"Signifying Monkey" Pre-Dolemite Toast (Not Rudy Ray Moore)

This version of "Signifying Monkey" was recorded in the 1940s. Rudy Ray Moore adapted a version of this poem for his comedy routine. This recitation was known in poor white & black communities in the south. This version is apparently by a white northerner.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• signifying
• monkey
• black
• toast
• african-american
• africa
• dolemite
• dolomite
• dolimite
• toasts
• rudy
• ray
• moore
• poem
• rhyme

[IMUHDIVA]

no you didn't try to take the signified monkey from dolimite !!!

[PartyRecords]

Sorry, Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite) did not write the "Signifying Monkey". He only adapted it from earlier versions of the poem. This was recorded in the 1940s. Pre-Dolomite.

[GeneralTarik]

I knew that Rudy Ray Moore didn't originate this or any other the other toast like Dolemite, Stack-O-Lee or Shine and the Titanic, but it is strange, to me at least, to hear a white person doing this toast. Bruce Jackson does mention in his book "Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me" that this is one of the toast that are common to blacks and whites though.

[PartyRecords]

If you read "Get Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me", you will note that some of the toasts recited by black people were learned from white prisoners.

[nashishan]

Apparently this is a story Africans brought across the Atlantic as slaves. In reality, this is just a vulgar American's rendition of a traditional African story. :3

[meddetect10]

LOL! I'd like to see this made into an adult cartoon!

[tthomaselli2]

@PartyRecords

Who does this version you just up-loaded?

[tthomaselli2]

Who did this version?

[marcos09013]

BLACK FOLK CANT HAVE SHIT!

[sconlymusicpage]

your rite rudy ray moore did'nt write this nore did h. a. converse the joke came from poor black communities in the south and lead to poor white communities in the south and if you know the south poor whites got alot from poor blacks and this what is playin is a " 78RPM Party Records "

[uhprah]

History shows that Edison invented the recorder (vocal). There's a ton of great stuff on Pandora if you look. Mack Woolbright, blind banjo player and many old records were vulgar if you knew the codes - i.e. "she sat down on a big black snake", etc. Try "Take a Whiff on Me", a 1920's song about coppin' coke in Memphis. So, what's new? Ain't black versus white, it is people. Peace.

[bozophelia]

Go with this one and Snatch and the Poontangs! Or mail me somethin better!

[freqazoidiac]

I really enjoy the Johnny Otis version (on the Cold Shot! Lp)

[shyjayb]

Funny, but it woulda been MUCH Better had RRM actually done it and NOT some white Knock Off...

[djgambitron]

either way, this guy has no sense of rhythm and adds unnecessary words every chance he can where it would flow better without them.

i'd hard of this long ago and wondered what it was. there was some other early "rap" i heard about a monkey, from the 60s i think that sounded way better than this. it might have been a version of "clap hands", but i'm not sure. it was done by some young women.