Every interpretation of music is subjective, and people are motivated by different things, so there is no single way to define a “motivational” hip-hop song .
You just know one when it smacks you upside the head. You know the ones that get you hyped, and the ones that make you move.
There are certain tracks —songs like Meek Mills' “Dreams and Nightmares” and Crime Mob's “Knuck If You Buck”— that are motivational to the extent that, if played at a specific volume with a particular group of individuals, can convince you to commit violence against another person. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are uplifting hymns like 2Pac's “Keep Ya Head Up,” Kanye West's “Ultralight Beam,” and J. Cole's “Love Yourz,” which inspire by radiating hope and positivity.
Somewhere in the middle lies rags-to-riches classics (see Wu-Tang Clan's “C.R.E.A.M,” The Notorious B.I.G.'s “Juicy,” Jay Electronica's “Exhibit C”) that are inspirational largely because they tell tales of young men fighting their way out of poverty by any means necessary.
Then there is the top tier of motivational rap songs, which is made up of tracks that embody qualities similar to the aforementioned group but share an unmistakable identity. Banger isn’t the word—anthem, more like. An anthem is like a banger or slapper, in that it’s carried by the type of production that’ll have your group of friends throwing bows in the club like Disturbing the Peace circa 2000, only it doubles as gospel.
There aren’t many musical experiences more beautiful than when a rapper waxes poetic over an earth-shattering beat—a core tenant of all anthems. While not every rap song that inspires is necessarily an anthem, all anthems are inspirational, so it’s hardly surprising that our canon of all-time great motivational hip-hop songs is chock-full of them. Think Eminem’s iconic “Lose Yourself.”
Cue up the theme music to Rocky, and let’s get to it. Here are the 40 most motivational rap songs.
This story was originally published on August 5th, 2021
40.Gunna & Future Feat. Young Thug, "pushin P" (2022)
Album: DS4Ever
Producer: Wheezy & Juke Wong
What does “P” even mean here? Honestly, who cares. This song is such a banger. From Wheezy’s hypnotic, looping synthesizers to Gunna’s intentionally over-the-top alliteration around the letter “P,” it’s impossible not to feel motivated to stand on business. Even now, it still hits—especially when you consider that this might be the last great collaboration between Thugger and Gunna. —Antonio Johri
39.Wiz Khalifa, "Work Hard Play Hard" (2012)
Album: O.N.I.F.C.
Producer: Benny Blanco and Stargate
The early Wiz songs were 4/20, smoke-some-weed-and-eat-some-snacks jams. So there’s something amusing about the fact that one of Wiz Khalifa’s most notable tracks is a fast-paced, motivational anthem. “Work Hard Play Hard” has a few elements that feel dated—the very 2012-sounding synths, the corny high-pitched vocals—but its charms are undeniable. This is the perfect song to power a workout. In fact, it might already be powering Wiz’s workouts. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
38.Sexyy Red, "Get It Sexyy" (2024)
Album: N/A
Producer: Tay Keith and Jake Fridkis
If you’ve ever gotten dressed—or undressed—looked in the mirror, and said, “Get it, sexy,” this is the song for you.
Sexyy Red’s 2024 anthem delivers all the explicit sex talk you’d expect from the St. Louis rapper, but it’s mixed with an empowering message about self-love and not taking anyone’s shit. The song’s confidence can be summed up in one line: “I’m so fuckin’ sexy, yeah, my skin is glistening.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
37.Nicki Minaj Feat. Beyonce, "Feeling Myself" (2015)
Album: The Pinkprint
Producer: Hit-Boy
Relations between Nicki Minaj and the Carters are a little fraught right now, which is a shame. Every collaboration they’ve done hits, with the zenith being “Feeling Myself,” essentially a PG version of “Get It Sexy.” If the latter is about feeling confident before a date with a suitor, “Feeling Myself” is all about hyping up your professional success—which, of course, both Bey and Nicki have in abundance. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
36.The Carters, "BOSS" (2018)
Album: The Carters
Producer: Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, Mike Dean, MeLo-X, Derek Dixie, Stuart White, Beyoncé, JAY-Z
Beyoncé and JAY-Z are notorious for telling us regular folks to level up. But “BOSS” shows that they refuse to lift that pressure whether we catch up or not. After Beyonce’s iconic Coachella performance, the Carters released their first collaborative project, Everything Is Love.
