Comedian, actor, and filmmaker, Rudy Ray Moore is a legend. In the 1970s, the trailblazing entertainer paved a one-of-a-kind path to reach the masses by self-releasing his own comedy albums. Years ahead of his time, the iconic performer went on to further break down decades-long barriers, this time in Hollywood, by producing and starring in his own films that took the urban scene by storm. On the big screen, his larger than life character, Dolemite, tackled injustice, and racism with unbelievable feats of action and humor.
Moore’s persistence in delivering his brand of comedy to fans on stage, vinyl, and motion pictures is nothing short of inspirational. Decades before Spike Lee, Master P, and Tyler Perry, Moore’s foray into both the record business and film industry as an independent entrepreneurial artist was groundbreaking. Initially, marketing and distributing his film throughout the country by making guest appearances on urban radio during the day to promote showings in theaters at night, he continued that success by releasing a slew of movies that went on to infiltrate pop culture. In the ’90s, after being sampled on countless records, he became a Hip Hop icon in his own right. During the 90s, his films went on to be referenced and used on other major motion pictures, including the Reginald Hudlin directed “Great White Hype” film starring Sam Jackson, Jamie Foxx and Jeff Goldblum, which further bolstered his legacy. Although the groundbreaking performer and auteur passed away in 2008, his impact continues to be celebrated. More recently, with a new Netflix film “Dolemite is My Name” starring Eddie Murphy as Moore. The movie enjoyed a short-run theatrical release as a promotional launch on the streaming platform and is currently garnering rave reviews.
On this podcast, we present a 1996 interview that I had the pleasure of conducting with the legend himself. Despite his film persona, Moore was immensely conscientious and gracious. I’ve always cherished the opportunity I had to chat with him both on the air and off, and during a later meeting while he was promoting reissues of all his classic films for the home video market. Beyond his immense charm, I was greatly inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that led him to beat all the odds. -Israel “IZ-REAL” Vasquetelle
