Let the Beat Hit 'Em...........Literally!

I was watching an extremely interesting documentary this weekend called, "Facing Ali".  The piece showed excerpts of interviews from the men who had fought Muhammad Ali during different stages of his career, and what those fights did for them as boxers and as men.  I have to admit that it was quite compelling stuff.  I would recommend it for all Ali fans.  Even if you're not an Ali fan, its still a great piece for its historical content. 

Now I want to zero in on something that Joe Frazier said during this interview.  Joe Frazier spoke about how hard he trained for this fight.  Smokin' Joe knew that he was no match for Ali verbally, and Ali WAS massacring him verbally.  So Smokin Joe KNEW that he had to train the hardest he had ever trained and he had to get his mind dead set on the task of taking down the powerhouse in the boxing ring and in American Culture.  So Smokin Joe said that he would work the speed bag for 30 minutes straight.  THIRTY STRAIGHT MINUTES.  He clarified that it wasn't five minutes...........cool down with the weights and then do another five minutes of high powered cardio.  No he would speed bag for 30 minutes straight.  Now here is the part that stood out to me.  While he was doing his 30 minutes of intense training he would play his favorite music along with his training.  And he would punch to the beat of the music.  He said that THE MUSIC helped him to get where he needed to be mentally.  SO.........when Smokin' Joe got into the ring with Muhammad Ali - THE GREATEST, Joe Frazier, played the music in his head (mentally and spiritually during the fight) and he would hit and punch Ali to the rhythm of the music that he had been training with. 

When I heard Joe Frazier saying this, it was almost as if he was intentionally giving me something to blog about. I knew instantly that I had found a pearl of wisdom to share..........AND to prove my point of how powerful music is to the mind and to the spirit.  Smokin Joe said that he didn't know how to compete with Ali verbally so he HAD to make up for it in the ring.   And in his training he got the beats of the music in his mind body and soul and he punched Ali to the beat of the music that was with him in the boxing ring (in his heart mind and spirit) to inspire his soul.  Oh and by the way........Smokin Joe knocked Ali down twice in this fight and won by unanimous decision.  So Ali THOUGHT that he was just facing Joe Frazier.  But Joe had an anonymous invisible POWERFUL presence in the ring with him that ALI COULD NOT SEE.  All Ali saw was Joe.  Ali never saw Frazier's ALLY............this unconquerable power that music infuses right into your bloodstream.  So Smokin Joe let the beat hit 'em. 

If music was a catalyst for allowing Joe Frazier to beat the Greatest of All Time.  Then music can be a catalyst for us to beat our opponents.  Lauryn Hill said....."if music is suppose to inspire, then how come we ain't getting no higher?"  Well Lauryn........we haven't had a musical prophet to come and inspire us the way you did it since you did it.  So this again goes to prove the eternal point that I am attempting to prove and enlighten us about.  Music is our power.  Music is truly important in the lifeblood of our collective beating hearts. 

The doctors tell mothers to play classical music to their babies when the baby is in the womb and all while the baby in in toddler age. I think that this is one of the most compelling cases to prove what I am saying.  Now I am sure that when the doctor says "Classical Music" he means Beethoven, or Mozart, or The New York Philharmonic.  But OKIMA SAYS classical is James Brown, EWF, Marvin Gaye.............Let me just say if you play "PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE"........(which I personally have named as an R&B OPERA) This is a baby that is going to have superb cognitive and problem solving skills.  

So today I just wanted to again bring to the forefront the importance of a music renaissance of R&B music.  And I just got some help from a former Heavy Weight Champion of the World............who took it to the next level of the phrase.........Let The Beat Hit'Em.

Talk to you guys Wednesday!