Beatboxing

"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