Often, when you see those innovative things that mix cultures and skew young, the old heads of boxing are not a fan of that. Current day, you see what Triller is doing and what Verzuz is doing, incorporating boxing elements. HBO had KO Nation, which Ed Lover from Yo! MTV Raps hosted. Cedric Kushner had this ThunderBox show that brought rappers to perform in the ring before fights. But there have always been these hip-hop shows. You write that an argument can be made, due to the number of boxing references and how so many boxers are held in high regard, that hip-hop is preserving boxing history.īoxing has trouble with the youth market. Hip-hop romanticizes boxing in a way that’s fascinating. They did a song called ‘ M.G.M.’ They re-imagine a rematch between Julio Chavez and Pernell Whitaker and a controversial draw that never took place. I think a cool example is Wu-Tang Clan and their album Wu-Tang Forever. Hip-hop also does this cool thing where it does harken back to boxing history a great deal. So, you know, we have a lot of current boxing stuff showing up in hip-hop lyrics. But if you listen to Griselda, they’re out there talking about Gervonta Davis, and they’re talking about Deontay Wilder, they’re talking about the boxers who are now. Hip-hop still loves boxing, maybe now more than ever. The popularity of boxing has diminished significantly in America, but it remains ever-present in hip-hop culture and lyrics. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Snyder, a professor of rhetoric, writing and oral communication at Siena College, near Albany, New York, spoke with The Undefeated about the relationship between Tyson and Shakur, the early apprehensions about rap music on fight night, and why he opened the book with Zab Judah.
0 kommentar(er)
