Melvin Van Peebles (Born August 21, 1932 – Died September 21, 2021) is a highly influential and critically acclaimed actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.

He’s best known for his work on Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, an African American action film that’s often considered the first blaxploitation film. Other significant directorial efforts include Watermelon Man and Don’t Play Us Cheap.

A musician of sorts, Van Peebles released a swathe of spoken word albums that teetered between speech and song. These releases are considered influential in the development of hip hop. His fourth and fifth records, What the….You Mean I Can’t Sing?! and Ghetto Gothic, found him moving into more traditionally musical territory.

A stalwart of black artistry, Van Peebles was a truly unrestrained trailblazer. His son, Mario Van Peebles, would go on to direct films such as New Jack City and Panther.