The Blaxploitation era will NEVER be the same! Along with the likes of Shaft, Superfly, and Sweet Sweetback – Dolemite was one of the signature characters that created the macho-pimp hero in urban filmmaking throughout the 1970s. Even today, that era has influence in film and music, with many cats in Hip-Hop and pop culture emulating the Blaxploitation era.
Recently, there has been renewed interest in the films that turned Black men and women into ghetto superstars – Black Dynamite and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained are just some recent examples of Dolemite and Rudy Ray Moore’s influence on pop culture today.
Now, years after Rudy Ray Moore’s death, Donald Randall, who served as Moore’s longtime manager, is ready to tell the world the real story behind one of Blaxploitation’s top brands! Donald is working on producing three major products around the Rudy Ray Moore brand – a biopic based on his life, and documentary, and a remake of his biggest classic, Dolemite. Along with his acting career, Moore recorded hours and hours of his X-rated comedy shows and music that no one has ever seen.
CarltonJordan.com sat down with Donald for a no-holds barred account on Rudy’s life up until his death and after. Donald reveals many things about the unsung actor, including Moore’s hidden sexuality…
Here’s an excerpt from the Carlton Jordan interview below…
CarltonJordan.com: Which rappers were using his samples? How did you approach them for royalties?
Donald Randall: 2 Live Crew, Schooly D (“Mr. Big D*ck”), Queen Latifah (“Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children” on All Hail the Queen), NWA (“Gangster, Gangster”; “Just Don’t Bite It”; “She Swallowed It”), Dr. Dre ( “The Chronic”: “Dre Day”, “Deeez Nuuuts”), Yo Yo (“Mama Don’t Take No Mess”), Master P, MC Ren, Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Ludacris, and more that I can’t think of right now. I approached the record labels or attorneys and told them I was representing Rudy’s catalog and that their artists sampled him without permission and we wanted compensation.
CarltonJordan.com: Was Rudy ever married or have any kids? Have you heard about the rumors that Rudy Ray was a homosexual? How do you respond to that?
Donald Randall: He was never married and had no kids. I heard rumors over the years that Rudy was gay, but I never saw any evidence of it. I have heard stories and have found now that the accusations were correct. I have footage of interviews with people outing him, and if you listen to his comedy, he does make reference to it. He also signed two drag queens to his label and had gay male actors in his movies. There were only three men around Rudy who weren’t gay. But I never knew this until his co-star and friend Jimmy Lynch told me. Then I believed it. Rudy did a very good job of covering it up.
Rudy did have some girlfriends, according to his friend Ben Taylor. But he also had male lovers. The documentary will cover that.
So, will he movie, Disco Godfather, let us know more about this Blaxploitation hero? Read the full EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW on Carlton Jordan.