Never read a Jonah Lehrer book, peeped a James Frey lie, or knowingly bookmarked a Jayson Blair article. While fraud soaks the roots of some great literature, the truth is always better, even if/when it shakes our realities.
Alex Haley’s Roots calls into question the Autobiography of Malcolm X (Exhibit A). But like Martin Luther King’s “long arm of justice,” truth is an enduring friend (or patient foe).
Muhammad Ali must have known this when he was out reciting “his” poetry, some of which he most likely did not write. He made a name for himself by mastering the sweet science, he impressed with his sweet poetry, but he became legend for his strong moral stance.
It’s why Mos Def, I mean Yaslin Bey, channels the champ with dramatic flair. In the new Louis Vuitton ad, he pays homage to Muhammad Ali’s slick-talk and biting wit by reciting Ali’s poem known as Rumble In The Jungle, which was designed to taunt George Foreman before the big 1994 fight in Zaire.
Mr. Def stands in the center of a boxing ring for a bout of Ali-inspired spoken word, while artist Niels Shoe Meulman paints the canvass with the word, “Word.” It’s nicely shot and well done.
But Ali’s other poem would have been well-used here. His biggest piece of work was also his smallest and least provocative. A little two-piece that went like this: Read Full Story »
