The 40 Best Hip-Hop Workout Songs

40

of 40

'Ruff Ryders' Anthem,' DMX

DMX shut the game down with this street hit from "It's Dark and Hell Is Hot." It's perfect for when you're ready to show everyone at the gym how you roll.

39

of 40

'Gonna Make You Sweat,' C + C Music Factory

Photo of C&C MUSIC FACTORY — Redferns / Getty Images

This sounds like it came from an installment of VH1’s “I Love the 90’s,” but you can bet that all the top gyms bumped this song heavily at one point.

38

of 40

'Get Low,' Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz

AOL 'Music Live' with Lil' Jon and The East Side Boyz — FilmMagic / Getty Images

"To the window, to the wall,
'Till the sweat drops down my ..."

well, any part of your anatomy as long as you keep moving to this strip club anthem.

37

of 40

'King of Rock,' Run DMC

Run-DMC At Montreux — Dave Hogan / Getty Images

"I'm the king of rock, there is none higher
Sucker MCs should call me sire."

These words kick off the title track from Run DMC's 1985 album. No one rocks bombast like the kings from Queens.

36

of 40

'Here I Come,' The Roots

Martell Vanguard Experience With The Roots - Detroit — Scott Legato / Getty Images

The Roots are known more for slick instrumental improvising at their shows than for making people bounce, but they have quite a few songs that could amp up a workout. "Here I Come," one of the standout songs on "Game Theory," is a gym favorite. "Adrenaline," featuring a sick verse from Beanie Sigel, also comes to mind.

35

of 40

'Slow Jamz,' Twista Featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx

Speedknot Mobstaz Portrait Session - January 12, 2005 — FilmMagic / Getty Images

Ironically, there is nothing slow about this song. The beat remains at a fast tempo and Twista's flow will make anyone pedal faster on the stationary bike. It's also good for cool-down routines. Try the Mr. Collipark remix if you want more speed.

34

of 40

'It Takes Two,' Rob Base and D.J. EZ Rock

Legends Of Hip Hop Reunion Tour — WireImage / Getty Images

This super old-school classic gets everybody up and moving.

33

of 40

'Simon Says,' Pharoahe Monch

Pharoahe Monch & Jean Grae Perform At Brooklyn Bowl — WireImage / Getty Images

When Pharoahe spits "Simon says, get the f**k up" in the infectious hook, you’ll eagerly comply.

32

of 40

'The New Workout Plan,' Kanye West

Montreal concerts in September 2016 include Kanye West. — Manny Carabel / FilmMagic / Getty Images

You can bet that Kanye West's "The New Workout Plan" is on rotation on iPods at gyms all over the world.

31

of 40

'The Choice Is Yours,' Black Sheep

You can't help but pick up the workout pace to this song, especially after the "engine, engine, number nine" chant.

30

of 40

'Protect Ya Neck.' Wu-Tang Clan

A classic Wu song and a real body mover.

29

of 40

'What You Know,' T.I.

Build Series Presents T.I. Discussing 'T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle' — FilmMagic / Getty Images

The video features the lithe emcee bench-pressing, but the song is about pushing weight of a different kind entirely.

28

of 40

'Ante Up (Robbin Hoodz Theory),' M.O.P.

M.O.P — Mikamote / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

This aggressive street anthem will make you want to get to the nearest punching bag and go wild.

27

of 40

'Mama Said Knock You Out,' LL Cool J

Paul Natkin Archive — WireImage / Getty Images

A lot of guys probably saw a muscular LL at the punching bag and decided they were long overdue in starting their own exercise programs. It was also a popular walk-to-the-ring song for professional boxers in the '90s.

26

of 40

'Scenario,' A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest Portrait — Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Tribe was usually known for super-mellow, jazzed-out tunes. This is no exception for its smoothness, but speed up the beat, add Busta Rhymes, and you have a real thumping workout track.

25

of 40

'Take It to Da House,' Trick Daddy

The video features Trick Daddy and Trina at a high school pep rally. The happy sample from K.C. and the Sunshine Band's "Boogie Shoes" makes for upbeat fun.

24

of 40

'Bucktown,' Smif-N-Wessun

Smif-N-Wessun (aka Cocoa Brovaz) pay respects to the "home of the original gun clappers." When people say they miss that good ol' hip-hop, this is what they're talking about.

23

of 40

'Walk It Out,' DJ UNK

Big dance songs inevitably make for some of the best workout music. "Walk It Out" is no exception, especially the remix. As soon as you hear Andre 3000 say "I walk it out like an usher …" it's on!

22

of 40

'Jump Around,' House of Pain

Can you remember any other songs by this group? This is arguably one of the hypest workout songs ever.

21

of 40

'No Sleep Till Brooklyn,' The Beastie Boys

A BK tribute that doubles as a chest-pumping exercise for the Beasties. Gotta love that Brooklyn spirit.

