
This Is How Muhammad Ali Influenced Hip Hop Music

Before Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, there was the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. He was indeed one of the most significant people in sports history. He wasn’t just known for being such a great boxer, he was also known for fighting for racial equality as well as being a great example to his fellow African Americans especially during the White domination during the civil war.
What most people don’t really know is that Ali wasn’t just focused on his boxing career during his prime. He was also involved in the entertainment industry wherein he actually made some couple of appearances in some films like Requiem for a Heavyweight, Freedom Road, and more. Then again, he was also known of being so poetic and using rhyming words when he’s trash talking and also having influential speeches, this then became such a huge impact in the hip hop industry.
Ali As A Musician
Unbeknownst to most people, the greatest boxer of all time was also a Grammy nominated artist. It was in 1963 when he actually released his very first album, he was even referred to as the very first rapper since he technically popularized it. After the release of his first album via Columbia Records, he famously did a cover of a famous song entitled Stand By Me, which became incredibly popular.
His album then sold over half a million copies and this was when his influence on future rappers started. He was referred to as a the rhyming trickster as well as a comical trash talker. When he died in 2016, his legacy the he left behind both in the sports and the music industry will always be remembered.

Ali released first album by Columbia Records
His Influence On Hip-Hop Music: Song Lyrics
Ali was known to be the very first hip-hop poet of his time, he started doing this before he begins a fight. Just like when he fought against Archie Moore, Ali had to break out some sort of battle rap with “Archie’s been living off the fat of the land; I’m here to give him his pension plan.”
The trash talk then made it seem as if he was actually singing while talking faster and with rhythm because of the lyrical poetry. He wasn’t even doing the rhyming beforehand as if he was planning them, some says he could actually do it on the spot.
His Influence On Hip-Hop Music: Name Change
Ali’s influence wasn’t just on the songs and the styles of the lyrics, it was also on the name. The boxer changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali when he decided to convert into Islam. He even stated at that time that Cassius Clay is a slave name and that he never wanted it since he never actually chose to have it. During the 80s, rapper’s started to have their own nicknames instead of having just their names.
Experts believe that Ali’s name change definitely hit the mark for the rappers especially nowadays, it is very rare to have someone not to have a screen name in the hip hop industry. This is exactly what some of the most popular musicians are doing today, just like Tupac, Eminem, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Drake, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Cardi B, and more.
Muhammad Ali References
Since Ali had been such a huge influence when it comes the hip hop genre. There have been tons of references that rappers of today have made for him. Just like in The Game’s song with 2chainz, wherein they actually based it off of the chants during the famous 1974 fight wherein people would chant Rumble in the Jungle.
Another song would be by Big Boi that features Jay-Z entitled Flip Flip Rock. The birth name of Ali, which is Cassius Clay, was mentioned in the song and it also talked about how the late boxer used to talk trash along with his rhymes. Although some people actually don’t agree with the fact that he was the very first ones to rap, Ali is still dubbed by some as the founder of rap music even if it wasn’t technically referred to that at that time. Rappers nowadays throw major shapes with their music, just like how the late boxer throw some diss towards his opponents.
More in Music
-
`
Balloonfest 1986, a Publicity Stunt That Turned into Cleveland’s Horror Story
Balloons are generally nice to look at – they are like colorful floating balls that easily attract everyone’s attention. But believe...
June 5, 2020 -
`
Top ’80s Classic Video Games You Totally Miss
One of the best ways to entertain yourself is playing video games since advanced technology took over the world. These addictive...
June 4, 2020 -
`
This Photographer Has The Best Way Of Recreating Throwback Photos
We capture precious moments of our lives every day in the form of still photos and moving videos thanks to the...
June 3, 2020 -
`
Why Burning Spear’s ‘Marcus Garvey’ Is a Classic That Can Never be Forgotten
For those unfamiliar with reggae music, there’s more to this wide-ranging genre than Bob Marley, who became iconic because of the...
June 3, 2020 -
`
Craziest Pokémon Toys Ever Created – Which Ones Do You Remember?
Growing up, everyone loved the Pokémon franchise. After all it is one of the oldest and most popular monster series to...
June 2, 2020 -
`
Top 5 Games from 1998 Which Make it the Best Year in Gaming History
The year 1998 was a huge turning point for the gaming community, with some saying that it was the best one...
May 25, 2020 -
`
The Bizarre History of ‘Amazing Grace’ Documentary on Aretha Franklin
Almost four months after her death, iconic singer Aretha Franklin’s much lauded gospel performance captured in a documentary film titled Amazing...
May 15, 2020 -
`
LEGO Announces Giant Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle Set
Get ready to visit the Hogwarts Castle on September 1 as LEGO is all set to release the building. You and your...
May 15, 2020 -
`
Greatest Action Films of 2000’s – We Bet You Haven’t Watched Them All
If you’re an adventure seeker who loves high speed cars and flying superheroes, this list is for you. In the past...
May 14, 2020
You must be logged in to post a comment Login