But “BOSS” sounds like it should have been on Free TC, resembling its co-writer Ty Dolla Sign and his Jodeci type harmonies. Ty revealed that he wrote this track years ago, expecting for it to be on Lemonade, but Beyoncé and JAY-Z clearly had a better place for it.
This track was a flex for all three of them, giving the world a vivid glimpse at the top. “BOSS” is a stern reminder that while you’re chilling, other people are working their way into a new tax bracket. —Kemet High
35.Drake, "Tuscan Leather" (2013)
Album: Nothing Was The Same
Producer: Noah "40" Shebib
How do you follow one of the best album-openers in hip-hop history? Take a Whitney Houston sample, inject it with steroids cut from the same cloth as the chipmunk soul sound popularized in the early-2000s by Kanye, Just Blaze, and the Heatmakerz, and then rap as if your life depended on it for three consecutive verses.
Nevertheless, Drake and 40 were able to top Take Care’s iconic opener with "Tuscan Leather," not only the best opening statement on any hip-hop album in the 2010s but one of the best rap album intros, period.
It all starts with 40’s excellent production. While similar to the chirping vocal loops that the Harlem-bred Heatmakerz trademarked on the Diplomats’ "I’m Ready" and "I Really Mean It," 40 raises the stakes: sampling Whitney’s “I Have Nothing, speeding it up and reversing it, before flipping it three different times to create three distinct beats.
Of course, production this monumental would’ve been all for naught if Drake hadn’t brought his A-game. And boy, did he ever. Drake matches every 40 switch-up with a completely different flow and mood. It all amounts to one of the best and, more importantly, most triumphant songs in Drake’s discography. —Brad Callas
34.Kendrick Lamar, "Backseat Freestyle" (2012)
Album: good kid, m.A.A.d city
Producer: Hit-Boy
"Mercy." "Clique." "N****s in Paris." You could make a mixtape full of motivational music with just Hit-Boy beats, but there's just something about Kendrick Lamar spitting over that ominous vocal sample that lets you know it's time to step it up.
Part of it is in those insanely over-the-top lyrics: "I pray my dick get big as the Eiffel Tower/So I can fuck the world for 72 hours." World domination is imminent when this record is blaring out of your headphones. —Brian Josephs
33.Lil Wayne Feat. Drake, “Right Above It” (2010)
Album: I Am Not a Human Being
Producer: Kane Beatz
Those horns, man. How can you not feel like a superhero when they drop? Don’t let the stink of Ballers make you forget that “Right Above It” is one of the most triumphant songs in either Drake’s or Wayne’s career. And the context matters: it dropped right after Wayne got out of jail, and Drake’s ascent was obvious to everyone. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
32.Rae Sremmurd Feat. Gucci Mane, "Black Beatles" (2016)
Album: SremmLife 2
Producer: Mike WiLL Made-It
Swae Lee’s does deserve his due for his light-footed performance and money ad-libs (“Know meee!”), and Gucci Mane is a familial figure who doesn’t overstay his welcome.
But much of the thrilling groundwork is lain by Mike Will Made-It’s production, which sounds like an N64 theme for a game’s water level retrofitted for stadiums. We’re well on the straightaway by the time we reach Slim Jxmmi’s anchor verse, where he barks about still having haters despite his newfound rockstar status. If Jxmmi is still grinding despite those haters, you ought to be able to as well. —Brian Josephs
31.Jay Rock, "Win" (2018)
Album: Redemption
Producer: CT & Boi-1-da
If you aren’t familiar with Jay Rock's journey, it’s easy to chalk up "Win" as nothing more than a conventional banger. Boi-1-da's triumphant horn loop is a little too on the nose, while the repetitive hook ("Win, win, win, win") isn't the most creative thing in the world. That being said, the song takes on a new meaning when you consider the narrative surrounding his latest album, Redemption: Two years before its release, Jay was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident—on the night of the 2016 Grammys, no less—which left him with a broken leg and a cracked pelvis.
