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

Stepin Fetchit sounding a lot like a rapper. Check out how he uses the phrase "Sock it to me" (which was made popular in the late 60's by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In). This is a clip from 1945's "Big Timers". The All American Girl Band is also featured.
Stepin Fetchit (born Lincoln Perry), the first black actor to become a millionaire (although he declared bankruptcy in 1947, two years after this particular film was released). He remains one of the most controversial actors in American history to this day.
'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

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Stephin
• Fetchit
• Lincoln
• Perry
• Rapper
• Rap
• 1945
• Big
• Timers
• All
• American
• Girl
• Band
• Sock
• It
• To
• Me
• Put
• Down

[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.

[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]

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.

[Patavinity]

@hanginwithstang Ummm West Indians are black

[WHATISUTUBE]

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

[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.

[indure08]

@MrsPoodle78 Will do so...thanks!

[LoreneFaith]

@erakuhh The first!