Miami musician Clarence Reid could be your cranky grandfather…until he puts on his gold-spangled superhero costume and starts singing some of the raunchiest tunes you’ve ever heard in your life. Having changed the game in 1965 by recording what may well be the world’s first rap song (“Rap Dirty aka Blowfly’s Rapp”), Clarence has shocked and grooved audiences for over forty years with Blowfly’s hilarious and provocative hard-core songs and stage antics. But before his X-rated career began, Clarence was a major force in the renowned Miami soul scene of the 1960s and ’70s; writing Top-10 songs for some of the greatest R&B acts, including Betty Wright, Sam & Dave, Gwen McCrae and KC and the Sunshine Band. His songs have been sampled dozens of times by acts such as Ice Cube, Wu Tang Clan, and Beyonce– but having sold his royalties for virtually nothing, he’s seen no income from any of it. So he continues to take his show on the road, playing small clubs and questionable bookings in front of hard-core bands all over the world.
An intimate and revealing portrait shot over two years, ‘The Weird World of Blowfly’ examines Clarence’s personal and professional contradictions, explores his legacy and celebrates his musical and cultural significance as a rap and soul music legend, and paints a picture of an unheralded, complicated, and stunningly profane man that is as touching as it is obscene. (Source)
Find more trailers and clips on our homepage.
Acclaimed Miami musician Clarence Reid could easily be your cranky grandfather… until he puts on the gold-spangled superhero costume of his alter ego, Blowfly, and starts singing some of the filthiest songs you’ve ever heard in your life. A major force in the Miami soul scene of the 60s and 70s, Reid wrote Top-10 songs for some of the greatest R&B acts of the era, while at the same time, his X-rated recordings and stage antics as Blowfly made him a star of the “party record” scene. Having changed the game in 1965 with what might be the world’s first rap song, Blowfly has shocked and grooved audiences for over forty years since. Today, he is still on tour, struggling for success and recognition after 50 years of making music. An intimate and revealing portrait, The Weird World of Blowfly celebrates Reid’s musical and cultural significance, and paints a picture of an unheralded, hilarious, and stunningly profane man that is as touching as it is obscene. (