Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2020) - full transcript

ANNOUNCER: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
THE "GOAT" MR. DAVE CHAPPELLE.
{\c&HFFFFFF&\t(\c&H0000FFFF&)}Extracted By Nelka

.

DAVE CHAPPELLE:
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
EVERYONE HAVE A SEAT AND RELAX.

TOMORROW WILL BE A VERY
SIGNIFICANT NIGHT IN COMEDY.

I AM VERY SURPRISED TO
GET THIS AWARD THIS YOUNG,

BUT I PROMISE YOU I DESERVE IT.

.

MAN, YOU HAVE NO IDEA
WHAT THIS JOB IS LIKE.

I GREW UP WATCHING THE
BEST SHIT TALKERS THIS WORLD

HAS EVER SEEN.



EVERY OPINION IN THIS COUNTRY,

HAS A COMEDIAN THAT
REPS YOUR POINT OF VIEW.

BUT GOD DAMN IT,

I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A
COUNTRY WITH A BRITTLE SPIRIT.

I WANT TO LIVE AMONGST SOLDIERS.

.

MAN: HOW ARE YOU SO YOUNG
GETTING THIS AWARD?

DAVE: WELL, IT
TOOK ME 32 YEARS, CHAMP.

ALRIGHT, NOW.

ALRIGHT, BE WELL GUYS.

SAVAGES!

I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW IT GOES.

HEY, HEY.

IT'S VERY RARE THAT YOU
GET TO GET TOGETHER WITH



EVERYBODY AND NOTHING'S WRONG.

I'M APPRECIATING THAT
ASPECT OF IT IMMENSELY.

WOMAN: YOU NERVOUS AT ALL?

DAVE: TO GET A PRIZE, NO.

I AM GOING TO BE SURROUNDED BY
ARTISTIC GENIUS TONIGHT AND

AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS A
HIGHER APPRECIATION FOR THE

ARTS THAN MOST AT
THE KENNEDY CENTER.

THIS DOESN'T CONSTITUTE
HIGH PRESSURE, HERE.

SO MANY PEOPLE
DESERVE THESE MOMENTS...

MAN: IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU, MAN.

MAN 2: YOU THE MAN, DAVE!

DAVE: SO FEW PEOPLE GET THEM.

ANY REASON FOR ALL OF US TO
BE TOGETHER IS FINE FOR ME.

SHOULD I WEAR THE GRILLZ OR...

FREEMAN: DEARLY BELOVED...

WE ARE GATHERED HERE
TODAY TO GET THROUGH THIS

LIFETIME PRIZE CALLED TWAIN AND
CELEBRATE A LEGEND NAMED DAVE.

ELECTRIC WORD "LEGEND"...

IT MEANS YOU'RE
REMEMBERED FOREVER AND

THAT'S A MIGHTY LONG TIME.

BUT I'M HERE TO TELL
YOU THAT TONIGHT IS MORE

THAN A CELEBRATION OF
WHAT THIS LEGEND HAS DONE,

IT IS TO REJOICE IN
WHAT HE IS DOING AND

TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, FOR DAVE,
THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

AND NOW, BOYS AND GIRLS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS
OF MARK TWAIN...

LET'S GO FUCKIN' CRAZY!

FROM DAVE'S ALMA MATER,

THE DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL
OF THE ARTS SHOW BAND!

♪ ♪

MAN: YES, IT IS.

♪ ♪

♪ MAN: YO! ♪

♪ IF YOU DON'T LIKE
THE WORLD YOU'RE LIVING IN ♪

♪ TAKE A LOOK AROUND ♪

♪ AT LEAST YOU GOT FRIENDS ♪

♪ YOU SEE I
CALLED MY OLD LADY ♪

♪ FOR A FRIENDLY WORD ♪

♪ SHE PICKED UP THE PHONE
DROPPED IT ON THE FLOOR ♪

♪ "AH, AH" IS ALL I HEARD ♪

♪ ARE WE GONNA LET THE
ELEVATOR BRING US DOWN? ♪

♪ OH, NO LET'S GO! ♪

♪ LET'S GO CRAZY ♪

♪ OH, LET'S GO ♪

♪ LET'S GO CRAZY
LET'S GO, LET'S GO ♪

♪ LET'S GO, LET'S GO ♪

♪ ♪

FREEMAN: AND NOW, THE 22ND
RECIPIENT OF THE KENNEDY CENTER

MARK TWAIN PRIZE
FOR AMERICAN HUMOR,

DAVE CHAPPELLE!

.

♪ ♪

.

.

♪ ♪

.

♪ ♪

TIFFANY HADDISH: HEY YA'LL.

HEY YA'LL, MY NAME
IS TIFFANY HADDISH.

THIS IS WHERE YOU
GUYS SHOULD APPLAUD

AND GO CRAZY.

I'LL WAIT.

.

DAVE, I SEE WHY YOU WEAR
THESE THE ARE SO COMFORTABLE!

LOOK, LOOK AT THIS ROOM Y'ALL,
LOOK AT THIS ROOM.

LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WE
GOT HERE AT THIS PARTY.

YES!

COMEDIANS, ACTORS AND MUSICIANS
ARE ALL HERE FOR ONE MAN.

WE'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE DAVE
BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER IN A WAY

THAT MAYBE NO ONE ELSE
IN THE WORLD CAN.

I MET DAVE OVER 20 YEARS AGO AND
WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS EVER SINCE.

DAVE YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MY
MENTOR, MY BIG BROTHER.

AND UH, EVERY TIME I
STEP ON STAGE, EVERY TIME,

I THINK OF YOU CAUSE, UM,
I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE YOU PROUD

BECAUSE YOU THE "GOAT" YOU KNOW,
YOU THE GREATEST.

.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
DAVE IS HIS SPONTANEITY.

OH, MY FAVORITE STORY
WITH DAVE WAS ON CHRISTMAS.

ONE YEAR AFTER I FINISHED
FEEDING THE HOMELESS AT

THE LAUGH FACTORY...

I DO THAT EVERY YEAR
BECAUSE I NEVER FORGET WHERE

I CAME FROM...

NOT THE LAUGH FACTORY,
HOMELESS, HOMELESS.

DAVE CALLED ME TO MEET HIM
FOR DRINKS AND WHEN I ARRIVED,

I SEE HIM THERE WITH
MARLON WAYANS AND I WAS LIKE,

"WHAT ARE YA'LL
FATHERS DOING HERE ON CHRISTMAS?

SHOULDN'T Y'ALL
BE WITH Y'ALL KIDS?"

AND DAVE SAID,

"WHO ARE YOU, SCROOGE?
BITCH, HAVE A DRINK!"

.

SO WE LAUGHED AND
JOKED TIL ABOUT 1:00 A.M.

AND THEN DAVE WAS LIKE,
"Y'ALL WANNA GO BOWLING?"

AND WE WERE LIKE,

"AIN'T NOBODY, AIN'T
NO BOWLING ALLEY OPEN ON

CHRISTMAS THIS LATE!

LIKE, WHAT, WHAT
YOU TALKIN' BOUT?"

HE STARTED LAUGHING, HE SAID,

UH, "DO YOU REALIZE
I'M DAVE CHAPPELLE?"

HE MADE A PHONE CALL
AND THEN WE JUMPED IN HIS SUV

AND THEN
WE STARTED GOING UP THIS HILL

AND THEN WE PULLED
UP TO THESE HUGE GATES.

I MEAN, HUGE.

I WAS LIKE, "ARE WE FINNA
BE BOWLING AT JURASSIC PARK?"

