Muhammad Ali, The Father of Battle Rap?

”I am the onliest of boxing’s poet laureates.” – Muhammad Ali

In 2000, veteran rapper LL Cool J, then embroiled in a battle with rising star Canibus, named his 8th studio album “G.O.A.T.,” an acronym for “Greatest of All Time.” This was an allusion to the title boxer Muhammad Ali would adorn himself in boisterous on-camera rants. LL may have seen taking the title as a way of asserting superiority over a younger foe, who many felt was better skilled and would destroy LL in battle. It appeared the elder rapper was calling down the power that possessed the legendary boxer when he went against similar odds in his now famous bout with George Foreman: the Rumble in the Jungle.

When Canibus’ debut album subsequently failed to produce respectable sales numbers, one could almost envision Foreman toppling over, spent from overexertion, while Ali cocked back a punch that he’d never throw. LL was vindicated and for a moment, he was Ali in Zaire. The title would continue to be a mainstay in the Hip hop vernacular when one is arrogantly claiming to be the best of the best; rightfully so, as Ali’s bombastic swagger is the father of it all.

Undeniable Influence

This is the legend of Muhammad Ali// The greatest fighter that ever will be.// He talks a great deal and brags, indeed// of a powerful punch and blinding speed.// Ali fights great, he’s got speed and endurance.// If you sign to fight him, increase your insurance.// Ali’s got a left. Ali’s got a right…// If he hits you once, you’re asleep for the night.

Ali’s influence on young black urban America, and thus early emcees, is readily, although often orally, documented. His bravado echoes in the attitudes of many Hip hop emcees attempting to set themselves apart from the pack. Old school emcee Kool Moe Dee, when recounting his infamous Dec. 27, 1982 lyrical ambushing of fellow rapper Busy Bee, notes how the latter rapper’s penchant for evoking the spirit of Ali before a show was the impetus for the battle¹:

“The way it started was Busy was on stage doing the Busy Bee theatrical Ali shit. ‘Take a picture of me with this trophy this is my shit right here, this is me Busy Bee I don’t even know why I am here, I don’t lose I’m undefeated. Yall know how its going down, let these bums go on ahead of me, I’m knocking out all bums.’ Brothers was laughing, But somebody from crowd said, ‘You lucky Moe Dee ain’t in it,’ and Busy say’s to him ‘it don’t make a difference who’s in it this is the Chief Rocker Busy Bee this is my trophy.’ … So I’m like, ‘did he just say that?’”

Busy Bee Starski

It has almost become cliché in hip hop to name check Ali. Everyone from LL to Greg Nice has at some point mentioned him or likened themselves to him. So it is improbable to suggest such a charismatic character had no effect on the budding art of emceeing. Due the proximity of hip hop’s inception and the height of Ali’s career (both overlapping around the early 1970s), it can be argued that Ali’s rhyming taunts could have been a direct inspiration for emcees who rhymed witty sayings over the mic to keep the crowd going and the DJ famous.

The Lyrical Dozens

The concept of skill-based contest spans over many facets of the African-American experience. This tradition is evident in the culture’s art of emceeing. Battles occur when two emcees, in a competition to prove who is better, commence to verbally jab at one another while rhyming.

This is a direct descendent of the urban childhood game of “playing the dozens” (also called snapping, joning or “cutting up” on someone, depending on region). The dozens consist of a series of back-and-forth one-line jokes that insult your target for the amusement of your audience. The loser of the match is usually the person who gets offended first. There was one man who became famous for this form of verbal battery, and who popularized putting The Dozens in Rhyme form: Muhammad Ali.

As a result, it can be argued then that Muhammad Ali is one of the primary fathers of battle rap. Because of his stature and fame, Ali made famous in the Black community the lyrical form of the Dozens. Initially, it was his one-liners and boastful jokes that garnered Ali his locker room and press conference infamy:

“I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on!”

“If Sonny Liston dreams he can beat me he better wake up and apologize.”

“He has two chances: Slim and None. And Slim just left town.”

Ali taunting Fraizer.

