"Rudy Ray Moore, the comedian whose style, swagger and downright salacious subject matter made him a cult figure in the world of hip-hop, died on Sunday of complications from diabetes at the age of 81.
Moore starred in dozens of films but is best known for 1975's "Dolemite," a low-budget mix of kung fu and bawdy humor that he wrote, produced and starred in as the titular wisecracking pimp. The film was a huge hit, spawned many knockoffs (not to mention a few sequels of its own) and was declared %u2014 many years later, of course %u2014 to be "the 'Citizen Kane' of blaxploitation films" by The New York Times.
Jena
New York, NY
June 2003
OCT 20, 2008 06:47 PM