▁to ▁Islam , ▁and ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Muhammad ▁Ali . ▁It ▁was ▁released ▁by ▁CBS ▁Columbia . ▁The ▁album ▁helped ▁establish ▁Ali ' s ▁reputation ▁as ▁an ▁el o qu ently ▁po etic ▁" tr ash ▁talk er ". ▁The ▁album ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁identified ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁of ▁rap ▁music ▁and ▁a ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁hip ▁hop ▁music . ▁ ▁Over view ▁The ▁l iner ▁notes ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁poet ▁Marian ne ▁Moore , ▁a ▁long standing ▁fan ▁of ▁Clay . ▁Clay ▁collabor ated ▁on ▁the ▁writing ▁for ▁the ▁album ▁with ▁the ▁comedy ▁writer ▁Gary ▁Bel kin , ▁who ▁was ▁listed ▁as ▁producer ▁on ▁the ▁original ▁release ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁a ▁co - writer ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁re - release . ▁Bel kin ▁would ▁later ▁claim ▁he ▁had ▁largely ▁g host - written ▁the ▁works , ▁although ▁Bel kin ' s ▁assert ions ▁have ▁been ▁disput ed ▁( e . g ., ▁by ▁George ▁Pl im pton ▁and ▁David ▁Rem nick ). ▁The ▁album ▁idea ▁had ▁been ▁proposed ▁to ▁Clay ▁by ▁the ▁William ▁Morris ▁Agency , ▁and ▁the ▁recording ▁was ▁conducted ▁at ▁Columbia ▁Records ' ▁ 3 0 th ▁Street ▁New ▁York ▁Studio ▁before ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 ▁people . ▁ ▁R ather ▁than ▁being ▁listed ▁as ▁" tra cks ", ▁the ▁first ▁ 8 ▁entries ▁on ▁the ▁album ▁were ▁listed ▁with ▁" r ounds " ▁numbers , ▁and ▁Billboard ▁d uly ▁noted ▁that ▁Clay ▁claimed ▁he ▁would ▁beat ▁Son ny