Fall 2024 marks 50 years since both the legendary Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, and the Zaire’ 74 music festival, headlined by the likes of James Brown, BB King, Miriam Makeba and myriad other stars.
Muhammad Ali’s life bobs and weaves through an era of revolutions and disruptive social change in both the US and Africa. In the lead up to this highly politicized superfight, Ali and many other freedom fighters are forced to confront old truths and build bridges toward understanding while they learn to wield the power of influence and sacrifice. Featuring personal accounts of the monumental effort it took to put on these events, Rumble walks backstage with a staggeringly powerful group of fighters, performers, producers and activists, uplifting the legacy of Black Excellence.
Great news: "Rumble: Ali/Foreman and the Soul of ‘74" was nominated for a Webby Award – and YOU, the people, get to vote in the People’s Voice Awards!
LINK TO VOTE: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/individual-episode/history (https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/individual-episode/history)
Make your voice heard by voting for us by April 17th.
The episode “Coming Home to Africa… If James Brown Don’t Kill Us All” was nominated in the History category for Best Single Episode.
And what an episode it was: the overloaded plane, Bill Withers pulling a knife on James Brown, and all those many musicians of the diaspora jamming together at 36,000 feet as one big musical family. It’s a rare glimpse into a moment in time… that still resonates today.
Vote on or before April 17th! Encourage others to vote. Ali was the People’s Champ, and you are the People’s Voice.
From the whole team: thank you for your support!
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22 Jan 2025
THE LEGACY
What do our heroes leave behind? Nico Ali-Walsh shares memories of his grandfather, The People’s Champ. George Foreman transforms after The Rumble in the Jungle, realizing that Ali “beat the devil” out of him. Hugh Masekela is finally able to return home to South Africa and his son, Selema follows in his footsteps. Fred Wesley can still play the trombone and will do so as long as he can. After Vietnam, the momentum behind the Civil Rights Movement seems to all but disappear. History moves on. What’s left is the legacy of these soul rebels.
LITERARY REFERENCES
“The Greatest, My Own Story”by Muhammad Ali (autobiography)
“The Rumble in the Jungle” by Lewis Erenberg
“Ali: A Life” by Jonathan Eig
“The Fight” by Norman Mailer
“Shadow Box” by George Plimpton
“Ringside: A Treasury of Boxing Reportage” by Budd Schulberg
“King of the World” by David Remnick
OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS
“When We Were Kings” (Documentary by Leon Gast and David Sonenberg)
“Soul Power” (Documentary by Jeffery Kusama-Hinte and David Sonenberg)
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15 Jan 2025
THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
Ali Foreman and Muhammad Ali clash in the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle, a defining moment in sporting history that showcases the two boxing legends' contrasting styles and determination.
8 Jan 2025
THE SOUL OF '74
The show must go on! The Zaire ‘74 Music Festival is underway. The sounds of the diaspora grace the stage, united by the drum. Bill Withers stuns listeners with his raw talent. BB King wails on his guitar in one of his all-time best performances. Celia Cruz croons to the crowd, who finds an unexpected familiarity in her Afro-Latina rhythms. Miriam Makeba hypnotizes her audience and ties the whole ensemble together with her unifying spirit. And finally, James Brown emerges to close out the show. His performance makes history as he steps into the crowd and shares the mic with his fans under the rising sun; together they shout “I’m Black and I’m Proud”. This is the Soul of ‘74.
LITERARY REFERENCES
“The Rumble in the Jungle” by Lewis Erenberg
“Hit Me, Fred” by Fred Wesley (autobiography)
“LATIN N.Y.” magazine, editor-in-chief, Diane Weathers
“Lawdy Miss Clawdy: The True King of the ‘50s” by Lloyd Price and William Waller (autobiography)
OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS
“When We Were Kings” (Documentary by Leon Gast and David Soneberg)
“Soul Power” (Documentary by Jeffery Kusama-Hinte and David Sonenberg)
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18 Dec 2024
A LIE IN A LEOPARD SKIN HAT
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman recount the tragic history of Zaire's decolonization attempts and Patrice Lumumba's rise and fall, exposing the corrupting influence of the CIA and Western World on African politics.
11 Dec 2024
COMIN' HOME TO AFRICA ... If James Brown Don't Kill Us All!
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman recount their transformative journey to Zaire in 1974, where music, culture, and camaraderie overcome egos and drama to forge unforgettable memories.
4 Dec 2024
SILENCE vs. NOISE
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman's epic title fight in 1974 is dissected by historians and writers, revealing the cultural significance and personal triumphs that defined the event.
27 Nov 2024
CASH IS KING AND KING IS CASH
Don King and Hank Schwartz join forces with President Mobutu of Zaire to create the epic Zaire '74 music festival, bridging Black American culture with African roots.
20 Nov 2024
ENTER DON KING
Boxing legend Don King recounts how he cleverly managed to persuade Ali and Foreman to stage their epic title fight, The Rumble in the Jungle, in Kinshasa, Zaire.
