Ongoing History Daily: Muhammed Ali’s career in music
The world is still talking about the effect Muhammad Ali had in his lifetime. One area that isn’t getting enough attention (in my opinion, anyway) is Ali’s music career.
He released a spoken word album in 1963 on the Columbia label called I Am the Greatest. The title track was issued as a single and even nominated for a Grammy. That album also features a very competent version of Ali singing Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me.” In 1969, he appeared in a Broadway musical called Buck White. And there are many musicologists who wonder if Ali didn’t invent rap.
The man was famous for freestyling two- and four-line poems that either bragged about how good he was or trash-talked some opponent. I think they have a point.