WE GET OUT THE CAR,

GO TO THE DOOR AND
GUESS WHO OPENED THE DOOR,

GUESS WHO OPENED IT?

I SAID, "GUESS" BITCH, GUESS.

EDDIE MURPHY OPENED THE DOOR!

WE WAS AT EDDIE MURPHY HOUSE!

WE WAS AT EDDIE MURPHY
HOUSE AND I WAS LIKE...

AND DAVE WAS LIKE, "CALM DOWN,
CALM YOUR ASS DOWN,

WE'RE GONNA GET KICKED OUT."

I WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOD, I
CAN'T BELIEVE THIS AXEL FOLEY,

GOT A BOWLING ALLEY!"

WE MUST'VE TALKED AND LAUGHED
AND SHARED STORIES FOR HOURS.

AND THAT'S THE
KIND OF GUY DAVE IS.

HE'S SPONTANEOUS
AND HE'S MAGICAL AND

HE'S A HORRIBLE BOWLER.

.

PAUL: HI, I'M PAUL PELOSI.

TIFFANY: I'M TIFFANY HADDISH.
NICE TO MEET YOU.

PAUL: WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

MY WIFE NANCY.

TIFFANY: HEY NANCY.

SPEAKER PELOSI:
HEY, YOU WERE GREAT!

TIFFANY: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

(INAUDIBLE).

SPEAKER PELOSI: YEAH, WE
WERE MOVING WITH YA, BABE!

DAVE: I GOT THE FIRST
SHOW, EVER, AT THIS CLUB.

CHRIS: WHAT?

DAVE: THAT WAS IN '92.

TIME FLIES, MAN.

CHRIS: YEAH, MAN.
TIME AIN'T NO JOKE.

ANNOUNCER: GOOD EVENING
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND WELCOME

TO THE D.C. IMPROV!

DAVE: AIN'T NO SMOKIN
IN HERE MOTHERFUCKER!

TONY: HEY MAN, YOU KNOW
HOW WE DO IT.

IT'S DAVE'S NIGHT,
IT'S DAVE'S WEEKEND. ALRIGHT!

CHRIS: DAVE, YOU THE MAN.

YOU BRING OUT EVERYBODY!

DAVE CHAPPELLE, HE GOT
THE MARK TWAIN AWARD.

GIVE IT UP FOR
DAVE GETTING THE

MARK... TWAIN... AWARD.

MAKING HIMSELF A
WHOLE BUNCH OF DAMN...

YOU KNOW YOU'RE MAKING A
BUNCH OF MONEY WHEN YOU GET A

MARK TWAIN AWARD.

I JUST BARELY KNOW
WHO MARK TWAIN ASS IS.

DAVE: MAN, I CANNOT TELL
YOU WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GET AN

HONOR LIKE THIS IN THIS
VERY CITY I STARTED FROM.

IN FACT, LITTLE
TRIVIA FOR YOU...

THE FIRST SHOW, IN THIS
VERY ROOM, I WAS THE FIRST

COMEDIAN ON STAGE.

IT WAS ME, A GUY
NAMED BRIAN REGAN AND

SOME DYKE NAMED ELLEN DEGENERES.

WE DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GAY
BACK THEN, WE WERE ALL TRYING

TO GET SOME PUSSY.

OH, I'M SORRY I THOUGHT
THIS WAS A COMEDY CLUB.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
THIS MIGHT BE AMERICA'S LAST

SAFE PLACE TO SAY
WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE SAYING

AND LAUGH AT WHAT
YOU FEEL LIKE LAUGHING.

THIS IS SACRED GROUND.

LIVE COMEDY IS THE MOST
INCREDIBLE THING IN THE

WORLD TO ME.

YOU'RE STANDING UP
THERE LIKE A GLADIATOR;

MAYBE THAT'S THE ONLY
TIME THAT I FEEL LIKE MYSELF.

ED: AT 19, HE'S THE
YOUNGEST COMEDIAN IN

STAR SEARCH HISTORY.

FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.,
HERE IS DAVE CHAPPELL.

DAVE: THANKS.

I DON'T KNOW IF ED MENTIONED
THIS, I WAS RECENTLY ON

BLACK ENTERTAINMENT
TELEVISION...

KINDA HAVE A FEELING MOST
OF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY.

I USED TO THINK ALL
WHITE PEOPLE WERE HAPPY.

JUST TO BE WHITE.

I THOUGHT YA'LL SIT AROUND,
"FUCKIN-A, I'M WHITE!

THIS FEELS GREAT, TAXI!

(MIMICS TIRES SCREECH)

JUST CHECKIN!

I SPOKE AT MY OLD
HIGH SCHOOL AND I TOLD

THEM KIDS STRAIGHT UP.

IF YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT
MAKING IT OUT OF THIS GHETTO,

YOU GOTTA FOCUS, YOU
GOTTA STOP BLAMING WHITE PEOPLE

FOR YOUR PROBLEMS AND
YOU'VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO

RAP OR PLAY BASKETBALL OR
SOMETHING NIGGA, YOU TRAPPED!

YOU ARE TRAPPED!

EITHER DO THAT OR SELL CRACK,
THAT'S YOUR ONLY OPTIONS.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY
I'VE EVER SEEN IT WORK.

BETTER GET TO ENTERTAINING
THESE WHITE PEOPLE.

GET TO DANCING!

I USED TO WATCH A FUCKIN'
CARTOON WHEN I WAS GROWING UP

CALLED, CARE BEARS.

THEY WERE LIKE TEDDY BEARS,
BUT THEY WERE LIKE PEOPLE.

AND THEY ALL FUCKING
JUST WALKED AROUND CARING.

THEY CARED ABOUT EACH
OTHER AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

AND WHEN SHIT GOT REAL BAD,

THEY GOT DETERMINED.

(GRUNTS).

AND THE LEADER WOULD SAY,

"COME ON, GUYS!

IT'S TIME FOR
THE CARE BEAR STARE!"

REMEMBER THAT SHIT?

.

AND THEM LITTLE TEDDY BEARS
WOULD LOCK ARMS AND

STARE AT THE PROBLEM
AND I'M NOT EVEN BULLSHITTING...

ACTUAL LOVE WOULD
SHOOT OUT OF THEIR CHEST.

AND WHEN WE GREW UP WE
WANTED TO BE LIKE THOSE BEARS.

AND THEN WE GOT
OUR HEARTS BROKEN,

CAUSE WE FOUND OUT THAT LIFE
WASN'T GONNA LET US DO THAT.

AND THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO
SHOOT LOVE OUT OF YOUR CHEST.

HOWEVER...

I HAVE SHOT LOVE ONTO
SOMEBODY'S CHEST BEFORE.

AZIZ: NOVEMBER, 2003.

I'M A JUNIOR IN
COLLEGE AT N.Y.U,

I'D BEEN DOING STAND
UP MAYBE TWO YEARS.

MY MOM CALLS ME UP
AND SAYS, "AZIZ,

ARE YOU COMING HOME
FOR THANKSGIVING?"

AND I SAID, "MOM, YOU KNOW
THE MONEY I SET ASIDE TO COME

HOME FOR THANKSGIVING,
THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE OF PLAN.

DAVE CHAPPELLE IS DOING
SOME SHOWS IN SAN FRANCISCO

AT THE PUNCHLINE AND
I GOTTA GO SEE THAT.

AND SHE'S LIKE,
"WHO IS DAVE CHAPPELL?"

I SAID, "HE'S MAYBE THE
GREATEST COMEDIAN ALIVE."