For the 31-year-old rapper who went from being the face of TDE (as its first signee back in 2005) to, at best, third banana behind Kendrick and Schoolboy Q, this was his second chance. And with it, Jay, now 33, blessed the rap game with Redemption and punctuated the best album of his career with an anthemic banger that speaks to anyone who is struggling to fulfill their dreams. —Brad Callas
30.Young Gunz, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" (2003)
Album: Tough Luv
Producer: Darrel "Digga" Branch
Back in the early Aughts, people thought Roc-A-Fella would indeed last forever. "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" is the type of mantra that leads people to believe that. Things have obviously changed, but the track's core values—which are basically getting fresh and winning—are still crucial. —Brian Josephs
29.Drake Feat. Lil Wayne, "The Motto" (2011)
Album: Take Care
Producer: T-Minus
Lil Wayne's lime green moon boots in the video embody everything this song is about. You win by not giving a micron of a fuck. But even without the boots, "The Motto" was still anthemic. It became everyone's favorite excuse to be reckless all in the name of "Y.O.L.O." Lives were changed, mistakes were made, and champions were born because of this song. Drake got a double platinum hit and we got an ambition boosting banger. —Brian Josephs
28.Megan Thee Stallion Feat. Beyoncé, "Savage Remix" (2020)
Album: Good News
Producer: J. White Did It
Released at a time when morale was at an all-time low—Covid-19 lockdowns in full effect—the “Savage (Remix)” from Meg and Bey felt like a real shot in the arm to the nation’s collective self-esteem. Meg sounds great, but it’s really Bey who steals the show, delivering a verse-of-the-year candidate capped by the now-iconic line: “On that demon time, she might start an OnlyFans.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
27.Mobb Deep, "Survival of the Fittest" (1995)
Album: The Infamous
Producer: The Infamous Mobb Deep
Yes, the obvious choice is “Shook Ones (Part II).” However, Prodigy’s classic opening verse requires you to drop what you’re doing and rap along with a snarl, launching P’s threats at no one in particular.
The song isn’t a motivator to do a thing as much as it is the thing itself. “Survival of the Fittest” isn’t as iconic, but it’s about just an eighth of a notch below that anthem. The decrepit riff lurches forth as Prodigy delivers the status report, “There's a war goin' on outside no man is safe from.” Even with your mortality in mind, you go to war anyway. —Brian Josephs
26.50 Cent, "If I Can't" (2003)
Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
Producer: Dr. Dre
50 Cent seemed invincible in 2003, because of his surrounding mythology and the success of Get Rich or Die Tryin'. "If I Can't" was 50 at his most bulletproof. A majority of us will never experience half the stuff 50 spits in this song, but when he's spitting lyrics like "You gon' be that next chump to end up in the trunk," you think about your opponents in any field. It's a powerful feeling. —Brian Josephs
25.A$AP Ferg, "Work" (2012)
Album: Lord$ Never Worry
Producer: Chinza/Fly
This guy raps about a girl sniffing cocaine off a gun and Celine Dion and the same breath and attributes all of it to the task of putting in work. Whatever you set out to do, approach it with some enthusiasm, and you'll be rewarded. Ferg knows this, and now, because of his hectic diatribe known as "Work," you do, too. —Brian Josephs
24.GloRilla, "Yeah Glo!" (2024)
Album: Ehhthang Ehhthang
Producer: B100, Go Grizzly, Squat Beats & Lil Ronnie
Is there a better feeling than pissing people off because you’re so good at what you do?
They hate you but wanna be like you anyways? That feeling is what animates GloRilla’s massive 2024 single, “Yeah Glo!" It captures an artist in the absolute middle of a heater, firing from the hip and not much caring who or what is the target.
Turns out GloRilla’s got excellent aim, though. The track showcases what Glo does best: her rapping makes you wanna punch a hole in the wall or join an army she’s putting together.
The beat nods to Memphis’ 90s and 2000s peaks without ever coming across as nostalgic. The chorus features a group chant that invaded city blocks, festival stages, club nights, and middle school carpool lines alike when it was released. This song can do everything. Leave it to GloRilla to turn the vibes up to a million. —Will Schube
23.Lil Wayne, "Money On My Mind" (2005)
Album: Tha Carter II
Producer: The Runners, DJ Nasty & LVM
It's not enough to know that money is on Lil Wayne's mind. He has to tell you over, and over, and over, and remind everyone that he's a "self-made millionaire," punctuating the declaration with "fuck the public."
You know that scene in Network, where everybody is yelling, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore"? "Money On My Mind" is kind of like that, except with more cocaine being sold and unrelenting demand to disregard females and, in turn, acquire currency. It's all very chaotic but oddly inspiring at the same time. You should want to step out the motherfuckin' car looking like a star, too. —Brian Josephs
22.Trillville, "Neva Eva" (2004)
Album: The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville & Lil Scrappy
Producer: Lil Jon
There are four verses on this song and one line that really matters: "Get on my level, ho." That's all that's needed to start knocking heads. Trillville may not be all that relevant now, but this hook can still get any red-blooded human pumped. —Brian Josephs
21.Jadakiss Feat. Styles P, “We Gonna Make It” (2001)
Album: Kiss Tha Game Goodbye
Producer: The Alchemist
Even if “We Gonna Make It” was three minutes of silence following its first 30 seconds, it would still be one of the greatest rap songs of all-time.