13 Nov 2024
BLUES BEHIND BARS
In the wake of the Attica Prison Uprising, BB King performs for the prisoners at Sing Sing Prison in 1972. The Thanksgiving Day concert sparks a new conversation about prisoner rights. Documentarian Daivd Hoffman recalls his time behind the camera, watching BB King perform, and how he softened the hearts of otherwise life-hardened men. Meanwhile, with the surly Sonny Liston as a role model, George Foreman rises in the ranks as a heavyweight. He fights the Champ, Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and is held hostage in Venezuela.
FILM/VIDEO REFERENCES
Muhammad Ali poem from the Cathal O’Shannon TV show (available on YouTube)
Sing Sing Thanksgiving, documentary by David Hoffman (available on YouTube)
BOOKS
“The Rumble in the Jungle” by Lewis Erenberg
“Angela Davis: an autobiography” by Angela Davis
“Hit Me, Fred” by Fred Wesley (autobiography)
“Smokin’ Joe” by Joe Frazier and Phil Berger (autobiography)
“Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier” by Mark Kram Jr.
“By George” by George Foreman (autobiography)
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6 Nov 2024
Episode 4: UNDISPUTED CHAMPION
In their epic showdown, “The Fight of the Century,” Muhammad Ali takes on the Champ, Smokin’ Joe Frazier. It’s a stunning exhibition of strength, pain, and violence. Their fight is covered by many great writers, who transform Ali into an avatar of the age as they celebrate his ascendance as the People’s Champ. A new boxing contender enters the scene: the giant George Foreman while Miriam Makeba wins hearts as she’s dubbed Mama Africa by her fans.
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
"Ali: A Life" by Jonathan Eig
"The Fight" by Norman Mailer
"Ego" (Life magazine Cover Story, March 19, 1971) article by Norman Mailer
"The Redemption of the Champion" (Life magazine, Sept 9, 1966), article by Gordon Parks
"Shadow Box" by George Plimpton
"Ringside: A Treasury of Boxing Reportage" by Budd Schulberg
"The Greatest, My Own Story" by Muhammad Ali (autobiography)
"Smokin’ Joe" by Joe Frazier and Phil Berger (autobiography)
"Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier" by Mark Kram Jr.
"By George" by George Foreman (autobiography)
Miriam Makeba FBI file (available online at: https://vault.fbi.gov/miriam-makeba)
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30 Oct 2024
Episode 3: SMOKIN' JOE FRAZIER: THE HELLRAISER
Ali’s time in exile only strengthens his position as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. James Brown plays his first show in Paris, and his dancer, Lola Love!, recalls seeing The Godfather of Soul for the first time at The Apollo Theater. Muhammad Ali befriends heavyweight champion, Joe Frazier, only to realize that in order to win his title back, he must face his comrade in the ring.
FILM REFERENCES
“When We Were Kings” (documentary, 1996) directed by Leon Gast
“Soul Power” (documentary, 2008) directed by Jeffrey Kusama–Hinte (available on YouTube)
BOOKS
"The Greatest, My Own Story" by Muhammad Ali (autobiography)
"King: A Life" by Jonathan Eig
"Smokin’ Joe" by Joe Frazier and Phil Berger (autobiography)
"Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier" by Mark Kram Jr.
"The Rumble in the Jungle" by Lewis Erenberg
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16 Oct 2024
Episode 2: SAY IT LOUD
A season of assassinations sparks a loud cry for change. Young Cassius Clay befriends Malcolm X, joins the nation of Islam, changes his name to Muhammad Ali, and refuses to fight in Vietnam. Meanwhile, James Brown’s Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud becomes an anthem for Black America, and Hugh Masekela escapes the evils of apartheid.
FILM/VIDEO REFERENCES
Nelson Mandela “Ready to Die” speech April 20, 1964 (available on YouTube)
Miriam Makeba UN Address speech March 9, 1964 (available on YouTube)
”The Hate that Hate Produced”, documentary (1959) WNET Mike Wallace (available on YouTube)
BOOK REFERENCES
Muhammad Ali books (Cassius Clay period):
Ali: The Greatest, My Own Story by Muhammad Ali
Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig
King of the World by David Remnick
Hit Me, Fred by Fred Wesley (autobiography)
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10 Oct 2024
Episode 1: RUMBLE YOUNG MAN RUMBLE
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s heavyweight title fight is considered one of the greatest sporting events of all time. What’s less well known is that five weeks earlier in the very same stadium, James Brown headlined an epic, three-day long, pre-fight music festival. Rumble braids together both boxing and music history for a compelling account of Muhammad Ali’s growth into both The People’s Champ and the GOAT. For his first title fight, he takes on the “bad man” Sonny Liston.
REFERENCE BOOKS:
Ali: The Greatest, My Own Story by Muhammad Ali
Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig
Rumble In the Jungle by Lewis Erenberg
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2 Oct 2024
Introducing: Rumble: Ali/Foreman and The Soul of '74
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Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
419,108,275
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
33 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 74 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
90
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
51
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