How Muhammad Ali’s (Grammy-Nominated) Comedy Album Changed Everything

EPISODE 59: From rap music to tooth decay.

A couple weeks ago, out of nowhere, my pal Justin Tinsley — writer at Andscape and author of It Was All a Dream — started texting me about the 1964 Grammy Awards. And one category, in specific:

This was a remarkable list, for several reasons.

But foremost among them is the fact that I didn’t know anything about this:

And so today’s episode — ahead of Sunday’s 2024 Grammy Awards, 60 years later — is based on reporting from Justin himself at Andscape; Tom Wolfe at Rolling Stone; David Remnick’s excellent Ali biography; and our own archival video odyssey. It’s an attempt to do justice to the staggering story of this album.

Think of it as part history lesson and part listening party. Featuring Sonny Liston, Columbia Records, the birth of hip-hop, the Nation of Islam, Ben E. King, and, yes, tooth decay.

DKN/YOUTUBE SPOILER ALERT:

Fearlessly,

Pablo