When I first started watching porn around 2006, Black studios were everywhere and it appeared as though a decent-sized space for Black-owned studios was emerging and being somewhat accepted within the industry. It felt like a really good starting point. I remember new OnyXXX Films dropping weekly, Black Market and Pinky finding and fucking the biggest asses in the world with Tons Of Buns, and Big Black Video throwing amateur big beautiful women in our faces with one new feature after another. My guiltiest pleasure at the time was getting lost in Pink And White Productions because the queer representation was something I could relate to and I appreciated the way Shine Louise Houston approached lesbian sex. Instead of being soft with lots of lighting and kissing, the sex was raw and real, sometimes sloppy and awkward, and always authentic. I had never seen anything like that before, and it made me excited for Black, queer, and female creators because I saw what could be done if labels were lifted and the right people were in charge. It was like a whole new world to me…
Black Ice and Evasive Angles Entertainment caught my attention next, and they immediately jump in my mind when talking about creating a Black creative space. Black Ice was created back in 2005 as a spinoff from Zero Tolerance in direct response to actors and consumers who wanted more consistency and quality when it came to Black and interracial content. Hall-of-Fame Puerto Rican star, director, and owner T.T. Boy started Evasive Angels as well as T.T. Boy Productions and Bubble Butt Inc. with the purpose of showcasing ethnic women and was among the first to travel to places like Jamaica, Cuba, and the Philippines in an effort to discover and bring light to new talent. I fell in love with both through my extreme love of all things parody, and from 2010 to 2013 they each took park in completely annihilating the parody game with hit after hit after hit. Evasive Angels’ Can’t Be Martin – It’s A XXX Parody is must-watch for any Martin fans out there, and Official Flava Of Love Parody from Black Ice is the funniest thing you’ll watch today! Browsing through the catalogs of these giants was always like walking through your favorite store. You knew you were going to walk away with a bunch of shit in your shopping cart and a whole list of things to buy later.
Video Team and After Dark Pictures were also instrumental in creating a space for authentic Black content created and controlled by Black stars and directors. Video Team’s office and store was in South Central L.A. back in the day, and Christian Mann—never the shy guy—let the community know what his company was about. Before you knew it, a neighborhood guy named Willie S. expressed his concern with Black representation in the adult industry. He noted how offensive most content featuring and marketed towards minorities was (and still is in some regards) and Christian decided to include him in the making of In Loving Color (directed by Sean Michaels). From there, a series and new perspective on casting and filming Black stars was born, and although the company was headed by a white man, he recognized and the need for creative input from Black people and actively sought it out. After Dark is an affiliate of West Coast Productions, and similar to Black Ice they saw a market opening for authentic ethnic content and employed the brilliant mind of star Bishop to direct and illustrate the vision. He gave us classics like Fatally Obsessed (starring one of my many loves Nyomi Banxxx), Big Ass Stalker 2, and my personal Bishop favorite Black Scary Movie. Having Black writers in addition to directors and stars totally changed the landscape, because they were allowed to control the narrative and present stars as more than the “big booty Black bitch” or the “hung Black dude your petite white wife is cheating on you with.” Those fantasies certainly have their place, but Black content is so much more than false stereotypes, and these guys made it a purpose to show that while still having fun and putting Black culture first.
Now, there’s an argument to be made that Sean Michaels is the most influential person when it comes to Black porn in every regard. Some might say it’s not even up for debate. I was super late to the game, (I’m a millennial so I’m working backwards here) but Sean Michaels is and has been a major player in the adult industry since 1989. He turned heads with his performance in John Leslie‘s Oh, What A Night (fucking classic!), and started Sean Michaels Productions, later Sean Michaels International, in 1996 as a way to alter the perception of Black men in porno flicks. Instead of “thugs” or “gangsters,” Sean showed Black businessmen in suave suits sweeping women off their feet with the flash of a pearly white smile. It was almost like putting Babyface in a porno, and I bet all the ladies loved that shit! Beloved by his peers, Michaels has always been looked up to and he’s even making waves to this day with his performances in trans movies, staying true and consistent in his belief that people should explore their bodies and sexuality freely should they choose. Black ‘N Blonde Sex Acts Volume 1 is a fan-favorite when it comes to gonzo interracial but my go to is Naughty Wives Club #5. Whatever Sean said and did before Diana DeVoe and Lee Stone took the stage had to be magic! Both are superstars in their own right, but in that second clip they take it to a higher level with a little acting and some crazy-intense sex. The camera angles are boss too, especially while she’s sucking him off.
