Pugilist, Painter, Poet, Performer: The Many Sides of Muhammad Ali
First Record Outside of the Ring
In August of 1963, Muhammad Ali--then still known as Cassius Clay, Jr.--released his first spoken word album under Columbia Records. The record included eight tracks in total, with notable hits such as, "I Am The Greatest" and "Will The Real Sonny Liston Please Fall Down."
This album was nominated for a 1964 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance and has been attributed as one of the first, if not the very first, hip-hop records ever released.
