“More Than Anything, He Was a…”: 57-YO Mike Tyson Relives His Days With $2 Million Worth “Gangster” Rapper

Mike Tyson went through significant ups and downs in his career and personal life. But he also had the fortune of meeting people who left a lasting impact on his life. They included some from the music industry. For all the destruction he caused in the ring, the youngest Heavyweight champion in the world boasted a keen ear for music. The latest episode of Hotboxin’ took him down memory lane as he reminisced about the time spent with one of the forerunners of an iconic music style.

Tyson never made any secret of his admiration for rap music. The genre burst into the mainstream as Tyson soared to boxing heights. Culture-wise, he always preferred the more streetwear-inspired Dapper Dan than bothering himself with pin-striped suits. His friendship with Tupac Shakur is the stuff of legend. Additionally, he had friends with whom many consider him one of the exponents of hip-hop music. Who, back in the day, accomplished many feats and saw his fortunes go up to $2 million.

An icon in Mike Tyson’s mind

24-year-old Bay Area, California-born rapper Symba was the guest in Hotboxin’s latest episode. The young musician shared that senior rappers Styles P and Angie Martinez mentioned and introduced him to Tyson during one of the show’s early episodes. The former Heavyweight champion checked to see if anyone had been mentoring him. Symba explained growing up in the Bay Area, which, barring a few exceptions, barely had any accomplished studios.

The response was enough for Tyson. He harked back to mention one of the most famous names to have come out of the place: MC Hammer. He said, “Hammer got a lot of stuff.” And the young rapper replied, “Oh dear Hammer, that’s Hammer, that’s more than hip-hop, though that’s like a Hammer had Pepsi commercials in the 80s that’s that’s different Mike …he wore parachute pants.”

Curiosity got the better of DJ Whoo Kid. He inquired whether Symba had parachute pants. The latter answered that he never had one and had no intentions of acquiring one. Tyson added how the rapper had become one of the pre-eminent personalities of the hip-hop genre. Symba asked him to share his impression of Hammer in the 80s when he was still relatively new to the scene.

Mike Tyson replied, “Listen, after every show, man, Hammer went and played dice …Hammer was  just a real person getting this money the way he knew how to get it.” Asking whether he was a gangster, DJ Whoo Kid mentioned how that was a common refrain heard by many people. Tyson continued, “Nobody bothered Hammer played Hammer. Yeah, he was a good guy, though more than anything, he was a good brother.”

Then Whoo Kid shared how many stories came up about people getting into problems in the Bay Area. They could call Hammer for assistance, or after getting beaten up, they reached out to him for help.

He brought hip-hop closer to the masses

MC Hammer remains an American icon. Born on March 30, 1962, as Stanley Kirk Burrell, the musician is widely acknowledged for popularizing hip-hop music among the general public. He had churned out some of the biggest chartbusters of the time, such as ‘U Can’t Touch This,’ 2 Legit 2 Quit,’ and ‘Pumps and a Bump.’

He was a big hit among the fans. They liked him for his flamboyant dance style, intricate choreography, and signature trousers, aptly called Hammer pants.

Read More: 14 Years After Marriage and Having 2 Kids, Mike Tyson Reveals Real Reason He Calls His Wife a “Witch”

Who is your favorite hip-hop artist of all time? Please share with us in the comments below.

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