Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a derog. term for a black man.

1896		Kerry Mills [song title] Rastus on Parade.
1906		S. Russell in Sampson Ghost Walks (1988) 362: The play was a new semi-farcical Ethiopian musical comedy, ‘Rufus Rastus,’ by William D. Hall (white) [...] which involves the story of ‘Rufus Rastus,’ an ignorant, unfortunate darky.
1917		Ogden Standard (UT) 10 Mar. 4/2: Little Rastus started all right.
c.1924		H.E. Feather [song title] Rastus Writes a Campaign Sugar-Cane Song.
1935		Charleston (WV) Daily Mail 10 May 8/7: The magistrate looked sternly at Rastus [...] ‘Don’t let me see you here again.’ ‘You wouldn’t hab seen me dis time, sah,’ replied Rastus, ‘only de constable brought me along.’.
1941		A. Gurney Bluey & Curley 23 May [synd. cartoon strip] Hey Rastus, you tellum me get drinky [...] toot sweet, savee.
1944		Mencken ‘Designations for Colored Folk’ in AS XIX:3 172: In my boyhood Cuffy had disappeared and Sambo was being supplanted by Rastus.
1957		D. Burley N.Y. Amsterdam News 23 Nov. 13: Anyone with a white face [...] could get Sambo or Rastus strung up .
1965		L. Bruce How to Talk Dirty 98: Pat and Abie and Rastus outside of Saint Peter’s gate all listening to those angels harping in stereotype.
1970		J. Conaway Big Easy 32: I gunned ole Rastus five times out on the Lakefront.
1989		H. Rawson Dict. of Invective (1991) 280: Other generics include: [...] Rastus, a black man.
1992		J. Mowry Way Past Cool 150: It was like some ancient nigger joke: Rastus and Remus getting their woolly little heads patted by the massah.

2. as a term of address.

1886		Dly Eve. Bulletin (Maysville, KY) 14 July 2/3: Rastus—Mastah Smif, I wants ter ax yo’ er question. Mr Smith—All right, Rastus.
1889		Thomas Co. Cat. (Colby, KS) 12 Dec. 8/4: Gentleman—And so you are a newspaper man now, uncle rastus? Uncle Rastus—Yes, sah.
1897		N.Y. Tribune 16 May 38/1: Cuffy: Say you Rastus, you’se git away from hyar! I wanna catch some fish. Rastus: What’s de matter, niggah?
1899		Billee Taylor [song title] Rastus it Me!
1908		Amer. Mag. LXV Apr. 599–604: Th’ colonel [...] calls to th’ faithful old retainer: ‘Rastus, ye black rascal, bring Colonel Hinnissy a glass an’ trot out th’ decanter iv Munson’s Cure f’r Epilepsy’.
1909		Atlanta Constitution 19 Nov. 8/3: ‘Now you Rastus,’ stormed the old man, ‘I ain’t askin’ you is you ain’t; I is askin’ you ain’t you is!’.
1913		Will Amlee [song title] Rastus, You’re the Coon for Me.
1917		‘A-No. 1’ From Coast to Coast with Jack London 74: ‘Run forward to the baggage master and fetch back his hatchet, Rastus!’ [...]. ‘All right, capt’n’ came the submissive response to the command by the other whose broad dialect betrayed his African ancestry.
1917		Wash. Herald (DC) 24 Feb. 6/6: ‘Mistah Rastus [...] did you ebah sateal any chickens?’ ‘No sah [...] I nebah steal any chickens in my life’.
1969		C. Himes Blind Man with a Pistol (1971) 15: ‘Who’s the boss round here, Rastus?’ the first cop demanded.
2000		T. Udo Vatican Bloodbath 45: ‘Look here, Rastus or whatever the hell your name is,’ he hissed.