SHE SAID, "IS THAT
THE GUY THAT GOES,

'I'M RICK JAMES, BITCH'?"

AND I SAID, "YES!"

SHE SAID, "HE'S HILARIOUS,
HAVE A GOOD TIME."

AND I WENT TO THOSE SHOWS,
I SAW ALL...

IT WAS LIKE SIX SHOWS THAT HE
DID AT THE PUNCHLINE AND

THESE WERE THOSE DAVE CLUB
SHOWS WHERE HE DID, YOU KNOW,

REALLY LONG SETS THAT
WENT 'TIL LIKE 4:00 OR 5:00

IN THE MORNING.

AND, AND THEY WERE HILARIOUS,

AND THEY WERE THOUGHT PROVOKING
AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

AND SINCE THEN, I'VE GOTTEN TO
KNOW DAVE AS A FRIEND.

WE'VE DONE SHOWS
TOGETHER AND BEYOND BEING

AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMER, HE
IS AN INCREDIBLE HUMAN BEING.

I REMEMBER A MOMENT ONE
TIME WE WERE AT A PARTY.

SOMEONE CAME UP TO HIM TO
ASK FOR A PHOTO AND HE SAID,

"HEY, WE'RE NOT
HERE TO TAKE PICTURES,

WE'RE HERE TO MAKE MEMORIES."

AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL
SENTIMENT AND THAT'S HOW HE

LIVES HIS LIFE.

HE TREATS EVERY MOMENT
LIKE IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE

A WONDERFUL MEMORY.

YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS YEAR
DAVE AND I, WE DID SOME SHOWS

TOGETHER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

WE FINISH THE SHOWS, WE'RE
IN THE GREENROOM TOGETHER AND,

UH, DAVE SAID, "WHAT
KIND OF NIGHT YOU TRYING TO

HAVE TONIGHT, AZIZ?"

AND I SAYS, "AW, YOU KNOW,

I'M PROBABLY GONNA TAKE IT EASY,

WE WENT HARD YESTERDAY AND
WE'VE GOT SHOWS TOMORROW."

AND HE SAID, "WELL,
YOU WANNA EAT THESE

PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS I GOT?

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AMAZING."

SORRY DAVE'S FAMILY.

.

I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW, DAVE.

MAYBE I'LL JUST TAKE IT EASY AND
GET SOME REST FOR TOMORROW."

AND HE SAID, "WELL AZIZ, NO
ONE KNOWS THIS BUT TOMORROW

THEY'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE
THAT I AM THE WINNER OF THE

MARK TWAIN PRIZE
FOR AMERICAN HUMOR."

.

AND HE SAID, "WHAT ARE
YOU GONNA TELL YOUR KIDS

20 YEARS FROM NOW, AZIZ?

ARE YOU GONNA TELL 'EM, 'I WAS
THERE THE DAY DAVE CHAPPELLE

FOUND OUT HE WON
THE MARK TWAIN AWARD AND

WE ATE MUSHROOMS
TOGETHER AND WE HAD

THE NIGHT OF OUR LIVES?'

OR ARE YOU GONNA TELL
'EM YOU GOT SOME SLEEP?"

.

AND I SAID,

"DAVE, YOU GOT A POINT,
LET'S EAT THOSE MUSHROOMS!"

TO TWAIN!

JAY: THIS IS SOME REAL SHIT.

I THINK IF DOGS COULD TALK,
NEGLECTED DOGS,

THEY WOULD SOUND
LIKE DAVE CHAPPELLE.

LIKE, LIKE IF YOU LEAVE 'EM IN
THE BACK YARD TOO LONG

HE'D BE COMPLAINING;
HE'D BE LIKE,

"OH SHIT, SON, I NEED
SOMEBODY TO GET BACK HERE.

NOBODY FEEDS ME!"

(SCREAMS)

DAVE: YEAH, THE
JACKET IS FRESH AS FUCK.

RON: OH!
NEAL: HEY RON, HOW ARE YOU?

DAVE: HE LOOKS LIKE
HE JUST GOT BACK FROM

BEATING UP MOTHERFUCKERS.

THE FIRST TIME
ANYONE BROUGHT ME ON STAGE,

GUY NAMED J.T. NEWTON,

I DON'T EVEN KNOW IS J.T. ALIVE?

SERIOUSLY.

CROWD: HE LIVES IN LONG ISLAND.

DAVE: WELL, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

.

YOU EVER THINK A NIGGA WAS DEAD,

BUT HE JUST LIVED
IN LONG ISLAND?

.

I WENT TO A COMEDY CLUB
WITH MY VERY BEST FRIEND,

WE'RE STILL FRIENDS TO THIS DAY.

WE SHOWED UP EARLY, IT WAS 5:00.

BACK IN THOSE DAY'S ALL YOU
HAD TO DO TO BE A COMEDIAN WAS

SHOW UP EARLY
ENOUGH TO SIGN THE LIST.

IT WAS 20 SPOTS, I CAME RIGHT
AFTER SCHOOL,

I PICKED SEVEN.

MY BEST FRIEND AT THE
TIME PICKED THE FIFTH.

HE BOMBED.
HE DIDN'T MAKE IT.

J.T. INTRODUCED ME, HE SAID,

"FOLKS, EVERYBODY'S GOT TO
START SOMEWHERE AND TONIGHT,

THIS YOUNG MAN
IS STARTING HERE."

I REMEMBER IT
LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.

HE SAID, "YOU MIGHT BE
WITNESSING THE BIRTH OF A STAR,

PLEASE WELCOME DAVE CHAPEL."

I WENT BY MYSELF, BUT
BY THE TIME I WENT ON,

MY MOTHER WHO IS
HERE TONIGHT...

.

AND HER MOTHER WHO
IS NO LONGER WITH US SHOWED UP.

"I BEGGED YOU NOT TO COME."

OH, I BEGGED THEM NOT TO COME.

I SAID, "THE ONLY WAY I CAN
HANDLE THIS IS TO CONFRONT IT."

SO I WENT TO MY
GRANDMOTHER AND SAID,

"LISTEN, NANNA, UM, LISTEN,
I'M GONNA SAY SOME THINGS

TONIGHT THAT YOU HAVE
NEVER HEARD ME SAY."

AND, MOM, YOU'LL
APPRECIATE THIS,

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT
YOUR MOTHER SAID TO ME?

MOM: SHE SAID,
"I'VE HEARD WORSE."

DAVE: NO. SHE SAID,
"BABY, DO THIS SHIT."

IT WAS ON!

I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY
TO YOU MOM, NOT ONLY "THANK YOU"

BUT "I TOLD YOU SO!"

.

♪ WOMAN: THERE ARE TIMES
WHEN YOU'LL NEED SOMEONE ♪

COMMON: YEAH, DAVE.

♪ WOMAN: I WILL BE
BY YOUR SIDE ♪

COMMON: WE LOVE YOU, BROTHER.

