The name "Rastus," along with variants, comes out of the unfortunate tradition of the "blackface" minstrel shows and the portrayal of black people generally in early movies, burlesque performances and medicine shows, not to mention endless, tasteless "Rastus" jokes of the period. I heard more than a few as a youngster in the 1940's and '50's. On the other hand, for better or worse, I suppose it is a part of history in the context of the times. I'd probably not try to perform one of these songs without a short history lesson as preface.