Rudy Ray Moore, dead at 81

I've never sat through one of Rudy Ray Moore's films, heard any of his comedy albums or his attempts at making R&B music, but I know his work. The comedian's voice was sampled on countless hip hop records and his persona as an articulate, larger-than-life pimp was a role model for men who came of age in the 1970s. Whether that was a good thing or not is up for debate.

Moore, also known by the name of the character he often portrayed, "Dolemite" died on Sunday died in Akron, Ohio after a long illness.

Here's some of Moore's work (The ass kickin' starts at 2:15):


Moore also played the character of Petey Wheatstraw:


Here's Dolemite talking out his life and his mother, who is 98 years old. An appearance on the Arsenio Hall show follows.


A clip of Dolemite's "son" on SNL