Mike Tyson has always been a bit eccentric or some may say flat out crazy so nothing he says should really surprise us anymore but somehow he always manages to do it anyway. This time, Tyson says he was inspired to sing by one of the most hated dictators of all time … Benito Mussolini.
Tyson was talking to Rolling Stone about his vocal cameo on the upcoming Madonna song “Iconic” when he said he drew inspiration from the former 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.”
But then Tyson ups his game … by saying he can’t blame Adolf Hitler for admiring the Italian leader.
“I know people may say ‘this guy’s a fascist’ and all this stuff, but man, you can take positivity from watching him. No wonder why Hitler was attracted to him. This guy’s a hypnotic figure. There’s so much pride behind what he’s saying. I’m not even Italian and I feel the pride he’s projecting. He had that street swag; he was doing this stuff with his hands and moving his head before it was even hip-hop.”
