"Original rapper" Rudy Ray Moore dies

Rudy Ray Moore, the raunchy '70's comedian, died this past Sunday, October 19th, from complications caused by diabetes. The Associated Press story says that Moore was 81, but some sources are saying he was born in 1937, which (if correct) would make him 71 at the time of his death. Surprisingly enough, the AP article states that his mother is still living! Moore is best remembered as the producer/star of Dolemite, a quite awful 1975 blaxploitation flick in which he played (I kid you not) a kung fu pimp.

Moore has been called "the original rapper", and he is probably as deserving of that title as anyone. The recorded history of rap music basically begins in 1979, but Moore was doing it at least four years before then, as this clip from Dolemite demonstrates. (Warning: profanity is contained therein).

One quote from the AP article is quite revealing:

Moore said he developed the (toasting) style, later a feature of rap music, by listening to men sitting outside joints "drinking beer and lying and talking (expletive)."

Okay! If nothing else, I want to thank the late Mr. Moore for finally explaining rap music to me.