The Fugees, a hip-hop group consisting of leader Wyclef Jean, Pras Mitchel, and Lauryn Hill, revitalized the hip-hop industry with their political fervor and sexually unbiased awareness. After the Fugees’ won two Grammy Awards in 1997 for their album The Score they became the popular media fell in love with their authentic rhythm and Caribbean sound. During the same year they contributed a song to the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed When we were Kings, a documentary about the championship boxing match featuring Muhammad Ali. The historical context that the Fugees’ song taps into makes it intriguing on a multitude of levels. Their music video titled; Rumble in the Jungle, puts the focus on the shoulders of Muhammad Ali.
Several underground Hip Hop characters show up in the video to let their rhymes support religious, black cultural meanings of pride as the rhymes of the songs unfold. The use of old images and video footage add to the realism and gritty nature of this music video. Muhammad Ali is contrasted through his superior fighting ability to other fighters including, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. This strength which Muhammad Ali personified is one of the recurring mantras of this video. Even though this video does not fall into many of the pit falls of other racy, overwhelmingly debasing videos; it does perpetuate a state of violence like many rap videos. I think that this aggressive behavior primarily serves to establish these artists’s black power and cultural pride. This theme of abuse by the “white man” was and still is evident in many hip-hop videos. Many of these artists experienced life in ghettos where mistreatment by the police and their peers was an everyday occurrence. Getting back to these racist issues, artists such as the Fugees, A Tribe Called Quest, Forte, and Busta Rhymes wanted to remind everybody about the heroes their parents look up to and the politics they reinforced, through their lyrics in this song.
It’s so much more invigorating to watch this sophisticated music video compared to so many of today’s flashy videos which only feature glitzy scandalous dresses and fake mannerisms. Instead of showing controversial pictures of partially nude women the Fugees’ capture their feelings without added effects or cheap tricks. The varied connotations behind the string of photos and historical footage which is linked together are remarkable. After first seeing the first series of shots centered on a boxing ring and Africa I thought that it was an “old school” hip-hop music video due to the subtle camera effects and toned down colors. Nothing directly drew my attention at the beginning of the video but I soon became mesmerized with this straightforward approach. Most of the video takes place inside a boxing ring where each new rapper makes their appearance by rhyming a verse. In ‘96 this would have been considered to be an all-star cast of famous up and coming rappers. Each of the artists that are featured is a follower and believes in the Muslim religion. Lauryn Hill’s, charismatic outlook and jubilance unites the Fugees’ together because of the diversity of talent. Mrs. Hill sets an example for all the women in the music industry to never adjust your attitude to conform to social pressures and injustices.
When I first stared listening to these artists I wasn’t even fully aware of the religious practices and underlying meanings behind their rhymes. At the age of fifteen I was so captivated by the tones of their voices and designer clothing styles that I didn’t listen closely to the underlying implications behind their lyrics. Only when I first saw this video, I actually began to listen to the Muslim subtext, and political and racial overtones which were directly correlated. After finding this out, I realized that there were many artists who were; in fact, Muslim and communicated this through the musical media format that has become so popular. Among the Islamic supporters, Lauryn Hill strongly conveys optimism and pride.
Her lines are delivered laced with Islamic references, relatively in-sync with images and portrayals of Muslim heritage. She looks more refined and even conservative compared to the other male rappers as she wears an expensive beige coat with a black turtle-neck shirt. Her voice offers a dynamic vocal range which contrasts the other male MC’s. Her verse immediately drew my awareness when her first line hits hard, “We used to bite bullets with the pig-skin casing.” She refers to violence in the New York streets where police brutality was as harsh and unforgiving. “Pig-skin-casing” refers to the bullets fired out of guns by police men. This type violence counterbalances the punishment dealt by each blow from Muhammad Ali. After this first line the images in the video displayed him hitting a punching bag and moving around the ring punching as form of practicing his skill. As Lauryn Hill continues with her verse: “Replace the last name with the X (X), the man’s got a God complex, but take the text and change the picture, watch Muhammad Ali play the messenger like Holy Muslim scriptures, take orders from only God, only war when it’s Jihad. She mentions a black hero, Malcolm X who didn’t fight back with violence, rather with words of consciousness. She compares these two black figures because of the strong attention they demanded and the politics that made them famous. She dignifies Muhammad Ali by equating him with Muhammad from the spiritual contexts of the Muslim Koran. She projects that Muhammad Ali acted as a savior and source of power and moral stature for black people. She equivocates that Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were friends and held similar beliefs. In the music video an array of split-second images are flashed on to solidify this impression. The first black and white photography shows Malcolm X, smiling in his usual 50’s style hat, glasses, and premed black suit, side-by-side with Muhammad Ali, who’s wearing a leather jacket with a tie. The next black and white image is shown of Muhammad Ali with his hands raised up in the air, seemingly preaching to a Muslim audience wearing a black suite and religious headwear. This figuratively embodies the line from Mrs. Hill antiquating through her lyrics and vocal tones that Muhammad Ali has an air of confidence that is almost godly. The next photo of him is in color and shows him at a news conference wearing the same religious garb with his hands again far outstretched standing in front of three microphones. Another picture of Muhammad Ali is in color as it shows him holding a microphone probably being interviewed by a reporter. His green suit is more flashy and vibrant, obviously intended for the American Audience. In the last of the series of shots a camera man with a microphone is shown. He represents the media attention garnered by Muhammad Ali. The lyrics that Lauryn Hill enunciates visibly harmonize the images which are projected of Ali.
