I know I am not the only person with a playlist full of raunchy songs that get me in the mood to twerk all over my apartment whenever I play them. I actually have two: one I call the “Ratchet” playlist and the other called “Let’s Twerk.” They are my guilty pleasures.
There’s a lot of crossover between the two lists, but both of them have been in steady rotation over the past week. In particular, Yo Gotti’s “Rake It Up” and Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” have been the theme songs that have gotten me going every day, and that made me want to make a list of some of my current favorite twerk anthems.
Here they are, in no particular order:
1. “Rake It Up,” by Yo Gotti
“I tell my hos rake it up. Break it down. Back it up. Fuck it up. Back it up. Rake it up.” The opening lines are an instruction manual for how you should dance when this song comes on. Not to mention, he calls it a “strip club anthem.” Yo Gotti is telling you to get out there, shake that ass, back it up, fuck it up and rake up the money that gets thrown at you in the process. How can you not? My ass immediately starts swinging in a circle when this comes on, and this week, as I said, it’s been on a lot.
2. “No Limit,” by G-Eazy, Featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B
“Fuck with me and get some money.” I’ll admit that Cardi B’s verse makes this song for me, but white boy Gerald is pretty OK on the mic as well. This is one of those bounce-your-ass-up-and-down-real-fast songs, and that’s just what I do when it comes on.
3. “Mercy,” by Kanye West, Featuring Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz
This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s still a damn goodie. My favorite thing to do is switch the direction of my waist wine every time Big Sean says, “Swerve.” I performed a dance for one of my man friends to this song, and he loved the “swerve” move. It worked out that night.
4. “Bodak Yellow,” by Cardi B
I changed the hook on this to say, “I don’t freelance no more, I make money moves,” and it applies. I love this song because Cardi is talking about her come-up over the last year, and I relate. My come up as a writer over the last year has been similar, and while I am eternally grateful for those who helped me get here—“What bitch working hard as me?” I feel it in my soul.
5. “Money Money Money,” by Red Cafe
Another oldie but goodie. I like this song because you have to really have the skills to make your ass clap to this, and I do. This song is still amazing; don’t @ me. It will always be on my list.
6. “MotorSport,” by Migos, Featuring Cardi B and Nicki Minaj
“You heard she gon’ do what to who? That’s not a reliable source, so tell me have you seen her, let me wrap my weave up, I’m the trap Selena, dame mas gasolina!” Obviously Cardi is my favorite part of this song, too. Like, I legit turn it off when Nicki comes on and skip to the next song on my list. Cardi really said “Ride the dick like a BMX,” though, and I’m here for that.
7. “My Chick Bad Remix,” by Ludacris, Featuring Diamond, Eve, Trina
This song aged well. Especially Eve’s verse, since she married a damn billionaire. I love this song because the women are unabashedly loving themselves, and I feel powered up when I rap and dance along to this.
8. “Scarred,” by Uncle Luke, Featuring Trick Daddy
This is an OG twerk song. Luke started the movement; he fathered all these others. My knees are bad now from dropping it low to this song so much in the ’90s. Get into it.
9. “Love Me for Free,” by Akinyele
OK, so this may not necessarily be a twerk anthem. It’s more of a two-step song, but two-stepping and rapping along to these raunchy-ass lyrics is the real winner. I couldn’t find a version with the real lyrics, “Fuck me for free,” but this will do, pig. This will do.
10. “No Hands,” by Waka Flocka Flame, Featuring Wale, Roscoe Dash
Raise your hand if you can drop it to the floor and bounce it, with no hands. This song will forever exist on both of my lists, most especially because of Wale’s verse. I don’t care about the other two dudes on the song, but when it gets to Wale’s part, I lose my shit.
So there you have it. A list of some of my current twerk anthems. I volunteered to send my editor, The Root Managing Editor Genetta Adams, a video demonstrating what “throw that ass in a circle” means, but she declined.
What do you like to throw your ass in a circle to? Let me know in the comments.