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Maybe you haven’t heard his obscene lyrics or witnessed his outlandish shows. But trust us, you love Blowfly.
He’s the filthy soul uncle of Miami. And appropriately, Clarence “Blowfly” Reid is 69 years old. Dressed to impress in a crazy superhero Lucha Libre getup, he’s not only a local hero. He’s also a rap legend.
Thankfully, director and producer Jonathan Furmanski created The Weird World of Blowfly, a documentary film on Reid, illuminating his influence on the South Florida soul and R&B community in the ’60s and ’70s, his role in the development of rap, and his personal and professional setbacks.
Reid recorded what might be the first rap song ever — “Rap Dirty” — in 1965, and wrote top ten hits for Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae, and KC and the Sunshine Band. The film looks at the man and the legend, talks to fans like Ice-T and Chuck D., and explores why the man who turned “Do the Twist” to “Suck My Dick” lives in relative obscurity.
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Miami will be the third city after New York and Los Angeles to watch The Weird World of Blowfly. The film will screen here on September 29 through October 2 at O Cinema (90 NW 29 St., Miami). Like Blowfly on his new Facebook page for film updates.
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