athletes would rather sway to hip hop's swagger than carry around a patriotic torch song. 

On Monday, NBC's Today Show conducted an informal "iPod investigation," polling the athletes in Beijing to see what rocks in their ears as they prepare for competition. When you think about it, the results aren't that surprising. Phelps, in addition to Weezy, claimed Def Jam artists Jay-Z and Young Jeezy as inspiration, while Jamaican sprinter Dwight Thomas seconded Lil Wayne as his voice of choice. True, some competitors claimed Beyoncé, and even Garth Brooks and Shania Twain as their fuel. Those seem to be the exceptions to the rule, though, as hip hop has always served as an accelerator, with the booming bass and braggadocious banter causing people from the streets to track meets to feel invincible. For me, it's always been about two songs: Freeway's "What We Do" for when I'm driving (the beat is sick!) and Naughty by Nature's "Uptown Anthem" (hello? Harlem!) for when I'm about to go play ball. Put either of those on, and I'm mean-muggin' and ready to go!
 
What about you?  What's the one song that gets you ready to rumble?  What's your "hype" song?

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