♪ WOMAN: THERE IS A LIGHT,
THAT SHINES ♪

♪ SPECIAL FOR YOU ♪

♪ SPECIAL FOR ME, YEA ♪

♪ COMMON: I NEVER
KNEW A LUH, LUH-LUH ♪

♪ A LOVE LIKE THIS ♪

♪ GOTTA BE SOMETHIN
FOR ME TO WRITE THIS ♪

♪ QUEEN, I AIN'T
SEEN YOU IN A MINUTE ♪

♪ WROTE THIS LETTER, AND
FINALLY DECIDE TO SEND IT ♪

♪ SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED,
FOR US TO GROW TOGETHER ♪

♪ LOVE HAS NO LIMIT, LET'S
SPEND IT SLOW FOREVER ♪

♪ I KNOW YOUR HEART IS
WEATHERED BY WHAT STUDS ♪

♪ DID TO YOU ♪

♪ I AIN'T GON' ASSAULT EM,
I DID IT TOO ♪

♪ BECAUSE OF YOU,
FEELINGS I HANDLE WITH CARE ♪

♪ BROTHERS RECOGNIZE
YOUR LIGHT BUT THEY CAN'T ♪

♪ HANDLE THE GLARE ♪

♪ HEY, I AIN'T
THE TYPE TO WALK AROUND ♪

♪ WITH MATCHIN SHIRTS ♪

♪ IF RELATIONSHIP IS EFFORT
I WILL MATCH YOUR WORK ♪

♪ I WANNA BE THE ONE
TO MAKE YOU HAPPIEST ♪

♪ HURT YOU THE MOST ♪

♪ THE END IS NEAR,
COME CLOSE ♪

♪ WOMAN: TO WHAT? ♪

♪ COMMON: TO THE MOST, HIGH
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPEN ♪

♪ ON HIM LET'S RELY ♪

♪ WOMAN: THERE ARE TIMES ♪

♪ WHEN YOU'LL NEED SOMEONE ♪

COMMON: SAY WHAT, COME ON!

♪ WOMAN: I WILL BE
BY YOUR SIDE ♪

♪ COMMON: YEAH, LET 'EM KNOW
ABOUT THE LIGHT ♪

♪ Y'ALL COME ON ♪

♪ WOMAN: THERE IS A LIGHT,
THAT SHINES ♪

♪ SPECIAL FOR YOU AND ME ♪

♪ COMMON: YO, YO, YO ♪

♪ DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA,
DIGGA-DIGGA-DA-DA. ♪

♪ DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA,
DIGGA-DIGGA-DA-DA ♪

♪ DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA, DIGGA-DA,
DIGGA-DIGGA-DA-DA ♪

♪ YO, I TELL YOU THE
REST WHEN I SEE YOU; ♪

♪ PEACE! ♪♪

DAVE, YOU THE GREATEST BABY.

WE LOVE YOU, MAN.

THE GREATEST, BROTHER.
DEEP IN THE LIGHT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE
INCOMPARABLE, JOHN LEGEND

.

JOHN: HELLO!

NOT ONLY AM I
A BIG FAN OF DAVE'S,

BUT I GREW UP IN
SPRINGFIELD, OHIO...

YES, ABOUT 15 MINUTES AWAY
FROM WHERE DAVE LIVES NOW AND

SPENT A LOT OF HIS CHILDHOOD.

I KNOW WE'RE IN D.C., AND HE
SPENT A LOT OF TIME HERE TOO,

BUT DAVE IS FROM OHIO, OKAY?

WE'RE CLAIMING HIM.

NOW, MOST OF THE OUTSTANDING
BOLD FACE NAMES FROM OHIO

BECOME FAMOUS
AFTER THEY LEAVE OHIO.

ONE COULD ARGUE THEY HAVE
TO LEAVE OHIO TO SUCCEED.

BUT AMAZINGLY DAVE STILL
LIVES IN THE BUCKEYE STATE.

HE STILL LIVES IN THE KIND OF
TOWN THAT MAKES PEOPLE WONDER,

"WHY DOES DAVE CHAPPELLE
LIVE IN THAT TOWN?"

HE LIVES IN THE, "SO-CALLED"
FORGOTTEN AMERICA.

DAVE NEVER FORGOT ABOUT IT.

HE HAS BROUGHT
THE WORLD TO OHIO.

HIS ANNUAL MUSICAL JAM SESSIONS
ON A LOCAL FARM ARE LEGENDARY.

HE'S BROUGHT SOME OF THE
GREATEST TALENTS IN THE WORLD

TOGETHER TO
CELEBRATE LIFE THERE.

AND RECENTLY, AFTER THE
MASS SHOOTING IN DAYTON,

TO BRING COMFORT AFTER TRAGEDY.

.

AND OF COURSE, THE MOST ICONIC
AND UNFORGETTABLE JAM SESSION

THAT WILL GO DOWN IN
HISTORY WAS BACK IN 2005.

HE TOOK A GROUP FROM
HIS HOMETOWN IN OHIO,

INCLUDING STUDENTS FROM
OUR LOCAL

HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY,
CENTRAL STATE,

ON A BUS TO BROOKLYN.

YES!

AND WHEN THEY GOT TO BROOKLYN,

WHAT AN AMAZING POP
CULTURE MOMENT DAVE CREATED.

HE BROUGHT TOGETHER SOME OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT HIP-HOP AND

NEO-SOUL ARTISTS IN THE
WORLD FOR AN EPIC CONCERT THAT

BLENDED DAVE'S COMEDY AND
HIS IMPECCABLE TASTE IN MUSIC.

DAVE: COMEDIANS AND MUSICIANS,
WE'RE LIKE THIS.

EVERY COMIC WANTS
TO BE A MUSICIAN,

EVERY MUSICIAN
THINKS THEY'RE FUNNY.

MOTHER'S GOT THREE TITTIES.

ONE FOR MILK, ONE FOR WATER AND
THE OTHER ONE'S OUR OF ORDER.

HIT ME!

♪ ♪

YOU SEE, IT'S NOT EVEN
THAT FUNNY, BUT THE HIT.

IT JUST PUSHES IT OVER THE TOP.

NOBODY HAS THREE TITTIES,
IT'S RIDICULOUS.

ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING
TO THIS CONCERT,

BEFORE I EVER MET 'EM,
I WAS FANS OF THEIRS.

SO, TO WORK WITH THESE
PEOPLE IN THIS KIND OF SETTING

IS A DREAM COME TRUE.

THIS IS THE CONCERT
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE.

♪ KANYE: WELL, IF THIS
TAKE AWAY FROM MY SPINS ♪

♪ WHICH WILL PROBABLY
TAKE AWAY FROM MY ENDS ♪

♪ THEN I HOPE THIS
TAKE AWAY FROM MY SINS ♪

♪ AND BRING THE DAY
THAT I'M DREAMING ABOUT ♪

♪ NEXT TIME I'M IN THE CLUB
EVERYBODY SCREAMING OUT ♪

♪ JE-SUS WALKS ♪

♪ GOD SHOW ME THE WAY
THE DEVILS TRYING TO ♪

♪ BRING ME DOWN ♪♪

DAVE: WE SHOOK UP THE WORLD!

WE SHOOK UP THE WORLD!

Q-TIP: HOW Y'ALL DOIN?

MY NAME IS Q-TIP, I'M UH,

I AM PROUD TO BE THE ARTISTIC
CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF HIP-HOP

HERE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER.

.

I WANT TO TALK TO
MY BRO, MY FRIEND.

YOU MY BROTHER, I LOVE YOU.

I'VE KNOWN THIS DUDE
SINCE HE FIRST STARTED.

AND IT WAS 1992 OR 1993,

HE CAME ON THE BUS HE WAS LIKE,
"HI, I'M DAVE CHAPPELLE."

I WAS LIKE, "YO,
YOU DAVE CHAPPELLE,

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, I SAW
ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS.

I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY
RAPPER THAT WAS WATCHING

MEL BROOKS BACK THEN.

JEFF: I BOUGHT DAVE
HIS FIRST SUIT WHEN HE DID

LETTERMAN IN 1995,
MIGHT HAVE BEEN '94.

