Albums like Moore's comedy raps, Richard Pryor concerts, and Millie Jackson's "Live and Uncensored" recordings provided a source of forbidden fruit for us when we were, to quote Stevie Wonder's I Wish, "little nappy headed boys." We had no understanding of the sexual acts they described; we'd just get high off the profanity. Turning the record player down as far as we could, we'd press our ears to the speakers and try not to giggle loudly enough to arouse adult suspicion. At theaters, we were openly privy to Moore's Monkey Hustle, his sole PG-rated movie, but had to sneak in to see Dolemite and its equally R-rated sequel, The Human Tornado. To this day, I can recite Dolemite's "Signifyin' Monkey" routine almost verbatim. "Way down in Africa, in the jungle deep..." That's as far as I can go before this site catches fire.

I'll be honest -- despite their entertainment value, Moore's movies were horrible. They looked as if they cost 49 cents, were full of hilariously bad kung fu (Dolemite had a stable of poorly choreographed "kung fu hos") and proved that Blaxploitation sex scenes weren't just for sexy brothers like Richard Roundtree and Ron O'Neal. Moore would roll around with whatever actresses were handy while we prayed for those black censored boxes to cover him. They never did, which is simultaneously a testament to Moore's ego and a statement of how far the man would go for comedy. Of particular note of hilarity is the bonus feature on the Dolemite DVD where Moore takes us on a tour of filming locations. It takes low budget to a new level.

There's a soft spot in my heart not for Dolemite, but for another character Moore played, Petey Wheatstraw. If you're racially sensitive, you probably want to stop reading now. Wheatstraw, the protagonist of The Devil's Son In Law is first seen being born at 8 years old. His birth is followed by a watermelon, and if I remember correctly, some ribs. Wheatstraw grows up to be a bad-ass, murdered by a rival gang. Upon entering Hell, he makes a deal to marry the Devil's daughter in exchange for his vengeful return to Earth. We never see her until the end, but let me tell you, I would rather have remained dead. One can only hope Moore remembers that role, and brokers a deal. I'm looking forward to your next comedy album, Rudy Ray! After all, at the end of Dolemite in theaters, Rudy Ray told us "Dolemite WILL be back!" Hell, if Tupac can keep making posthumous albums...

Rest in peace, Dolemite.