Stepin Fetchit Rap (Lincoln Perry) from the1945 musical "Big Timers"

[loughran03]

an embarrasment.

[lenoxbred]

I heard perry was highly literate. I want to see a clip of that. I'm still looking. The reason I'm on a hunt right now is because I was watching in living color and David Alan grier plays the old blues singer and he says he knew all the greats. He names stepin fetchit and says he spoke like a white man. He kept repeating that like it was unbelievable and the audience laughed like it was an inside joke.

[TheSolaris810]

Easy to judge Perry in our enlightened times. He is an important part of African/Americant history. It may be uncomfortable viewing, but without his performances on film, we wouldnt have gotten perhaps a true insight in to the stereotypical image that Black Americans had to endure. The NAACP obviously recognised his talent; perhaps even that he was subverting & earning a fortune from that very image that Black Americans couldnt escape from. Cmon Spike Lee, his life would make a compelling film!

[honeegrrl]

Lincoln Perry was the highest paid black actor in Hollywood, I was watching a documentary called Mo Funny, Black Comedy In America, and according the documentary, he make something like $1800 per week and back then that was a lot of money.

[xPriestly]

LOL !

This guy is awesome !!!

" Bernard don't let your big head get hard. " xD

[noseyasalways]

I remember watching this back in the 80's when I was a child. I never knew the name of the show till now.

[LoreneFaith]

@erakuhh The first!

[TheMunroe10]

He spits hot fire. The first rapper of all time.

[LoreneFaith]

@TheMunroe10 Indeed he was! And he did it with class. He even had a pink Cadillac.

[ultrakool]

Hey, you know what they say: see a broad to get dat booty yak 'em...leg 'er down a smack 'em yak 'em!

[akthemoor]

are ppl actually commenting on here as if this jigaboo was a black hero or icon? Wow no wonder blacks can't get anywhere nowadays. He was a puppet and tool for the very same black brainwash that is happening today. Yes boss, yesa masa! How sad is that.

[mrjohnnynofear]

sock it to me...sock it to me....Boy...Boy!...I said come on...Now I dun worked up a sweat ...I said Strut..Boy! Naw me, Me! Strut! Strut! Strut!....LMAO!

[MrEarl0805]

tap shoe slim, shoestring shawty, amos n andy, all dat type of shyt!!! is dat good 4 u boss??

[hanginwithstang]

@jesusneverexisted300 he was born in the West Indies

[jesusneverexisted300]

@hanginwithstang:  That's black!

[MrsPoodle78]

Read Hattie McDaniel's biography "Black Ambition, White Hollywood". It reveals so much about the struggle of the black actor in that period. Hattie McDaniel is the actress who played "Mammie" in "Gone WIth The WInd".

[LoreneFaith]

@MrsPoodle78 Very good recommendation, thanks.

[FrankLJ]

@MrsPoodle78

Yes, I do know one of America's most famous actresses. What in her BAWH goes against what Leonard Maltin (or Perry) said in his 'Little Rascals' book?

The curious thing about Perry in this clip is that the accent and rythym resemble modern rap, even though filtered thru the perceptions of the whites who made the film. I think it is another example of the 'more to Perry than met the eye' idea of Maltin.

Sometimes, you just have to take your black history where you can find it.

[rdsweet]

@MrsPoodle78 things have not changed much. Black folks have to write and finance their own stories.

[Firelogger]

@MrsPoodle78 She was the first African American to win an Oscar.

[indure08]

@MrsPoodle78 Will do so...thanks!

[MrsPoodle78]

Read Hattie McDaniel's biography "Black Ambition, White Hollywood". It reveals so much about the struggle of the black actor in that period.

[FrankLJ]

There is a good discussion of the 'Fechit' character, pro and con, in Leonard Maltins book on the Little Rascals (in which Lincoln Perry made some appearances). Apparenly he no more resembled his character off-screen than Stan Laurel resembled his.

'When all the Negroes was bleaching their skin, conking their hair and trying to be white, I was sayin' black was beautiful. ME.' -Lincoln Perry

[LoreneFaith]

@FrankLJ That is great information and thanks so much for the quote. I would like to use that in my video description if you don't mind.

[MrsPoodle78]

@FrankLJ Read Hattie McDaniel's biography "Black Ambition, White Hollywood". It reveals so much about the struggle of the black actor in that period. Hattie McDaniel is the actress who played "Mammie" in "Gone WIth The WInd".

[gregwi562]

I think I could admire this man if only he played at least one dignified role.

[LoreneFaith]

@gregwi562 He is to be admired. He was a very intelligent man. He took the opportunities available to him at the time and became the first black actor who was a millionaire. He paved the way for many others.

