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SXSW capsule review: “The Weird World of Blowfly”
Well, the title sure is spot-on. Blowfly is Clarence Reid, the “original dirty rapper.” With a catalog of album covers of naked women and some of the world’s raunchiest R&B that he spoke-sang, Blowfly wearing a weird superhero costume, spent the 60s and 70s making some of the world’s most successful triple-XXX albums, including “Rap Dirty,” a rap record from 1965, becoming a legend among record collectors, hip-hop artists and soul nerds. (“‘Rap Dirty’ was the inspiration when I wrote ‘Fight the Power,’” Public Enemy’s Chuck D says.) He also wrote a mess of R&B songs for folks such as Gwen McCrea.
Like a lot of black artists who started in the ‘60s, Reid had an unfortunately paternalistic relationship with his record label TK Records and when it fell out of fashion, so did he. He sold the rights to his music in 2003 and sees no royalties from samples. (He can’t even listen to songs that sample his music and who can blame him?)
These days, he tours with drummer and manager Tom Bowker, a former journalist and ad hoc bands. “Weird World” is complicated, fascinating stuff, bringing up some thorny questions about the intersections between race, money, personal agency, art and age. Reid says he used to put dirty lyrics to “the crackers’” favorite songs to annoy them. Except they loved it, which is not a bad example of capitalism’s ability to absorb pretty much anything.
At one point, after Bowker has gone to the store on behalf of Reid, only to have Reid blow up at him for not leaving for the next gig yet, Bowker says, “He doesn’t understand that he has no power, he is a passenger. His job is to be Blowfly on stage and to sit in his seat in the van and let me bring him stuff and let me make him great career-wise again….I’ve built up this brand!” It’s not the most comfortable moment ever and kudos to director Jonathan Furmanski for leaving it in. Then again, the get-in-the-van road life is a hard one and Reid can seem…high-strung.
But if you can’t at least giggle at “Should I (expletive) That Big Fat (expletive)?” set to “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” or “By I Time I Get to the Clinic” to “By the Time I get to Phoenix.” you are probably not alive.
“The Weird World of Blowfly” screen 9:30 tonight at Alamo Lamar 3, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at G-Tech and 9 p.m. Friday at Alamo Lamar 2. Blowfly himself performs tonight at Beerland.
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By Robert Sherber
March 15, 2010 10:22 AM | Link to this
Great review! As a former Blowlfy member I can definately vouch for all of the craziness that happens on the road, but I wouldn’t change a thing.