There was a type of cultural attitude that Muhammad Ali perpetuated every time he was televised nationally which corresponds to the beginning of America’s fascination with popular black society. Muhammad Ali had a flare of arrogance which was plainly displayed as he would make fun of his opponents to their face. His use of humor and willingness to say his mind got him into trouble but made more popular and beloved at the same time. Muhammad Ali gained notoriety not only through boxing, but had another outlet for his expression, rhyme. Conceptually Muhammad Ali can be considered as an early pioneer of the hip-hop movement because of this willingness to speak his mind. His vocal tones also help perpetuate the confident attitude he exudes when he’s put in the media spotlight.
Lauryn Hill dedicates her verse to her own interpretation of what Muhammad Ali tried to personify. As her verse continues the line, “Only war when it’s Jihad” cuts to the point of his legal argument that did not entail Muhammad Ali to serve and protect America. Ali considers his God the only figure in his life that he would go to war for. This sentiment he expressed after not participating in the enrollment for the Vietnam War was mostly thought to be overtly anti-patriotic. After he was arrested and convicted some of his closest friends deserted him. He was cast as an outsider in many of the communities he had been accepted into, including his Islamic counterparts. This determining point in his life almost resulted in a jail time sentence for up to five years. I can relate to his point because of the current day political dynamics of the ongoing war in Iraq.
While I support the troops that are currently fighting and protecting innocent lives I do not agree with our president, George Bush, current plan for occupancy. If it occurred that there would be a draft I believe I would appose being drafted to fight in Iraq or any other middle-eastern country. The similarity between these two wars is almost undeniable in my mind. I think the people of America finally realize, 6 years after the invasion of Iraq, that our government has destabilized the middle-east. Because Muhammad Ali related with his cultural heritage in Africa, maybe he realized that he would not want to fight in another third world country. I find it hard to believe that we could seamlessly integrate our American principles and governmental structures into Iraq without serious repercussions. Our own government tried to convince America five years ago that the people of Iraq would greet us with open arms. A bipartisan study group found that Bush’s war strategies have been unsuccessful in all aspects and there is increasing terrorism which could lead to total chaos in the middle-east. Obama was against the war, when other Democrats such as Hilary Clinton voted for it. Ali had to stand up for what he believed in and become outspoken against the war. Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X had similar views concerning this war in Vietnam.
While Ali spoke for the justices that he reserved due to his religious beliefs, Malcolm X delivered speeches against the war and sided openly with the Vietnamese people. They both fought over the injustices in America and abroad just in different forms. Both Ali and Macolm X were not afraid to voice their opinions when America was at war. It is this strength that I think Lauryn Hill reflects in her rhymes in The Rumble in the Jungle.
She isn’t the first woman on the hip hop block to rap about her religious and political views but she demonstrates that a woman can be a force of empowerment in hip hop. After she completes her verse she carries on with the chorus of the song which manifests itself in dark undertones. The attitude she takes on in most of this video is cool, but still remains lively and upbeat as she appears with her shades on and off several times. As a guitar chord is strung the ambient beat matches Lauryn Hill’s flow:
“Blocks on fire (Block’s on fire tonight), Fiends getting higher (uh-huh)
Robbing blue collar
Killing for a dollar (Stick ‘em up)
Youths get tired (Ali ah yeah)
We’re dealing with them liars (Ali ah yeah)
From Brooklyn to Zaire
We need a ghetto Messiah (ah yeah come on)”
She depicts the state of the Brooklyn Ghettos in eight lines by exposing its true underbelly for crime, corruption, and racism. A flurry of punches by Muhammad Ali Ali fills the picture as she starts to rhyme. Video footage of a Klu Klux Klan gathering is shown as she sings the first line referring to the torches they wave above their heads. The history in this music video dates back to around 1974 when Muhammad Ali and George Forman fought in Zaire. The KKK used to threaten black households to the extent of burning their houses down if they did not abandon their houses and move out of town. Lauryn Hill also refers to the drug and crime culture which is highly prevalent in some of the Brooklyn ghettos. This is paints a contradictory image because of the violence which is promoted by images of boxing. However; the violence which she depicts is criminally orientated and does not foster anything but hatred. A black and white photograph of police in Africa can barely bee seen because of how fast it disappears. It shows a policeman striking a black man across the head with a baton in a rural part of Africa. The phrases which are said present a morbid scene but the end of the chorus sheds a hopeful light on the issue. She signifies that the people of the ghetto who are suffering need some type of hope to strive forward with their lives and not rely on crime to sustain their means of living. The “Messiah” she refers to could either be Muhammad of the Koran or Muhammad Ali. Lauryn Hill tries to extend the ideal of Islam in this song by promoting its virtues to the popular consciousness of America.
The Fugees celebrate their creativity and positive outlook in front of audiences around the world, while at the same time communicating political and social injustices. Lauryn Hill’s verses connect black pride and Muslim heritage with mainstream hip-hop. After the events of 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq, the media has unintentionally shaped the publics scrutiny of a typical Muslim follower. This transformation has allowed the public to stereotypically categorize middle-easterners as terrorists and radicals. The attitude which Lauryn Hill evokes in this song allows her messages to be more palpable to the listeners of America. She tries to establish continuity between Malcom X and Muhammad Ali. Ali’s demeanor, fortitude, and moral vigor have made him one of the most famous pro-athletes of the 20th century. By equating these two inspirational figures with the Islamic religion she invigorates her message with cultural strength. In Mrs. Hill’s solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she continues to rhyme about her heritage and issues which relate to her cultural background in America. The Fugees’ were recently reunited last year in Dave Chapelle’s movie Blok Party directed by Michel Gondry. Even though tensions ran high during their set they still pulled off one of the most memorable live performances to date.
