Lupe Fiasco Channels Muhammad Ali On the ‘Undisputed’ Soundtrack

Boxing has always had a close relationship with music, whether it’s Joe Frazier singing with his band on The Ed Sullivan Show the night before a championship fight, or Frank Sinatra becoming a ringside mainstay at Madison Square Garden. Nowhere is that bond stronger than with hip-hop, with prizefighters walking out to the ring with their favorite artists, rap verses referencing greats of the sport, and boxers dropping albums of their own. With the imminent release of Undisputed (out Oct. 11), the hotly anticipated Sweet Science sim from Steel City Interactive, Rolling Stone sat down with Grammy-winning artist Lupe Fiasco to discuss the intersection of boxing and hip-hop, his role in Undisputed, and how the culture of the people who make or star in a game shines through. Rappers and prizefighters are two sides of the same coin, willing to stand toe-to-toe with an opponent, battling from the bottom to the top, and finding inspiration from larger-than-life figures. It’s an overlap more than surface deep, at the heart of both. More from Rolling Stone Art recognizes art Lupe Fiasco is a rapper and producer, and his storytelling-infused conscience hip-hop has earned numerous award nominations going back to his debut album...