Lexington Steele followed Sean’s lead later with Mercenary Pictures. He founded and directed for the studio in 2003 and used it as his personal platform to create movies in his vision. Steele thought that viewers should be able to see themselves in the porn they watch and form a connection, but that’s hard to do when those writing and directing the content have no connection with the viewers, so he changed that. He brought a fire and intensity to set trying to capture what regular guys would feel like if they had the chance to fuck insanely hot women, and he demanded the same from his staff and costars. His take on interracial is legendary, with flicks like Lexington Loves Huge White Tits and Pole Position – Lex POV Volume 6.
Justin Slayer International and Justin Slayer Productions first came to be in the early 2000s and he’s another star, director, and producer who left his stamp all over the industry with series like Black Pipe Layers and Phuck Girl, where you could see and feel his vision and influence in every scene. Justin always casts the sexiest women in his flicks, plus he helped make the ass shots that we all love to see popular with his amazing understanding of camera angles. For that alone we owe him thanks, but he also played a roll in paving the way for other younger entertainers to independently leave their mark on the game like my guy Brian Pumper. Pumper was like the Allen Iverson of porn from 2007 – 2014. Like AI brought flashy jewelry, long shorts, and a crew to the NBA, Brian brought hip hop to porn and made it a focal point in series like Phattys Rhymes & Dimes and New Lil’ Freaks Get It Poppin’. From my perspective it was genius, and I couldn’t understand how it took so long for someone to bring the two together the way he did. People fuck to music all the time, but when it comes to twerking and showing off a phat oiled-down booty, you’ll never go wrong with rap, and Pumper ran all the way to the bank with that shit! People that never saw him bang a single woman on film knew who he was because of his short music videos and I was all about it. Pumper had dudes really thinking they could have 13 cars, a huge mansion, and their own recording studio by taking over the porn scene. From there, being a Black male performer became cool on a completely new level. Yeah, you get to have sex with lots of beautiful women, but now slinging dick was seen as a legit opportunity to come up and have it all, like mainstream entertainers, and we still see the effects of that thinking in today’s Black talent. Oh, what a time to be alive!
So, what the hell happened to all the Black-owned studios? Where did they all go, and why? Answering those questions is as hard as you probably imagine, and it mirrors the issues our world is facing right now. The simple answer is the industry is racist in its portrayal AND treatment of Black people, period. Have Black creators and stars been forced into buyouts or blacklisted? Probably, but those stories aren’t always reported and shared, and stirring the pot you’re trying to make a living in isn’t an easy path. We have heard the stories of stereotyped castings and unequal pay from stars like Janet Jacme, Misty Stone, Heather Hunter, and Bella Moretti though (to name a few), and from there we can try to deduce what happened and is still happening. To me, it seems like a lot of these Black studios and content creators started to fade into the background around 2013 and I can’t help but make a connection with technology. The treatment of Black people within the industry, and the roles they were asked to play made it easy for a lot of directors, stars, and producers to start and promote their brands on their own sites and social media. Add the 100% profit, closer connection with fans, and complete control over how you’re viewed to the list of benefits, and it’s no wonder the move away from VOD was so appealing. Backing from a major company was no longer required and simply put, Black people working within the adult industry are better served taking the DIY route than signing with mainstream companies. Not only are those opportunities few and far in between, but you’re made to compete within your own race in a way that others are not. It’s a shame studios still think only one Black girl on contract is necessary, or that Black men deserve half the pay of their counterparts, and diving into that shit will result in a never-ending story, but if you’re reading this you at least have to sit down and think about the issues and the bigger picture. Everyone suffers when people are limited and silenced, or forced into a particular role or theme just because marketing decides that’s what’s best, and everyone should be at least bothered by that.
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