I TOOK HIM TO
BARNEYS WITH MY COUSIN.

HE WAS STILL WEARING,
UM, CROSS COLORS.

DAVE: NOW DON'T
TENSE UP ON ME,

I DON'T WANT YOU
GUYS TO THINK THAT I'M AN

ANGRY BLACK GUY.

I AM AN ANGRY BLACK BUY,

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE AN ANGRY
BLACK GUY THOUGH,

IT'S DIFFERENT FOR ME.

SEE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS
BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION OR NOT,

BUT I HAVE BEEN BLACK
FOUR LIVES IN A ROW.

I NEED A BREAK.

FREDERIC: PLEASE HELP
ME WELCOME TO THE STAGE,

THE CO-CREATOR OF
"THE CHAPPELLE SHOW",

THE ONE AND ONLY,
NEAL BRENNAN.

.

♪ MAN: CHAPPELLE'S SHOW,
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW ♪

♪ CHAPPELLE'S SHOW,
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW ♪

♪CHAPPELLE'S SHOW,
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW ♪♪

NEAL: HI, DAVE.

HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW
HOW THIS NIGHT CAME TO BE.

DAVE DOESN'T
TEND TO LIKE FORMAL EVENTS.

NORMALLY HE DRESSES
LIKE A WINDOW WASHER.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HIS WIFE
ELAINE SAID TO HIM,

"BABE HOW CAN I GET YOU TO
STOP SMOKING FOR TWO HOURS?"

AND DAVE, ASSUMING IT WOULD
NEVER HAPPEN WAS LIKE,

"UM, YOU'D HAVE TO GET
JON STEWART, SARAH SILVERMAN,

NEAL, Q-TIP, TIFFANY HADDISH,

LORNE MICHAELS,
JOHN LEGEND, BRADLEY COOPER,

AND SAY MORGAN FREEMAN,

TO FLY TO D.C.
AND HONOR MY TALENT".

ELAINE SAID,
"GREAT, OCTOBER 27TH"

AND DAVE WAS LIKE, "SHIT!"

DAVE GAVE ME A CAREER.

WE MET IN 1992 AT A
COMEDY CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY,

WE WROTE A FEW JOKES
TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS,

BUT I ALWAYS HOPED WE
COULD DO SOMETHING BIGGER.

THEN IN 1997 DAVE
CALLS ME AND GOES,

"HEY, IF UNIVERSAL
REACHES OUT TO YOU,

TELL THEM WE'RE WRITING
A WEED MOVIE TOGETHER".

.

AND I WAS LIKE,
"WHAT WEED MOVIE?"

AND DAVE SAID,
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT".

NEXT THING I KNOW,

SOMEONE FROM UNIVERSAL
CALLS ME AND ASKS,

"ARE YOU WRITING A WEED
MOVIE WITH DAVE CHAPPELLE?"

AND I WAS LIKE "YES?"

AND THEY GO "WHEN
CAN YOU PITCH IT TO US?"

AND I WAS LIKE
"IN 30 DAYS' TIME."

SO WE HAD A MONTH TO
FIGURE THE PITCH OUT,

AND FINALLY ON DAY 29
I CALL DAVE AND I'M LIKE,

"DUDE, WE GOTTA WORK
THIS WEED MOVIE OUT".

.

AND HE GOES, "WHAT WEED MOVIE?"

.

ANYHOW, THE DAY BEFORE THE
PITCH WE OUTLINED HALF BAKED,

IT TOOK THE FULL DAY,
ABOUT 16 HOURS,

AND THAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL
REALLY SHOWED UP ONSCREEN.

DAVE: I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL,
BUT I CAN'T EVEN MOVE!

GUILLERMO: IT'S LIKE I FEEL
STUCK HERE, YO.

NEAL: CUT TO JANUARY OF 1998,
HALF BAKED OPENED AGAINST

GOOD WILL HUNTING

.

WAG THE DOG,

AS GOOD AS IT GETS,

AND OH YEAH, TITANIC.

.

RIGHT?

IT WAS A CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL
FLOP, AND QUITE FRANKLY

ISN'T VERY GOOD.

A COUPLE YEARS LATER,
AFTER THE STINK WORE OFF,

BOTH PROFESSIONALLY
AND PERSONALLY,

DAVE AND I WERE ON THE
PHONE AGAIN, WHICH IS A THING

PEOPLE USED TO DO,

AND HE SAYS TO ME "HEY MAN,
WE SHOULD DO A TV SHOW LIKE

PLAYBOY AFTER DARK.

NOW, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT
PLAYBOY AFTER DARK WAS,

GET YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER,
BECAUSE YOU'RE ON DEATH'S DOOR.

.

IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER
PLAYBOY AFTER DARK,

IT WAS A SUPER LAID-BACK
TV SHOW IN THE 1970S

HOSTED BY HUGH HEFNER WHO
WAS A MAGAZINE PUBLISHER AND

MILD SEX TRAFFICKER.

IMAGINE JEFFREY EPSTEIN
WITH A GROTTO.

ANYWAY, DAVE AND I FIGURED OUT A
ROUGH FORMAT FOR WHAT WOULD COME

TO BE CHAPPELLE'S SHOW.

WENT AROUND PITCHING
TO A FEW NETWORKS.

HBO DIDN'T GO GREAT, THE
WOMAN ACTUALLY SAID TO DAVE,

AND I QUOTE,

"WHY DO WE NEED YOU
WHEN WE HAVE CHRIS ROCK?"

SEE BACK THEN THERE COULD ONLY
BE ONE POPULAR BLACK COMEDIAN

AT A TIME, UNLIKE TODAY,
WHEN THERE CAN BE THREE.

SO A FEW MINUTES LATER WE
PITCHED AT COMEDY CENTRAL AND

THEY BOUGHT IT.

WE MADE THE PILOT OF
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW,

WE GOT PICKED UP TO SERIES,
AND THE SHOW WENT REALLY WELL.

LIKE ABSURDLY WELL.

LIKE SO WELL, YOU
GOTTA GO TO AFRICA WELL.

.

DAVE: OUR TOP STORY, AS WE ALL
KNOW CONGRESS RECENTLY APPROVED

PAYING OVER $1 TRILLION
TO AFRICAN AMERICANS AS

REPARATIONS FOR SLAVERY.

DONNELL: NOW I GOT ENOUGH
CIGARETTES TO LAST ME AND MY

FAMILY FOR THE
REST OF OUR LIVES.

I'M RICH BEE-AAACH!

.

WHEN WE STARTED THE SHOW,

I KNEW DAVE WAS THE
FUNNIEST PERSON I'D EVER MET,

BY THE END OF
THE SHOW I KNEW DAVE WAS

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST
PEOPLE WHO'D EVER LIVED.

THERE WERE TIMES WHEN HE WOULD
JUST IMPROVISE SOMETHING THAT WE

HAD NEVER TALKED ABOUT BEFORE,

THAT HE'D MAYBE NEVER
EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE.

CLAYTON BIGSBY'S
ENTIRE SPEECHES ABOUT

"BREATHING THE WHITE MAN'S AIR,"
AND WILL AND GRACE

ALL IMPROVISED.

DAVE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE
WILL AND GRACE THAT DON'T

MEAN THERE'S
SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU!

MEANS THERE'S
SOMETHING WRONG WITH WILL!

HE'S HOMOSEXUAL.

NEAL: TYRONE BIGGUMS' SPEECH
TO THE KIDS ABOUT DOING DRUGS

WITH MICKEY MOUSE,

TOTALLY MADE UP.