[gregwi562]

@LoreneFaith I understand that you personally admire him...and don't me wrong, I don't hate the man at all. I just don't see how he could play that role again and again over the years of his career. And I don know that his contemporary fellow black actors also had problems with the Stepin Fetchit character and they thought it was a set back. Now Eddie Rochester Anderson and Hattie McDaniel were just two of the actors who were trailblazers.

[LoreneFaith]

@gregwi562 The black actors had to take the roles that were available at the time, and even though they were somewhat demeaning, they made that sacrifice to open the doors for others. Hattie played the role of Mammy or a domestic servant but as she most famously said, "I'd rather play one, than be one". She had one of the most beautiful homes in Los Angeles.

[gregwi562]

@LoreneFaith I hope you can at least understand that is possible to play the part of a domestic servant with dignity, while it is almost impossible to play a shiftless, lazy "coon" with any true self-respect.

[LoreneFaith]

@gregwi562 Yes I do understand what you are saying there. All I can say is, I am so thankful that things are so different now :)

[nastai1]

@LoreneFaith things are moving backwards instead of forwards, pay close attention and mark the similarities of the old black "actors" with the modern ones

[FrankLJ]

'almost impossible to play a shiftless, lazy "coon" with any true self-respect'

Paul Roebeson managed it in 'Showboat'.

'No matter what you says, I still suits me' [ Woman:'Shiftless! Lazy! No-good!']

[gregwi562]

@FrankLJ Paul Robeson's body of work vs Step fetchit's body of work. I think that is an easy choice. Paul Robeson did play plenty of dignified roles throughout his career and was not content with the "coon" roles.

[rdsweet]

@gregwi562 There is no versus. People did what they did. One was not better than the other.

[rdsweet]

@gregwi562 Perry was a trailblazer too. Remember they were paying white men to play black characters. For him to be able to work and make the money he made he was trully a trailblazer. Until you been through legal Jim Crow it might be best not to make any judgements.

[gregwi562]

@rdsweet And you have been through real Jim Crow yourself?

[rdsweet]

@gregwi562 thanks for making my point. Until we have walked in these folks shoes anything negative is insane to say. I have parents that have been through and a sister that was at the apex of school integration. Judgement is for those who have not been through it.

[researchsiempre]

@gregwi562 jim crow segregation/discriminqation only legally ended 40 something years ago--so yes many alive today have 'been through' jim crow.

[gregwi562]

@researchsiempre No great revelation to me since my parents and grandparents lived under it. But that question was directed at the poster in the thread.

[realityme]

The origin of southern rap....smh

[hanginwithstang]

@LoreneFaith he was NEVER an editor for the Chicago Times, he was a contributing author for the black newspaper the Chicago Defender... I just wrote a whole piece on the accurate history of him and other under appreciated acts of his era. Also, he wasn't black, his parents were West Indian but since his skin was dark and he was born in Florida, he was societally black by default.

You might enjoy this read: hanginwithstang.stangzine.c-m

[LoreneFaith]

@hanginwithstang That is really interesting history. Thanks for your comments.

[wandercons]

@hanginwithstang

Uh... so you're saying that West Indian people can't be black? Come on!

[RetroVGamer]

@hanginwithstang Not to sound racist but it takes more than dark skin to be considered a black person. You can be dark skin and be Hispanic for example. What made him look black was not just his dark skin, but his nappy hair, nose and lips. Sorry if that sounds racist, but it's true.

[jesusneverexisted300]

@hanginwithstang: How could a black person born black not be black? That makes no sense.

[rdsweet]

@jesusneverexisted300 no need to entertain that. Not sure why I even responded. We know, Lincoln knows and that's all that matters.

[rdsweet]

@hanginwithstang what do you mean he wasn't Black. It's 2010. He was Black. He identified as Black. And there is nothing wrong with being Black.

[Patavinity]

@hanginwithstang Ummm West Indians are black

[Abudu1956]

@hanginwithstang , No one is black hangin. To be black means u have no country. There is no country named black. We are Africans in America just like Caucasians from Africa are the same. By Caucasian or the American society Lincoln Perry was what defined as a black man when he was alive. He lived like African Americans, he faced the same stereotyping we faced, the same racism and he even defined himself the same way all other African Americans defined themselves during his time as a black man.

[hanginwithstang]

@Abudu1956 I respect your thoughts but how one defines him or herself is very personal in this day and age. I grew up in an era before the "label" became African-American. I'm fine being black and I don't need other people to recognize if I have a country or not, as long as I recognize who I am, where I'm from, where I've been and where I'm going...it works.

