The Rocklopedia Fakebandica now has a podcast.
Listen now!
The Mau-Maus
From the movie Bamboozled (2000), director Spike Lee's attempt at combining Mel Brooks' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063462/ The Producers] and Paddy Chayefsky's Network with a whole lotta racial issues. I mean, a lot even for Spike Lee.
Pierre Delacroix (a horrible Damon Wayans) is the whitest black guy ever, a bitter TV writer at the Continental Network System. To get out of his contract, he comes up with the most offensive show idea he can think of: a revival of racist 19th century minstrel shows. But his Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show, set in, get this, an Alabama watermelon plantation with music by a group named The Alabama Porch Monkeys, is an instant hit.
Delacroix's assistant's brother's rap group, The Mau-Maus, are furious and kidnap the star, Mantan (Savion Glover)—even though they originally auditioned for the show ("Blak Iz Blak"). Yep, a stereotyped, foul-mouthed, 40-oz-drinkin' rap group is mad about a stereotyped, watermelon-lovin', shuckin' 'n' jivin' tap dancer. So mad they make him dance while they shoot at his feet and then kill him while broadcasting it all on the Internet. Then The Mau-Maus all get mow-mowed down by the cops, except (ironically) the white member, who demands he also be shot, because he's 1/16th black.
The band was played by real rappers: Julius "Big Blak Afrika" Hopkins (Mos Def), 1/16th Blak (M.C. Serch), Double Blak (Gano Grills), Mo Blak (Canibus), Jo Blak (DJ Scratch), Smooth Blak (Charli Baltimore), and Hard Blak (muMs).