DAVE: YOU!

YOU KNOW WHAT DOG FOOD
TASTES LIKE, DO YOU?

IT TASTES JUST LIKE IT SMELLS.

DELICIOUS.

NEAL: RICK JAMES SAYING
"IT'S A CELEBRATION"

AND "FUCK YOUR COUCH,"

DAVE: BUY ANOTHER ONE
YOU RICH MOTHERFUCKER!

FUCK YOUR COUCH, NIGGA!

FUCK YOUR COUCH!

NEAL: AND "WHAT DID THE FIVE
FINGERS SAY TO THE FACE?"

DAVE: SLAP!

NEAL: HE MADE IT ALL UP.

WRITING AND DIRECTING DAVE
SOMETIMES WAS AS SIMPLE ME

STANDING ON SET WITH MY JAW
HANGING OPEN LIKE, "UH, CUT?"

THE THING THAT I LOVED ABOUT
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW

IS THAT IT ALLOWED
DAVE TO BE HIS ENTIRE SELF,

TO EXPRESS HIS INTELLECT,
HIS ANGER, HIS MORALITY,

HIS SILLINESS, HIS HYPOCRISIES,
HIS SADNESS, HIS BLAZING TALENT.

CHAPPELLE'S SHOW
WAS A RARE THING.

IT WAS A FULLY FACETED DOCUMENT
OF A HUMAN BEING LIVING IN THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

WHILE HAVING THE SURREAL
EXPERIENCE OF BEING

BORN WITH BLACK SKIN.

SO YOU KNOW,
PLAYBOY AFTER DARK.

ALSO, THE SHOW WAS PERSONAL.

SEE, I ALWAYS FELT
LIKE DAVE BLAMED ME FOR THE

FAILURE OF HALF BAKED,

SO ONE DAY WE WERE
SHOOTING A SKETCH WHERE DAVE

QUIT THE SHOW BECAUSE HE
GOT OPRAH PREGNANT. AND UM...

AND WE'RE DOING A
SCENE WHEN HE'S GOING LIKE

RAMPAGING
THROUGH THE OFFICES,

AND HE GETS TO ME AND HE
DUMPS TRASH OVER MY HEAD.

AND HERE'S WHY I SUSPECT HE
BLAMED ME FOR HALF BAKED.

AS HE DUMPED THE
TRASH OVER MY HEAD,

HE SAID "THIS IS
FOR HALF BAKED".

ALRIGHT, AS YOU CAN SEE HE
CLAIMS THAT I ACTUALLY WROTE

THAT LINE AND
TOLD HIM TO SAY IT,

WHICH IS THE ONLY TIME
THIS ENTIRE EVENING THAT I

WILL BE RECEIVING ANY
CREDIT FOR CHAPPELLE'S SHOW.

DONNELL: ME AND DAVE ARE BOTH
FROM D.C., WHICH MEANS THAT

WE STARTED OUR CAREERS
TAKING THE TRAIN TO

FUCKING COMEDY SHOWS.

DAVE CHAPPELLE IS HE
OLDEST YOUNG COMEDIAN IN

THE FUCKING BUSINESS.

"I'M FUCKING 44, BEEN DOING
COMEDY FOR 43 YEARS!"

THIS MOTHERFUCKER WAS BORN,

CAME OUT, "WAAH,
KNOCK-KNOCK MOTHERFUCKER!

WITH A CIGARETTE IN HIS
HAND AT THE SAME TIME.

THE DAVE CHAPPELLE SHOW.

BEING ON THAT
SHOW CHANGED MY LIFE.

BUT ONE CHARACTER IN PARTICULAR,
"ASHY LARRY" A LOT OF PEOPLE

REMEMBER ME AS ASHY LARRY.

AND WHEN WE DID THAT,
DAVE WAS LIKE,

"DONNELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA
DO TO PREPARE FOR THE ROLE

OF ASHY LARRY?"

I SAID, "I'M GONNA
TAKE A SHOWER, NIGGA...

AND JUST DRY OFF I'LL BE THE

ASHIEST MOTHERFUCKER
IN HOLLYWOOD.

DAVE: I'M FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
CHOCOLATE CITY.

FOR US, NIGGA, IS A PRONOUN.

WE HAVE VERY THICK SKIN.

WE DON'T SHY
AWAY FROM THE JOKES.

IN FACT, HUMOR WAS
OUR MODE OF SURVIVAL.

THE ONLY REASON I NEVER GOT MY
ASS WHOPPED ON THESE STREETS IS

BECAUSE NIGGA'S KNEW...

I'M HILARIOUS.

I WAS GETTING READY
TO START HIGH SCHOOL,

WE HAD A PRINCIPAL NAMED,
RALPH NEAL.

THAT NIGGA HAD JUST SEEN
LEAN ON ME AND WAS WALKING

AROUND WITH A
BULL-HORN LIKE THAT WAS HIM.

.

I HAD JUST GONE TO
MIDDLE SCHOOL IN OHIO,

I WAS GONE FOR THREE YEARS.

IN THE THREE YEARS I WAS GONE,
CRACK CAME OUT.

I CAME BACK TO WASHINGTON...

YOU GUY'S
REMEMBER CRACK DON'T YOU?

YOU REMEMBER WHAT
IT DID TO THIS CITY.

THAT'S WHY IT'S STRANGE TO SEE
SO MANY WHITE PEOPLE JOGGING AND

PUSHING STROLLERS AND THINGS,
CAUSE ALL THESE NIGGA'S IN D.C.

DID ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING.

WE DID THE HARD PART.

THIS IS A BLACK CITY.

THEY CALL IT CHOCOLATE CITY...

NOT BECAUSE, SHIT HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH CHOCOLATE...

THAT WAS NIGGA'S.

SARAH: I MET DAVE
HERE IN WASHINGTON, DC.

UH, YEAH,
I WAS, UH,

I WAS 19, HE WAS 17
WE WERE DOING A GIG AT A

CLUB CALLED, GARVIN'S...

AND I REMEMBER DAVE AND I WENT
TO MCDONALDS BETWEEN SHOWS AND

WE TALKED BOUT COMEDY
AND HIS FUTURE;

WHAT HIS FUTURE PLANS
WERE GONNA BE AND I SAID,

"COME TO NEW YORK CITY!"

AND AFTER HE
GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL...

UH, HE DID AND AND HE CAME TO
NEW YORK AND WE WORKED AT THE

SAME COMEDY CLUB,

THE BOSTON
COMEDY CLUB AND UH...

.

ALRIGHT.

I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING,
IT WAS A CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY

CALLED THE BOSTON COMEDY CLUB.

LOOK, I DON'T COME UP WITH THE
NAMES, COKE-HEADS DO.

BUT IN NEW YORK, DAVE WAS
IMMEDIATELY BELOVED BY THE

STAND UP COMEDY COMMUNITY.

I REMEMBER HE GOT A PART
IN A MEL BROOKS MOVIE,

ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS

AND WE WERE ALL LIKE,
"DAVE MADE IT!"

DAVE: WHO'S THE MAN,
WHO'S THE MAN?

SARAH: BUT HE
CAME BACK FROM L.A.

AND HE GOT RIGHT ON STAGE
TO TALK ABOUT HIS TRIP OUT WEST

AND HOW HE FINALLY WENT TO
COMPTON AFTER HEARING SO MUCH

ABOUT IT AND HE WAS LIKE...

STUNNED TO SEE THAT
PEOPLE THERE HAD YARDS.

