Boxing and hip hop have many things in common. Both are often violent and crude. And they usually don’t get the respect they deserve as an art form.
These art forms have given many young men the opportunity to escape a life of poverty and live a life of prosperity. Some even lived a life of crime before becoming superstars. Men like Mike Tyson, Bernard Hopkins, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and many more. On the hip hop side, names include: Nas, The Notorious B.I.G, 50 Cent, among others.
With so many things in common one would think that boxing and hip hop have always coexisted. It is easy to see and hear rap music being played during ring walks today and imagine that it has always been this way.
However, before the ’90’s fighters would walk into the ring playing classical or rock music, or nothing at all.
Mike Tyson was the first superstar boxer to enter the ring playing hip hop music. During his championship reign in the ’90’s, he walked into the ring several times listening to Tupac Shakur. In fact, Tyson and Tupac were good friends. Tupac even wrote a song dedicated to Tyson called “Road to Glory.”
Since then, blasting rap music during ring walks has become commonplace.
The next logical step was having the rappers walk them to the ring.
This feat can only be accomplished if the fighter is already a star.
“Prince” Naseem Hamed walked(or rather flew) into the ring accompanied by P.Diddy for his fight against Vuyani Bungu.
This is a must see entrance:
50 Cent performed while accompanying Floyd Mayweather jr. to the ring for his fight against Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather has also been accompanied to the ring by Lil Wayne for three of his fights now.
Andrien Broner is the most recent example of a boxer walking to the ring alongside a rapper. Broner has been escorted to the ring by Kendrick Lamar and in his most recent fights Rick Ross.
Why do fighters do this?
One: to get them pumped for the fight. Two: to get non-boxing fans talking about them. When someone’s favorite rapper walks a boxer into the ring this instantly creates buzz around the fighter.
This relationship not only benefits the fighter, but also the rapper. Besides gaining exposure, the rapper gains a sort of street credibility for walking a fighter to the ring. By associating themselves with a man who fights for a living, they establish themselves as being “hard” by association. This could potentially help their sales because building a reputation as being a tough guy is a big part of hip hop.
Expect to one day see your favorite rapper walking a fighter to the ring. With so many similarities between boxing and hip hop, as well as willingness from both participants, this could become a common accurrence in the sport of boxing.
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