Considering Matt Barnes is born and raised West Coast to the bone, it didn’t surprise me at all when he name-dropped three 2Pac tracks when NPR Music asked him recently what songs were absolutes must-haves in his pregame rotation. But what did surprise me were the songs he picked. The first one he mentioned – “Secretz of War” – wouldn’t ever make my list. But Barnes loves it, and says he listens to it while he’s getting treatment, stretching, basically anything before a game, because it’s all about overcoming adversity.
“He’s talking about, either you’re with us or against us,” Barnes told NPR Music about the song. “That’s the kind of music that I listen to before games to get me going. It’s us against the world when you step out on that court.”
He also mentioned “Hold Ya Head” and “Against All Odds,” the final two songs on perhaps the best – and definitely the most eerie – album Mr. Shakur ever put out. Still as warm-up tracks? Not sure I can side with Barnes on this one. If I had to choose three songs from perhaps the most popular and well-known rap artist ever, I’m going with “Life’s So Hard” with Snoop, “Under Pressure” and lastly, the Tyson anthem, “Ambitionz Az A Ridah” (Tyson’s entrances to this song were EPIC).
‘Pac is one of the all-time greats, but he still couldn’t make my top 10 warm-up song list. I ran a similar post back in the dead of summer, and ended up with these 10:
Re-Up Gang– “Pussy” (Remix)
Public Enemy– “Rebel Without A Pause”
Nas– “Made You Look”
Lil Wayne– “Bm J.R.”
Kanye West– “Hell Of A Life”
Eminem– “‘Til I Collapse”
The Diplomats– “Stop N Go”
Ice Cube– “When Will They Shoot?”
Mobb Deep– “Apostle’s Warning”
Diddy & BIG– “Victory”
Do you have a favorite artist to listen to before you play?
Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