ALL THE LORE OF COMPTON
AND PEOPLE WERE, LIKE,

MOWING THEIR LAWNS.

AND, OF COURSE THEY WERE,

BUT THERE WAS JUST
LIKE, SOMETHING ABOUT THAT

TINY LITTLE DETAIL AND
THAT'S WHAT HE DOES.

HE, HE LET'S HIMSELF BE
SURPRISED BY WHAT HE LEARNS AND

THEN HE TAKES US WITH HIM AS HE
LOOKS AT IT FROM EVERY ANGLE,

YOU KNOW, ANGLES THAT
MOST OF US DON'T EVEN SEE.

DAVE: ISN'T IT
WEIRD HOW THIS DISEASE

JUST STARTS IN 1980 AND

IT DOESN'T KILL
ANYBODY BUT NIGGAS,

FAGS AND JUNKIES?

ISN'T THAT A FUCKING
AMAZING COINCIDENCE THAT

THIS DISEASE HATES EVERYBODY
THAT OLD WHITE PEOPLE HATE?

I THINK EITHER GOD IS WHITE OR
THE GOVERNMENT HID THAT SHIT

IN DISCO BALLS.

SARAH: HE'S ALWAYS THINKING
ABOUT STUFF,

HE'S EXAMINING
EVERYTHING AND HE REALLY, LIKE,

HE GET'S IN HIS OWN WORLD.

DAVE: NOW, THIS IS
HOW I KNEW I WAS I

A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU ONLY SEE THIS IN
THE WORST NEIGHBORHOODS.

REMEMBER, IT'S
3:00 IN THE MORNING.

IT'S 3:00 IN THE MORNING.

I LOOK OUT THE WINDOW...

THERE WAS A FUCKING BABY
STANDING ON THE CORNER.

AND THE BABY DIDN'T
EVEN LOOK SCARED!

IT WAS JUST STANDING THERE.

AND IT MADE ME SAD,
IT MADE ME SAD REALLY.

CAUSE I WANTED TO HELP THE BABY.

"HMM, I DON'T TRUST YOU EITHER,
I'M SORRY, CLICK"!

SARAH: I REMEMBER, UM, WERE
WERE TOGETHER IN VANCOUVER AND

HE CAME OVER TO SMOKE A JOINT
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID.

HE CAME OVER...

AND HE SMOKED A JOINT.

THE WHOLE THING,
LIKE, BY HIMSELF

WHILE PONTIFICATING
ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S

WRONG WITH THE WORLD.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG WITH
THE WORLD, A LACK OF SHARING.

IT'S, I THINK IT'S,
"PUFF-PUFF-PASS"

NOT "PUFF-PUFF-PUFF-PUFF!"

DAVE, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?

YOU'RE GETTING THE
FREAKING MARK TWAIN PRIZE!

DAVE: I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.

.

SARAH: YOU DESERVE IT!

IT'S THE RIGHT THING.

IT'S ACTUALLY PERFECT
THAT YOU'RE GETTING THE

MARK TWAIN PRIZE

BECAUSE YOU BOTH LOVE USING THE
"N-WORD" IN YOUR MASTERPIECES.

DAVE: HOW IS IT
THAT I CAN SAY THE WORD

"NIGGER" WITH IMPUNITY...

BUT I CAN'T SAY THE WORD,
"FAGGOT"?

AND SHE SAID, "BECAUSE DAVID,
YOU ARE NOT GAY."

I SAID, "WELL RENEE,
I'M NOT A NIGGER EITHER."

DAVE: THE FACT THAT
YOU'RE HERE IS ALL I EVER NEED.

JON: I LOVE DAVE CHAPPELLE,
UNCONDITIONALLY.

I MET DAVE IN, IN THE 90S,
THE EARLY 90S,

HE WAS A 17 YEAR OLD KID,
COMING TO NEW YORK CITY,

JUST OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL,

CUTTING HIS TEETH ON WHAT
WERE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST

COMEDY ROOMS IN THE COUNTRY,

AND HE WAS SHOCKINGLY
FORMED AT 17 YEARS OLD.

AND YOU WOULD, OLD GRIZZLED
COMEDY VETERANS FROM THERE,

YOU WOULD THINK WE
WOULD HAVE NOTHING BUT ANGER

AT THIS YOUNG PRODIGY,
THIS YOUNG MOZART.

AND YET, YOU LOVED HIM
BECAUSE OF THE KINDNESS

OF HIS SPIRIT, AND...

EVEN BACK THEN,

I KNEW HOW HILARIOUS HE
WAS AND HOW INSIGHTFUL HE WAS.

I REMEMBER, WE
WORKED TOGETHER IN THE 2000'S,

WE WERE BOTH AT COMEDY CENTRAL.
I WAS AT THE DAILY SHOW,

DAVE WAS AT
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW AND,

CHAPPELLE'S SHOW WAS THIS
ROCKET SHIP THAT HE HAD CREATED.

AND IT BECAME THIS
CULTURAL PHENOMENON,

AND COMEDY CENTRAL WOULD DO
ANYTHING TO KEEP IT GOING.

AND THEY OFFERED DAVE $50
MILLION TO JUST GIVE THEM,

JUST GIVE THEM ONE MORE,
JUST GIVE US ONE MORE.

BUT DAVE AT THAT
MOMENT WAS CONFLICTED

BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY
OF HOW THE SHOW WAS TO DO,

BECAUSE HE WONDERED ABOUT
ITS IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE THAT

HE MEANT IT FOR,
AND HE WALKED AWAY.

AND IT WAS THAT MOMENT
THAT I REMEMBER THINKING...

"COMEDY CENTRAL
HAS $50 MILLION?"

(GROANING)

"THESE MOTHERFUCKERS WON'T
EVEN LET US HAVE SNACKS AT

THE DAILY SHOW!"

THEY HAD $50 MILLION.

WELL AT THAT POINT DAVE
HE LEFT, HE WAS DONE.

BUT I KNEW, THAT MONEY
WAS GOING TO NEED A HOME.

DAVE, I WANT YOU...

I'M SORRY. I WANT
YOU TO KNOW TONIGHT,

THAT I RAISED THAT
MONEY LIKE IT WAS MY OWN.

MO: THIS MAN IS UNBELIEVABLE.

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT
JUST HIS STAND-UP AND HOW HE

INTERACTS WITH PEOPLE;
RANDOM PEOPLE, RANDOM FANS.

WE WERE IN
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA...

WHITE KID JUST FREAKS OUT,

"OH, MY GOD, DAVE CHAPPELLE!"

HE JUST LOSES HIS
SHIT AND I'M LIKE,

"HEY MAN, RELAX, RELAX."

YOU KNOW, CAUSE PEOPLE THINK,
CAUSE I'M SO BIG

I'M HIS SECURITY AND SHIT.

I'M LIKE, "RELAX."

HE'S LIKE, "COME ON, MAN.
OH, MY GOD, DAVE CHAPPELLE!

PLEASE COME UP TO MY APARTMENT,
I HAVE SOME WEED!"

AND DAVE LOOKED AT ME AND I
LOOKED BACK AT HIM;

I WAS LIKE, "I AM OUT
OF WEED, BRO LETS...

AT LEAST CHECK OUT
WHAT THIS SITUATION IS.

LET'S SEE WHERE IT TAKES US."

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

SO, WE GO UP TO HIS APARTMENT.

