Sports and music go together like Ralph Lauren polo shirts and "she's pretty hot." Different kinds of music are suitable for different situations. The soundtrack for NFL Streetincluded menu music from all sorts of genres, meaning like two of them: Hip hop and rock, and some songs containing a mix of both. I'm talking about Good Charlotte meets The X-Ecutioners. The X-Ecutioners are responsible for the music that plays during matches, and some of them were pretty amazing, especially the way the beats shifted after touchdowns and turnovers. Here's my favorite:

For whatever reason, you could not listen to menu music while playing a match, and vice versa until NFL Street 2. In 2017 though, the boundaries have been destroyed and I can listen to whatever I want in-game with Spotify and other streaming/stereo means. Back in the day I put CDs in my Xbox and copied music to the console so I could listen to music in games with a jukebox function. Oddly enough The Clash is suitable music for menus. Something about the sound of the select noise in conjunction with London Calling creates a fun atmosphere with friends. But if you want to get competitive, I have some ideas about what music works for NFL Street and when is the best time to whip out the quality tracks.

One pro strategy is to use music to get into your friend's heads and induce fear. If they're coming to your house to play, you better remind them of the environment. When you're picking your teams or choosing a pick-up squad, use some intimidating music. Sean Price is not a bad option at all to accomplish this fear tactic. Be warned, his music is very harsh and NSFW, but it is SFW (suitable for winning). Some choice pre-game tracks include "King Kong" and "Price & Shining Armor." After hearing Price say "verse two, sunroof casket for the Earth dirt view," the atmosphere in your home will turn from one of fun and games into an unnecessarily aggressive harbinger of doom for your friends. They clearly shouldn't have come here and they're out of their league.

However, if you want to keep things less violent but still rough, dish out the "Shinjiro Harsh Mix" from DJ Krush and Mos Def. The lyrics are less directed and it will serve as a cool precursor. If you want something more laid back while browsing the menus, opt for something with the tempo of "Just Think" or "Printmatic," both songs by Soul Position. "Mass Appeal" by Gang Starr is an honorable mention. I actually burned a recent CD to my Xbox of some of my favorite artists, songs including "No Coupons" and "Jackpot" both by The Hell Hole Store.

As you can probably tell by now, I like heavy drums and hip hop. It's a fitting sound for the in-game music. I recommend fast, upbeat drum songs for in-game music, and I prefer instrumentals here but it's not necessary. It will heighten your senses and keep everybody on alert. What you need to decide for yourself is what mood you want to create. Coming off of the Sean Price tip, Death Grips will continue to act as a warhorn. The Money Store and Bottomless Pit are both banger vaults. "Bubbles Buried In This Jungle" cuts deep into the psyche of weaker gamers. "Black Quarterback" is suitable for football in name, but I haven't bumped it on the streets yet. I'm not sure if it's the best for the game.

On a lighter note that will invigorate everybody in the room, seek out drum-heavy instrumentals or some seamless lyrical beings, like Kool Keith. "Bear Witness" off of Dr. Octogon's first album is a winner. "Holy Calamity" is very similar in sound. "Diesel Power" by Prodigy featuring Kool Keith is swell as well. Might as well drop some while here, so try "Casualties of War" by Eric B. & Rakim or "A Quarter To Cutthroat" by Leaders of the New School. To completely shift the tone of the game from one of competition to fun sandbox football, I implore you to listen to some stuff by Lack Of Afro. "Roderigo" is superb, as is "Wait A Minute." I'm still exploring this artist, so there are probably better options, but it's fantastic stuff. I think you get the idea as far as appropriate in-game music goes.

I'm aware that not everybody is into hip hop music, or this absurd volume of sample-based drum music, but it just works so well for NFL Street. I guess you could try "Club Foot" by Kasabian for something different. Remember, what matters most is that you listen to what you like and what will enhance your gameplay experience, all I've done is provide examples of things that might accelerate the speed at which you deliver shame to your friend's game. Note that it doesn't matter what music your friends like, they came over to play and you need to teach them the meaning of homefield advantage.

I love music and exchanging music, so let me know if you have any songs I should add to my NFL Street playlist, or just in general. I'm all ears. And let me know if you are also promoting your own week and I'll check it out as soon as I can!