It’s a reminder to never quit, and as corny as that can sound when said from the wrong person, Jadakiss and Styles P are definitely the right people to tell you to shut up and keep working.
It’s all there in the first line: “FUCK. THE. FRAIL. SHIT.” It gets even better: “’Cus when my coke come in they gotta use the scale that they weigh the whales with.” It’s hard to come up with better lines than that. It also helps that Al rolled through to cook up an all-time beat for the cut, weepy strings and pounding drums all leading to the same conclusion: “We gonna make it.” —Will Schube
20.Future, "March Madness" (2015)
Album: 56 Nights
Producer: Tarentino
“I Serve the Base,” “Blow a Bag,” and literally anything from 56 Nights are worthy additions to this list.
The core difference with “March Madness” is how it captures a bleak zeitgeist (“All these cops shooting niggas, tragic”) and turns it into something galvanizing and electrifying. When Future opens the track by chuckling, “Dress it up and make it real for me / Whatever that fuckin' means,” we’re throwing away societal woes for short-term liberation. The next four minutes do not disappoint: Future’s marble-mouthed delivery turns into something majestic over Tarentino’s starry production. It’s been two years since the song’s release and times are even darker, but “March Madness” is still an aural nitrous boost. —Brian Josephs
19.Waka Flocka Flame, "Hard In Da Paint" (2010)
Album: Flockaveli
Producer: Lex Luger
This song is dangerous when put into the wrong hands. This beat is the type that turns winters to summers, boys to men, and makes listeners lose their damn senses. When those horns come in, it's time to get ready for shit to go down. Lex Luger couldn't have captured a better sense of urgency and aggression. Use this one wisely. —Brian Josephs
18.Jay-Z, "Public Service Announcement (Interlude)"
Album: The Black Album
Producer: Just Blaze
If we were making a list of the greatest rap songs that aren’t intros but sound like they should be, it's hard to top “PSA.”The track—one of the highlights of The Black Album—has grown into one of Hov’s most reliable stage staples. It’s driven by a powerful Just Blaze beat and features Jay’s gift for quotables—lines that lodge themselves in your head. If you’re feeling in a slump, one play is all the medicine you need. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
17.LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out" (1990)
Album: Mama Said Knock You Out
Producer: Marley Marl, Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin
Inspired by a conversation LL had with his grandmother after hip-hop fans thought he fell off with panned LP Walking Like A Panther, "Mama" has gone on to become one of the great "comeback" songs in history.
It's an underdog anthem coming from a rapper who was one at the time, and most notably, shows and proves when it comes to putting yourself back on top after a misstep. —Brian Josephs
16.Missy Elliott, “Work It” (2002)
Album: Under Construction
Producer: Timbaland
For just a second there, Timbo goes full rap classicist, teases us with a throwback to record scratches, a sample from an ‘80s hip-hop hit, and the snap of a vintage Roland snare drum.
Just as quickly, though, Timbaland brings things to places we’ve never seen, further into the future than most are comfortable in. Missly Elliott isn’t most rappers. It’s easy to forget that “Work It” is insanely vulgar, the sort of sex rap that created an entire industry of female spitters willing to talk about how much they like sex. And yet, it’s a song that inspires utmost confidence in its listener.
Of course, Missy being one of the least compromising artists of the late 20th and 21st centuries, the song has some quirks you won’t find on most Billboard charters. After saying she’s gonna “reverse it,” the next bars are, well, reversed. There’s also the sound of an elephant blowing its trunk. —Will Schube
15.Nas, "Hate Me Now" (1999)
Album: I Am...
Producer: Pretty Boy, DJ Moet, Trackmasters
There are a few ways to approach hate: ignoring it, striking back, or embracing it. Nas chooses the latter. Escobar says hate him for the clothes; hate the fact he's one of the best rappers alive; hate the fact that he's critically acclaimed and sells records. He's just going to use that vitriol to make himself stronger. He doesn't rebuild. He reloads. —Brian Josephs
14.Drake, "Started from the Bottom" (2013)
Album: Nothing Was the Same
Producer: Mike Zombie and Noah "40" Shebib
Can a rapper who doesn’t have a true rags-to-riches story—at least in the traditional hip-hop sense—create the definitive rags-to-riches anthem? Drake tests that theory with “Started From the Bottom,” a song that essentially asks: what if “Juicy” were made for the club? To this day, it stands as one of Drake’s GOAT singles—a song that will make your head bop the second the song drops. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
13.Nipsey Hussle, “Hussle and Motivate” (2018)
Album: Victory Lap
Producer: Street Symphony & DO Speaks
Released just a year before he was tragically killed, Nipsey Hussle’s “Hussle and Motivate” is kind of the most obvious and necessary song to include on any list about “motivational rap songs.”
