Music

Mike Tyson's verse on Madonna's album was inspired by Mussolini's 'positive' energy

by Tyler Munro

Benito Mussolini was a tyrant by any definition. The leader of Italy’s National Fascist Party—seriously, that was their actual name—Mussolini created a police state, survived multiple assassination attempts and effectively outlawed any political party that was not his own. He was, again by any definition, a straight up bad man.

To Mike Tyson, though, he was an inspiration.

As you might have heard, Tyson is inexplicably featured alongside Chance the Rapper on a new song set to appear on Madonna’s upcoming album. And in talking to Rolling Stone, Tyson explained that his contribution to the song, titled “Iconic,” is a spoken word piece he ad-libbed inspired by the Italian dictator.

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.

I know people may say “this guy’s a fascist” and all this stuff, but man, you can take positivity from watching him.

People may say he’s a fascist because he was, explicitly, a fascist. He revolutionized, if not pioneered, the term. He was a violent ally of Hitler’s, and while his ability to nail a speech can in some twisted way be admired, Tyson should probably tread a little more lightly on the subject.

His words, here, are eerily close to something he’d say on Mike Tyson Mysteries!, the uncannily weird cartoon currently airing that sees the retired boxer voicing a caricatured version of himself in a Scooby Doo meets Venture Brothers sort of way. [h/t Stereogum]