Beatboxing: How Hip-hop Changed the Fight Game

"The masterful art of chess, Kung-fu sword play, and the sweet science of boxing are all hip-hop expressions that connect us universally. Beatboxing tells the story. It's razor sharp."-Masta Killa, Wu-Tang Clan Step into a world of rap moguls turned fight promoters, boxers turned rappers, and rappers turned boxers. From Mike Tyson to Tupac, from Roy Jones Jr. to J. Prince, explore how a cultural collision forever altered the relationship between music, race, sports, and politics. Daryl McDonald of Run-DMC once said that the rhyme Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see! was hip-hop's most famous lyric. Muhammad Ali's poetic brilliance and swagger-ignited by hype man Bundini Brown-gave hip-hop artists the template from which they forged their identities and performed their art. Hip-hop's impact on boxing, on the other hand, has not been explored. Until now. In Beatboxing, Todd Snyder uncovers the unique connection between hip-hop and the sweet science, tracing a grassroots cultural movement from its origins in the South Bronx to its explosion across the globe and ultimately into the charged environment of the prize ring. Featuring interviews with champion fighters and music legends, this is the definitive book about an enduring phenomenon and is a must-read for boxing and hip-hop fans alike. TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELUDE Tale of the (Cassette) Tape INTRODUCTION Check the Rhime CHAPTER 1 Streets Is Watching CHAPTER 2 Brooklyn Go Hard CHAPTER 3 Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em CHAPTER 4 Walk This Way CHAPTER 5 Welcome to the Terrordome CHAPTER 6 Me Against the World CHAPTER 7 Ambitionz Az a Ridah CHAPTER 8 Dirty South CHAPTER 9 Y'all Must've Forgot CHAPTER 10 Lean Back CHAPTER 11 Get Money CHAPTER 12 Get Rich or Die Tryin' CHAPTER 13 What's Beef? CHAPTER 14 Hate It or Love It CHAPTER 15 Watch the Throne CHAPTER 16 Mo' Money, Mo' Problems AFTERWORD Don't Call It a Comeback ACKNOWLEDGMENTS APPENDIXES : A COMPILATION OF HIP-HOP & BOXING SONGS APPENDIX A Songs that Reference Boxing Personalities APPENDIX B Noteworthy Hip-Hop Collaborations with Boxers APPENDIX C Noteworthy Hip-Hop Songs Specifically Crafted for Boxing APPENDIX D Noteworthy Hip-Hop Songs by Boxers NOTES WORKS REFERENCED