FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL
Of the many stars of the blaxploitation genre of the early 1970s, Rudy Ray Moore may not be the most famous, but he was certainly the most original. An absolutely filthy-mouthed comedian (he labelled himself a “ghetto expressionist”), Moore gained a well-deserved, underground following for his rhyming jokes that usually involved obscene takes on pimps, prostitutes, and hustlers.
After recording several comedy albums, he used the money to self-produce his starring vehicle, 1975’s Dolemite—about a rhyming pimp trained in kung fu who takes revenge on the rival who put him in jail. The film went on to make $12 million, securing Moore as one of blaxploitation’s greatest artists, and one who was later crowned the “godfather” of modern rap.