But it was when he put these one-liners into rhyme-form that we get a better idea of how he helped influence the idea of emcee battling. Many times, during interviews or press conferences, Ali would perform his “poems” for the audience, much to the chagrin of his opponents who often times were present. Here is the entire poem Ali wrote about Sonny Liston, before their boxing match. Notice the elements of battle emceeing that are still evident today, such as hyperbole (exaggerated claims) and wordplay.

Clay comes out to meet Liston and Liston starts to retreat// If he goes back any further…He’ll be in a ringside seat// Clay swings with a left and Clay swings with a right// Look at young Cassius as he carries the fight// Liston keeps backing, but there’s not enough room// It’s a matter of time till Clay lowers the boom// Now Clay swings with a right, what a beautiful swing// and the punch knocks the Bear clear out of the ring// Liston’s still rising! The ref wears a frown// For he can’t start counting…till Sonny comes down!!// Now Liston disappears from view, the crowd is getting frantic// But our radar stations pick him up, he’s over the Atlantic!// Who would have thought when they came to the fight// That they’d witness the launch…of a human satellite?// Yes, the crowd did not dream, when they laid down their money// That they would see a total eclipse of the Sun-y!//

Ali’s influence doesn’t end there. His boastful and playful arrogance were also significant to the “self-props” aspect of emceeing and battle rapping.

I done wrestled with an alligator, done tussled with a whale// I handcuffed lighting… thrown thunder in jail// Yesterday I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick// I’m so mean…I make medicine sick.//

First Recorded Battle Tracks

In 1963, while still under the name Cassius Clay, Ali became one of the first (if not the first) to put, not only battle rhymes, but rhymes in general, on record. Although at the time he was more akin to The Last Poets (who didn’t release an album until seven years later) then he was to Nas, the idea of recording and selling poetry, whether to taunt or otherwise, was very much new.

His single, “I Am The Greatest,” complete with backing soundtrack, is perhaps the first rapping-over-a-beat record. The song predates James Brown’s 1965 single “Cold Sweat” by two years (“Cold Sweat” is considered by many as Brown’s first departure from his traditional style of singing for a more syncopated “rapping” that would later influence Hip hop’s emcees). Ali’s recording also predates easily Gil Scott-Heron, another readily recognized “father of emceeing” by almost a decade, as Heron did not release his first album of rhythmic poetry, “Small Talk at 125th & Lenox” until 1970.

The album includes Ali ranting and rhyming in front of a live audience about his greatness and how he would destroy Sonny Liston. At the time, Ali had not won the championship, but his charisma overflowed nonetheless.

The album was meant to be more of a build-up to his looming fight with Liston, and aimed for the comedic more than anything else. In the end, the finished product did not do too well as far as sales. However it can still be purchasedon Amazon².

One of Many ‘Fathers’

To say Ali is one of the main contributors to emceeing is one thing, but to say he is THE ONLY father, is perhaps a hyperbole worthy of the man himself. As noted before, there are any number of influences who could vie for the title such as comedians Dolemite and Richard Pryor as well as contributions from the likes of Malcolm X, Church Pastors and Jazz musicians.

In fact, despite producing a “rap” album first, Ali may never be able to boast the influence over Hip hop that James Brown has enjoyed. In a 1989 Davey D interview, Kool Herc, the man who is largely accepted as the one-and-only creator of Hip hop, admitted that James Brown was his biggest influence³. Brown also has the distinction of being the most sampled artist by Hip hop.

Still, Ali can take pride in the fact that his crown as the father of “battle rap” is safe and untouched. His poetical ability to hype himself up, while tearing his opponents down echoes in the rhymes of many of Hip hop’s elite combatants: from Moe Dee to KRS One, from Canibus to Eminem, few have wielded the spoken word as such a successful weapon. Even his style of off-the-mic antics can be heard in the tirades of Tupac and later, 50 Cent.

Ali’s influence on Hip hop is sound, whether he receives this distinction or not, and it is unique in that it is so obvious to the point every emcee, at one time in their career, has fought to be considered the G.O.A.T. – “Greatest of All Time.”

(Originally posted on www.projectrhyme.com on Nov. 17, 2005.)

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¹ http://www.jayquan.com/moebusy.htm

² http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000JT3K/103-1001976-1969467?v=glance

³ http://www.daveyd.com/interviewkoolherc89.html

For more information see: Ali Rap, by George Lois (Taschen, November 2, 2006)