Rumble in the Jungle (song)

"Rumble in the Jungle" was written for the 1996 documentary film When We Were Kings, which focuses on American boxer Muhammad Ali and the buildup to the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle boxing match with George Foreman, which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire.^[1] The song was written by Fugees members Wyclef Jean, Pras, and Lauryn Hill along with guest vocalists Busta Rhymes, John Forté, and A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip and Phife Dawg; Jean and Hill additionally produced the song.^[2]

The song's bassline is taken from "The Name of the Game" (1977) by Swedish pop group ABBA, so Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson are given writing credits;^[3] this was the first time ABBA had granted permission to officially sample one of their recordings, a decision Andersson later attributed to the group's admiration for Hill.^[4][5] One of Hill's verses is also based on "Angel of the Morning", penned by Chip Taylor in 1967.^[2] "Rumble in the Jungle" is about Ali's background and his fight with Foreman, containing descriptions of inner-city life, and plays during the biopic's closing credits.^[1]

The song was serviced to American rhythmic contemporary radio on January 7, 1997.^[6] On January 25, 1997, it debuted and peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart.^[7] In the United Kingdom, a re-issue of "Fu-Gee-La" was originally scheduled for release, but once the film and song were released in America, import copies began to permeate the British music market, eventually selling enough units to appear at number 81 on the UK Singles Chart.^[8] This threatened the potential sales of "Fu-Gee-La", so its release was suspended to allow for the proper release of "Rumble in the Jungle" on March 3, 1997.^[3][9] The song subsequently reappeared on the UK Singles Chart, entering at number three to become the Fugees' fourth consecutive top-three hit.^[8] Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number 10 in Ireland, number 12 in Iceland, number 13 in Finland, and number 36 in Sweden.^[10][11][12] In Oceania, the song reached the top 20 in New Zealand, peaking at number 13 on June 1, 1997.^[13]

A music video directed by Marc Smerling and Mark Woollen was made for the song.^[14] It features snippets from the film interspersed with clips of the seven vocalists rapping the song in a boxing ring. The video premiered on MTV worldwide on January 14, 1997.^[15] It was subsequently added to MTV2's playlists on the week ending January 19 and to The Box's playlists the following week.^[16][17]

UK and Australian CD single^[18]

1. "Rumble in the Jungle" (edit) – 4:16
2. "Rumble in the Jungle" (full length) – 5:09
3. "I'm So Mean I Make Medicine Sick" (Muhammad Ali snippet) – 0:25
4. "Rumble in the Jungle" (a cappella) – 4:48

European CD and cassette single^[19][20]

1. "Rumble in the Jungle" (edit) – 4:16
2. "Rumble in the Jungle" (full length) – 5:09

Personnel are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes.^[2]