When his old party records were discovered (and sampled) by such rap artists as Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah, and Big Daddy Kane – many of whom would subsequently invite the man they called The Godfather of Rap to guest star on their albums — Moore enjoyed a late life comeback. (…)
Moore died in October 2008 at the age of 81 from complications of diabetes. In the wake of his passing, friends and associates of the blaxploitation and rap icon came forward to confirm longstanding rumors that Moore, who never married, was homosexual (or possibly bisexual) – a posthumous revelation that did little to undermine Moore’s loyal fanbase while proving itself yet another facet to a man who remained “… young and free/And just as bad as I wanna be.”
***
Yeah… remember “party albums”?
More here:
In 1992, a friend handed 17-year-old Mark Jason Murphy a VHS tape of comedian Rudy Ray Moore’s 1975 blaxploitation film Dolemite. Blown away by all the outrageous sex, violence and wordplay, the Sacramento teen tracked down cassettes of Moore’s comedy albums and eventually Moore himself.
Murphy soon found himself running the underground comedy legend’s website and collaborating with him on a biography—projects he has continued since Moore’s death in 2008.
Researching Moore’s peers and rivals for the in-progress book led Murphy to his current project, which he hopes will revive a lost art form. By reissuing some of the filthiest, loosest, most offensive comedy records ever recorded, he wants to bring back the lost thrills of the ’70s African-American comedy albums known as “party records,” starting with Redd Foxx’s I Ain’t Lied Yet in June.
***
Jimmy Lynch’s 1970s classic Nigger, Please! is available at Last.fm
