Issue 068
October 2010
Rising UFC middleweight, and former history teacher, Gerald ‘Hurricane’ Harris likes his music smooth ‘n’ slow – unlike his energetic fights.
FO: What kind of music do you like to listen to?
Gerald: “I like a little bit of everything. I’ve read this iPod section where people have described what different songs they use and for what reasons; it’s the same thing for me. Some songs motivate me while I’m running, some motivate me while I’m training, some while I’m just chilling and cleaning up around the house – it don’t matter.”
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re training?
“I like to listen to old songs to keep me grounded. Songs I listened to when I was younger, a little hardcore rap, just old-school stuff to let me know where I came from – I’ll never forget where I came from. A lot of stuff goes through my mind, like, look at where I’m at now compared to where I came from.”
What about when you’re just chilling?
“That’s when the slow jams come in, along with a little bit of everything. Sunday is my cleaning day at the house, so I turn on the music. It doesn’t matter what comes on, but I prefer slow music.”
So are you mopping the floor to [‘90s R&B singer] Keith Sweat?
“Nah! OK sometimes, in a manly, masculine way.”
Do you have a signature walkout song, or do you like to change it up?
“I change it up; it’s fun. There was a funny thing that me and my trainer said, ‘All the guys that come out to good songs get beat up.’ So we were just picking random songs to come out to.”
When you’re backstage warming up do you like to listen to music, or do you like to keep it quiet to stay focused?
“It don’t matter; nothing makes me lose focus. I’m actually sharing a locker room with six guys, so some of us play music, some guys are hitting the pads loud, yelling. It doesn’t bother me, nothing gets me distracted. As long as I get warm I’m ready to go.”
Do you have a favorite artist?
“Lyrically, I like Ice Cube. He’s like an educated gangster. I love that about him because he went from NWA to the man he is now. He speaks to me when he raps.”
THE SHUFFLE CHALLENGE
Hit shuffle on your iPod and name the first five songs that come up. No cheating
1. Tech N9ne feat. Twista – Midwest Choppers
“That is a song that will make me whup somebody’s ass at the mall, for real [laughs]. That song is intense. I’ve been listening to Twista and Tech N9ne since I was a kid. They have a particular style that no one can copy and that’s how I see myself. I don’t care who watches my videos, they can’t copy what I do.”
2. Lil Jon – All the Way Crunked Up
“That’s another song that’s motivation while I’m running. It’s harder running because you’re looking at concrete all day. It keeps my mind off what I’m doing and takes it somewhere else.”
3. Terrence Howard – Whoop That Trick
“No offense to Terrence Howard, but this is probably not the best lyrical song in the world. I just love the story behind it: the way he just kept hustling and he finally got to where he wanted to be. A lot of fighters need to have that same mentality.”
4. Bun B – You’re Everything
“This is a real motivational song dedicated to the South. It’s about the struggles and the hard times Southern rappers went through to make it. I consider myself a Southern fighter and that’s why I use it.”
5. Dan B – Love Me (Remix)
“This is another down-South song. Dan B is an artist that’s not famous but he’s an underground fighter. He reminds me of when I was doing local fights trying to make it to the mainstream.”