20

of 40

'Gasolina,' Daddy Yankee

Even if you don’t speak a word of Spanish, you’re going to get pumped up when the beat drops.

19

of 40

'Crank That,' Soulja Boy

BET Hip Hop Awards Show — Paras Griffin/BET / Getty Images

At a fitness club, one of the employees and a club patron broke out into the "Crank That" dance in the middle of the floor. The real surprise was that everyone didn't join them.

18

of 40

'Lose Yourself,' Eminem

"Lose Yourself" has the double advantage of being both inspirational and instructional. Em instructs you to "lose yourself in the moment," while the beat motivates you to move your feet. Whether you're gearing up for warm-up or cool-down, the mid-tempo pace will definitely get your body moving.

17

of 40

'Knuck If You Buck,' Crime Mob

TJ's DJ's Tastemakers Annual Music Conference - Day 1 — Ray Tamarra / Getty Images

You're bound to move with the hard-edged crunk that's all about a good fight here.

16

of 40

'In Da Club,' 50 Cent

"In Da Club" is absolutely one of the best hip-hop workout songs, mostly because of the catchy, well-paced beat. The video features 50 training for endurance to succeed in the rap game, and many have been following suit to get in shape in their own lives.

15

of 40

'Stronger,' Kanye West

A spin instructor at a gym uses Kanye West's Daft Punk-inspired mega-hit as just one weapon in her arsenal. This song kicked off a strong relationship between Yeezy and Daft Punk, and the two acts later teamed up again on Yeezus.

14

of 40

'Slam,' Onyx

"Slam" is arguably Onyx's biggest song ever. It's also a perfect song for any kind of exercise.

13

of 40

'Survival of the Fittest,' Mobb Deep

Mobb Deep Recording Session — WireImage / Getty Images

Havoc's haunting loop + Prodigy's salvo of threats = Perfect warm-up music. If you like "Survival of the Fittest," you might also like "Shook Ones Pt. II."

12

of 40

'Backseat Freestyle,' Kendrick Lamar

Samsung At Austin City Limits Music Festival 2016 — Getty Images for Samsung / Getty Images

Hungry like a starving rookie with everything to prove, Kendrick Lamar spazzed out on this pumped-up hit from his debut. Every great rapper has at least one of these blackout cuts where they basically go in and wild out on the beat. This was K. Dot's blackout moment on his first album.

11

of 40

'I Wanna Rock,' Luke

This is a super-high-energy, high BPM joint that will definitely burn calories. Just keeping up with the beat is enough to make you sweat.

10

of 40

'Ain't No Half Steppin',' Big Daddy Kane

Mr. Asiatic drops "some smooth lyrics" while delivering a lesson on emceeing en route to arguably his biggest hit ever.

09

of 40

'Poison,' Kool G Rap

Kool G Rap is the goddaddy of a special brand of hardcore hip-hop. He influenced the likes of Rakim, Black Thought, Nas, and anyone else who has ever married gangstarism with lyricism. On "Poison," you can hear G Rap "making you feel the real deal."

08

of 40

'I Ain't Going Out Like That,' Cypress Hill

The skit at the end is hilarious and almost as energy-inducing as the bass line backing the entire thing. This is Cypress Hill at its trash-talking finest.

07

of 40

'Set It Off,' Big Daddy Kane

This BDK firecracker is something of a hip-hop motivational speech that will give you the boost you need to get up and get moving.

06

of 40

'Planet Rock,' Afrika Bambaataa

Bambaataa was looking for the perfect beat. Instead, he found the magnetism of electro-rap and changed the game in the process.

05

of 40

'Welcome to the Terrordome,' Public Enemy

Photo of Flavor FLAV and Chuck D and PUBLIC ENEMY — Redferns / Getty Images

Take Chuck D's fiery rhymes and add the Bomb Squad's blustering beat. The result is perfect running music.

04

of 40

'100 Miles and Runnin',' N.W.A.

N.W.A. Backstage In KC — Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

"100 Miles and Runnin' " isn't merely a great workout song; it's also a street classic that still resonates with the frustrations of the young, Black, and persecuted.

03

of 40

'I Go to Work,' Kool Moe Dee

Every line is delivered with surgical precision. Every bar is constructed with meticulous care. Every jab is delivered with deft flow. By far it's Kool Moe Dee's greatest work.

02

of 40

'Till I Collapse,' Eminem

"Till I Collapse" is one of Eminem's best songs. It's an excellent choice for days when you need a little motivation to get you up and running:

"Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out,
Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth."

01

of 40

'B.O.B.,' OutKast

44th Annual Grammy Awards - Show Part II — Frank Micelotta Archive / Getty Images

If this doesn’t make you move, you don’t have a pulse. The lead single off the classic "Stankonia" album is a sure-enough gym-banger. "B.O.B." enjoys the double honor of being named the best rap song of the 2000s.