[WHATISUTUBE]

@hanginwithstang That...makes him black. Not AMERICAN black, but black nonetheless.

[dashjudahboogie]

straight spittin.. that hot fire waay bac

[LoreneFaith]

@dashjudahboogie Way back roots!!! Stepin had it!

[Talljim01]

Highest paid actor of his time. One of the pioneers.

[LoreneFaith]

Very true!

[reznick8]

this is incredible.

A valuable piece in history, and a valuable piece of the puzzle of our pop culture.

Hes one of my favorite types of heros. The type which had to sacrifice his reputation for the better of those who came after him. Yes, he did play negative stereotypical roles, but how would we know what that looked like without him?

By the way very interesting about him having two phone lines

[LoreneFaith]

I totally agree. He did have to make a sacrifice to have his career but he knew what he had to do and he was anything but dumb. He was just a brilliant actor!

[safemypikey]

we all got contextual problems.

None of us humans are truly free.

[Blackjesus3]

nicee but damm its so sad how we were treated back then :(

[LoreneFaith]

That is so true. There are so many talented people who had to deal with so much degrading treatment back then Stepin' and Hattie, Billy Robinson and Lena, William Warfield, Paul Robinson just to name a few. They were so brave.

[Blackjesus3]

cant4 get sammy davis nat cole n ye hatti the kid who played buckweat william something i4got

[LoreneFaith]

You got that right. The list would be endless.  They were brave and paved the way for so many other. Tough going did not stop them!

[Blackjesus3]

VERY TRUE

[lmjames33]

@LoreneFaith He was a very smart guy... He also was the editor for the Chicago Times newspaper during that time period. He did what he had to do to make a living. Whites loved for us to look ingnorant and act like this on tv. but actually the blacks were more educated than they were. LOl.........

[lmjames33]

@LoreneFaith They said he had two phones in his house. One to Hollywood where he would act like this and the other where he would sound like an educated man.

[lmjames33]

@LoreneFaith There is a show either on Showtime on Demand or HBO on Demand called "Why we laugh" Very good documentary about black comedians for old to present day. A must watch!!!!!

[crazyv202]

Despite the fact that he has opened the door to black comedy as well as comedians, it still is sickening to see how blacks were portrayed in such a fashion. Lincoln Perry was actually an articulate man. So to see this, its awful...He had to portray what back in the day was thought of as "black culture". Blacks weren't lazy, hell, they built the country practically.

[LoreneFaith]

I totally agree with you and it is sad. But I admire Lincoln Perry for making the most of the opportunities that he had at the time and helping create pave the way for others.

[FuhQTube]

hahaaa! Do ya thang Step-Fiddy!

[ProjectAurora]

I have to comment again. How can anyone listen to Stepit's first lines in this song and then try to say this is a stereotype. This is rap in it's first carnation and no different to JayZ, Eminen, Beyonce and all those other black people curently performing for us in the USA today. Cut the crap guys, fetchit deserves more than controversy

[LoreneFaith]

That is exactly what I thought when I first heard this. Stepin did some of the first classic rap. I don't know what else you would call it. Of course they would not of called it rap back then, but it was. Again, Stepin set the stage and opened doors.

[ProjectAurora]

@LoreneFaith

You are spot on. Just because the beats aren;t as todays beats. See the difference between the late seventies rap and then now. Well, Stepin is rapping in this song and using the music of the day. He eventually did get recognised for his genious but all too late in my eyes. A genius and please don't think he spoke like that or acted that way in real life. A VERY clever man.

[ProjectAurora]

I dont understand the controversy with this guy? With all the racism and stuff you would think that Stepin would get some credit or making it in a predominantly White industry back in that day. Stepin accurately portrayed black culture and went against the stereotype and showed black culture as it was to millions. Why he was controversial is beyond me. fetchit was and still is a credit to the black heritige and culture and its about time he gained recognition for his achievments.

[jga665]

@ProjectAurora

the NAACP actually honored him wiith a lifetime achievement award back in the 70s.

[LoreneFaith]

I did not know that and am really glad to hear that.

[LoreneFaith]

I totally agree with you. I don't think he is appreciated enough at all. He was one of the first black entertainers to become a millionaire. Thank you for your comment.

[rdsweet]

@ProjectAurora Accurately portrayed black culture. smh. i guess you believe what you believe.

[alexXporter]

sounds better than rap

[LoreneFaith]

I agree! It is a sort of poetic rap!

[BoiLight]

doesnt sound like modern-da rap sounds more lik poetry

[zyruemusic]

Yes it does!!!! Go check out Jay-Z...Sounds just like his work take away the dope,money,and jewlery...YES IT DOES!!!