It’s in the title!
But Nipsey was always about more than signifiers—although he was pretty good with those, too. For “Hussle and Motivate,” Nip and his producers flipped Hova’s “Hard Knock Life” and reframed the song to support the LA rapper’s independent POV: “'Cause I took control of things, balling the solo way/ And if you pattern my trend, I make you my protege,” he raps.
He makes it clear that there isn’t much more to this rap shit than making a better life for himself, his family, and his community. Though he was taken from Earth far too soon, the message lives on, the Marathon continues. In that way, Nipsey Hussle was prophetic on this cut: “This all I'm tryna do, hustle and motivate.” —Will Schube
12.DJ Khaled Feat. T-Pain, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross & Ludacris, "All I Do Is Win" (2010)
Album: Victory
Producer: DJ Nasty & LVM
During his prime, T-Pain was the voice of victory. There's the celebratory hook on Kanye West's "Good Life," his role in the grandeur of Rick Ross' "The Boss," and his urgency on DJ Khaled's "Welcome to My Hood."
What makes his role in "All I Do Is Win" so important is that he's the centerpiece in a very large circle of winners. "Win" is right there in the title. You have no choice but to get inspired. —Brian Josephs
11.Eminem Feat. Nate Dogg, "Till I Collapse" (2002)
Album: The Eminem Show
Producer: Eminem, Luis Resto, Jeff Bass
Eminem says that "music is like magic" in this song, and he's right. There's no science that can explain the chills up the spine when those drums come in. "Till I Collapse" gets the adrenaline pumping because Em is clearly ruthless in his desire to succeed, and that energy is transferred to the listener with ease. —Brian Josephs
10.Kendrick Lamar, "DNA" (2017)
Album: DAMN.
Producer: Mike Will Made-It
In DAMN.’s context, “DNA.” is a triumph weighed by African ancestry, religious overtones, and societal pains. By itself, it’s a war cry. The track’s structure is the perfect motivational progression.
Mike Will’s brooding production sets the Herculean stakes as Kendrick’s delivery—melodic and dead-eyed—carries an uphill determination. That pivot to that downhill sprint—where Geraldo Rivera’s assheadedness becomes a catapult—is one of 2017’s most visceral, come-to-God moments. The low end kicks in, the Rick James artillery strike commences, and Lamar’s end-times preaching takes over. Suddenly you’re alive again. —Brian Josephs
9.2Pac, "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" (1996)
Album: All Eyez on Me
Producer: Dat Nigga Daz
The archetypal ride-or-die song. When it came out in '96, "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" proved to be 2Pac's unfuckwitable zeitgeist statement. There are few other beats that can match the pure menace of those chords or the tension of that hovering synth. Then there's 2Pac sounding like a beast unleashed. He's unrepentant, unapologetic, but most importantly, unable to lose. This is the anthem that needs to be played from high noon to dawn. —Brian Josephs
8.Young Jeezy Feat. Kanye West, "Put On" (2008)
Album: The Recession
Producer: Drumma Boy
"Put On" is an epic. This isn't just about you. This is for all the brothers in the struggle. This is about putting the city on your back. The very concept of having so much on the line is enough to give goosebumps. Call it thug motivation. —Brian Josephs
7.Puff Daddy Feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes, "Victory" (1997)
Album: No Way Out
Producer: The Hitmen
Biggie's appearance on "Victory" is one of the best career finishes in rap history. If the aggressive tone and impeccable delivery doesn't stir something up inside, the instant quotables will. The Black Frank White performs like Mike—all three of them—makes the wildest threats, and presents himself as "The Underboss of this Holocaust."
It's the type of legendary shit that's contagious, which is probably why Diddy also spit some of the greatest rhymes of his life (his verses were penned by Jadakiss).
