FLY GUYS: Outside of James Brown, nothing...

FLY GUYS: Outside of James Brown, nothing has had a more pivotal influence on the heroes of hip-hop than the early-mid 1970s deluge of blaxploitation films. It’s almost impossible to find a rap act, whether it’s L.L. Cool J, Public Enemy, Kool Moe Dee or Ice-T, who didn’t grow up under the spell of such films as “Shaft,” “The Mack” or “Black Caesar.” Most of the movies’ soundtracks have been out of print for years. But now you can hear their hits on “Pimps, Players and Private Eyes,” a collection of blaxploitation themes compiled by Jorge Hinojosa, who produced the album with Ice-T for Ice’s Rhyme Syndicate Records. Due out Aug. 31, the record includes Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” Willie Hutch’s “Theme of Foxy Brown,” Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman”(from “Superfly”), Millie Jackson’s “Love Doctor” (from “Cleopatra Jones”), Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You” (from “The Mack”) and the Four Tops’ “Are You Man Enough” (from “Shaft in Africa”). According to Hinojosa, it took two years to track down the rights to the songs, which had often been bought and sold several times since their original release. Not to be missed: the album’s gaudy cartoon cover, which offers a composite drawing of stylin’ pimps and scantily clad women (dig those platform shoes!) culled from the films’ original movie posters.