Chance The Rapper’s song inspired by Benito Mussolini
Chance the Rapper is not a controversial figure. Far from it, he is actually one of the least contentious artists in hip-hop and has remained a peaceful and slightly mysterious emcee for the majority of his career.
However, in 2015, the lyricist teamed up with one iconic singer and, strangely, a boxer to make a song that was dedicated to an infamous fascist dictator. Although the leader in question wasn’t Adolf Hitler, it was one of his wicked allies, Benito Mussolini.
The Italian was and is still, to this day, considered to be one of the most malevolent figures of the 1930s. But, it wasn’t Chance The Rapper who decided to write a song inspired by Mussolini — it was Mike Tyson.
While the iconic boxer is no stranger to controversy, it came as a shock to many when he decided to praise the infamous fascist dictator. Furthermore, it was confusing when he compared aspects of Mussolini’s mannerisms to hip-hop culture.
During an interview, Tyson revealed he drew inspiration from Mussolini for a song he collaborated on with Madonna and Chance The Rapper. Recalling how the track came about, the boxer told Rolling Stone, “Madonna calls you and tells you to come somewhere, you go. I didn’t know what the hell I was going there for.”
Madonna asked him to record an intro for her song ‘Iconic’, but he drew inspiration from Mussolini’s speaking style. Detailing this, Tyson explained, “When I did it, I think about being some guy like [Benito] Mussolini and they’re really arrogant, but you try to come from a positive perspective and be uplifting. You watch Mussolini on television — even though we don’t understand what he’s saying — he is so mesmerizing. I look at myself in that way.”
That said, much to the interviewer’s amazement, Tyson went on to praise Mussolini as a close collaborator with Adolf Hitler. The boxer acknowledged that this was a controversial opinion but justified his stance, stating, “I know people may say ‘This guy’s a fascist’ and all this stuff, but man, you can take positivity from watching him.”
Tyson even referenced Hitler, adding, “No wonder why Hitler was attracted to him. This guy’s a hypnotic figure. There’s so much pride behind what he’s saying. I’m not even Italian, and I feel the pride he’s projecting. He had that street swag; he was doing this stuff with his hands and moving his head before it was even hip-hop.”
The song culminated in the release of ‘Iconic’, a bizarre and unexpected collaboration between Madonna, Tyson, and Chance the Rapper. The song doesn’t openly reference Mussolini or fascism in any way. However, the idea that Mike Tyson was channelling his inner Mussolini is unnerving.