"Victory" is also crucial by its instrumental alone. That Rocky sample is the very sound of triumph. Busta Rhymes also appears at the peak of his dreadlocked-madness on the hook. "Amped" isn't even the word to describe the feeling after listening to the whole thing. —Brian Josephs
6.Kendrick Lamar, "Alright" (2015)
Album: To Pimp a Butterfly
Producer: Pharrell Williams & Sounwave
To Pimp a Butterfly is arguably one of the densest rap albums of the 2010s—an intense, layered work filled with angst, anguish, and agitation, driven by an inner monologue in which Kendrick Lamar continually interrogates his own position as a figure of power.
Yet when most people think of the album, the conversation often settles on “Alright,” a genuinely uplifting anthem about overcoming the odds and celebrating Black pride—one that became the soundtrack to a decade of protest. Even within a career as decorated as Dot’s, it stands near the top of all-time Kendrick tracks. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
5.The Diplomats, "I'm Ready" (2003)
Album: Diplomatic Immunity
Producer: Heatmakerz
The Diplomats were practically kings back in the day but once in a while they'd drop some inspiration on us commoners. This was one of the crew's best and potentially their finest use of an inspiring sped-up soul sample. Just look at the long breaths Juelz, Jimmy, and Killa take in between verses. It's hard to get oxygen when you're at the top of the mountain. —Brian Josephs
4.50 Cent, "Hustler's Ambition" (2005)
Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin': Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Producer: C. Styles & Sire
50 Cent’s come-up was mythical: After getting shot nine times outside of his grandmother’s home, he was dropped from Columbia and blacklisted from the industry. He recorded song after song after song in a Queens basement and got hot on the mixtape circuit. One tape landed in the hands of the biggest rapper alive, Eminem, who invited him to come to Los Angeles and meet Dr. Dre. After signing a million-dollar record deal, he scored the biggest opening-week hip-hop debut of all time with his first proper studio album, 2003’s Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
By the end of 2005, though, Fiddy was coming off his second straight No. 1 album, The Massacre, which hit shelves in March of that year. He hadn’t lost his hunger, which he made apparent on the soundtrack for the loose biopic, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. While “Window Shopper” was, and still is, the most popular track on the project, opening cut “Hustler’s Ambition” doubles as the unofficial theme song for 50’s rags-to-riches story. —Brad Callas
3.Kanye West, "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007)
Album: Graduation
Producer: Kanye West, DJ Toomp
Anybody who's trying rise to the top is going to face adversity, but what better middle finger is there than obnoxiously reciting "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at the top of your lungs? The Graduation cut was the mission statement that solidified Kanye's status as a decade-defining artist.
Going to a job interview? Getting ready for that big game? Trying to get on that bus without using your Metrocard? Just blast this song, because there's almost no retort for a man that almost prophetically says, "Can't Tell Me Nothing." Bring a Metrocard just in case, though. —Brian Josephs
2.Eminem, "Lose Yourself" (2002)
Album: 8 Mile: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Producer: Luis Resto, Jeff Bass & Eminem
In October 2002, the last thing Eminem needed was a hit; he already had plenty of those. By then, he had become one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, thanks to his latest album, The Eminem Show, which had already sold 6.7 million copies domestically (more than any other rapper has in any one year) on the strength of massive singles "Without Me" and "Cleanin' Out My Closet," which peaked at No. 2 and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
And yet, his greatest achievement came later that year, with the release of "Lose Yourself," the first single to 8 Mile’s soundtrack.
Has a rapper ever sounded this hungry? Ever the underdog, Eminem manages to convince listeners he’s still a struggling MC trying to make it. When he raps "Success is my only motherfucking option, failure’s not," you practically forget he’s a mega-star who is years removed from this reality. Seventeen years on, "Lose Yourself" remains one of his biggest hits—the moment when he was at his absolute apex.—Brad Callas
1.Meek Mill, "Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” (2012)
Album: Dreams and Nightmares
Producer: The Beat Bully
Ever since his early days as a teenager freestyling on the street corners of Philadelphia, Meek Mill has embodied his hometown’s underdog spirit. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the opening statement of his 2012 debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, plays like the theme from Rocky (only more urgent and menacing).
It starts with Meek wide-eyed, earnestly reflecting on his newfound fame. Then it shifts. The somber piano chords give way to haunting production, Meek starts rapping for his life, and the song transforms into a "Nobody Believes In Us" manifesto. The second half is a mixture of pain and struggle, frustration and desperation. More than anything, though, it’s a snapshot of a hungry 25-year-old who waited too long for this moment to waste it for even a second. —Brad Callas