I GO IN, I SEE THIS GIANT JAR
FULL OF WEED JUST LIKE

WHITE PEOPLE HAVE AND
I TAKE MY NUGGET,

I WAS LIKE, "THANK YOU SO MUCH"
AND WE WERE ABOUT TO WALK OUT

AND THE ENTIRE TIME HE STARTS
POUNDING ON HIS ROOMMATES DOOR.

(KNOCKING NOISE)

"WAKE UP, BRO!

WE GOT, WE GOT FUCKING

DAVE CHAPPELLE
IN OUR APARTMENT!"

BUT HE WON'T WAKE UP
TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

AND WE'RE LEAVING, HE'S LIKE,
"PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE.

PLEASE TAKE A PICTURE OF ME"
AND DAVE WAS LIKE,

"HEY MAN, WE'RE MOVING
IN THE NIGHT RIGHT NOW.

FOR SECURITY PURPOSES...

WE CAN'T BE DOING IT."

WE START WALKING DOWN HIS STAIRS
AND HE'S UP ON THE TOP

OF HIS STAIRS HE'S LIKE,
"NO ONE IS GONNA BELIEVE ME!"

YOU MURDERED IT!

DAVE: SHOUT OUT TO
WASHINGTON, D.C.'S MAYOR,

MURIEL BOWSER.

I GOTTA TELL YOU, YOU'RE A
VERY SPECIAL PERSON TO ME.

WE'RE ONLY A YEAR APART AND
YOU RUN OUR CITY WONDERFULLY.

I WALK TO MY OLD HIGH SCHOOL...

MAN, MURIEL ARRANGED A
$150 MILLION RENOVATION TO THE

DUKE ELLINGTON
SCHOOL OF THE ARTS.

I WAS SO JEALOUS OF
THE STUDENTS THERE.

YOU REALLY MEAN THE WORLD TO ME
AND YOU REALLY DID A BLESSING TO

THIS CITY AND THANK YOU,

THANK YOU AND
THANK YOU, SINCERELY.

I'VE NEVER VOTED IN WASHINGTON,

BUT GOD DAMN IT IF I DID,
I'D VOTE FOR YOU.

AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT?

IF YOU SMOKED CRACK
I'D STILL VOTE FOR YOU.

I KNOW YOU WOULDN'T,
BUT IF YOU EVER WANT TO,

INDULGE YOURSELF.

YOU GOT THAT KIND OF
WIGGLE ROOM WITH ME.

.

EDDIE: I FIRST BECAME
AWARE OF DAVE CHAPPELLE

RIGHT AROUND BEFORE THE
FIRST NUTTY PROFESSOR.

CAUSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO PLAY
THAT ROLE THAT HE PLAYED.

AND THEN I KINDA SAW
HIM AND I WAS LIKE,

"HEY THAT GUY RIGHT THERE,
THAT KID, THAT KID WOULD BE

FUNNY PLAYING THAT ROLE.

DAVE: I TRIED TO BE PEACEFUL,

BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR REGGIE TO
KARATIZIE YO ASS!

EDDIE: WHOO!

DAVE IS SO MUCH
SMARTER THAN EVERYONE.

LIKE, DAVE IS ONE OF THE MOST;

MAYBE THE MOST
INTELLECTUAL COMEDIAN EVER.

DAVE: IT TOOK US 400 YEARS
TO FIGURE OUT, AS A PEOPLE,

THAT WHITE PEOPLE'S
WEAKNESS THE WHOLE TIME...

WAS KNEELING DURING
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.

THAT'S A BRITTLE SPIRIT.

THAT'S RIGHT, NIGGA.

♪ ON THE ROCKETS RED GLARE ♪♪

(SCREAMING)

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NIGGER?
STAND UP!"

EDDIE: HE STRETCHED THE ART FORM
AND UH, HIS IMPACT ON THE

CULTURE, UH, HE IS THE
VOICE OF HIS GENERATION.

WITHOUT QUESTION,
NOBODY'S EVEN CLOSE TO HIM.

.

BRADLEY: WOW.
ALRIGHT, OKAY, OKAY.

MY DAUGHTER'S BACK THERE, AND
I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL DAVE THAT I

GOT TO MEET YOU
BEFORE I HAD MY DAUGHTER.

NO THAT'S A GOOD THING.

BECAUSE YOU TAUGHT ME
HOW TO BE A BETTER MAN,

YOU TEACH ME HOW
TO BE A BETTER MAN.

SO I, I JUST REALIZED IT.

THAT'S HIM, RIGHT.
THAT'S YOUR BOY?

DAVE: JACK, HE'S AS OLD NOW AS
YOU WERE WHEN I MET YOU.

SAW YOU ON YOUTUBE,
THE VIDEO WITH THE GIRL.

BRADLEY: YEAH.

DAVE: IT MADE ME HAPPY, MAN.

YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU.

YOU WERE JUST,
JUST DOING IT, BRO.

BRADLEY: I GOTTA SAY, I'M NOT
KIDDING, PROBABLY THE BEST SCENE

I'VE EVER DONE
WITH ANOTHER ACTOR.

REALLY.

I WROTE IT FOR YOU.

IT TOOK TWO YEARS,

BUT YOU GAVE YOUR
SOUL TO ME IN THAT DAY,

AND THE FACT THAT YOU SHOWED UP,
I MEAN I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT,

I COULDN'T BELIEVE
YOU DID ME THAT FAVOR.

AND I'LL NEVER FORGET IT MAN.

THAT WAS, IT WAS, AND
I LOVE THAT IT'S LOCKED,

FOREVER ONSCREEN
BECAUSE ITS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.

AND THE WHOLE SET WAS JUST
CRACKLING WITH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

YOU'RE AROUND DAVE CHAPPELLE,

THIS BUT THIS IS A VERY,
VERY UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL.

THE OTHER THING I
JUST WANTED TO SAY WAS

I DON'T KNOW
HOW IT HAPPENED,

WHAT WITH THE GENETICS AND
GROWING UP IN DC,

THE DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL,

FIRST DOING STANDUP
AT 8 YEARS OLD,

I DON'T KNOW WHAT COMBINATION
OCCURRED TO MAKE YOU

WHO YOU ARE,

BUT I'M JUST SO LUCKY I'M ALIVE
AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE

SO I CAN WATCH YOU BE
A HUMAN AND AN ARTIST.

AND, AND WE THROW THIS TERM,
WE THROW THIS TERM AROUND.

"GENIUS"

AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT GENIUS
YOU THINK LIKE MAYBE ALOOF,

SOCIALLY UNAWARE.

YOU'RE EVEN UNIQUE AS A
GENIUS BECAUSE YOU HAVE

A TRAIT THAT IS, IT'S EMPATHY.

YOU KNOW, YOU TREAT
EVERYBODY THE SAME.

THAT'S MY FAVORITE
THING ABOUT YOU.

SO THANK YOU MY FRIEND.

I'M STILL MAD ABOUT SNL.

IN THE MONOLOGUE YOU DID SAY,
YOU KNOW, YOU WERE AT

THE WHITE HOUSE...

DAVE: AND IT WAS A
HUGE PARTY AND EVERYBODY

IN THERE WAS BLACK
EXCEPT FOR BRADLEY COOPER

FOR SOME REASON.

BRADLEY: AND
YOU SAW A SEA OF FACES,

AND THERE WAS ONE
WHITE GUY AND IT WAS ME,

YOU'RE LIKE "OH
BRADLEY COOPER'S HERE",

WE WENT TOGETHER (BLEEP)
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!

I LOVE YOU, BRO. I LOVE YOU.

.

♪ ♪

♪ ERYKAH: DO I REALLY ♪

♪ WANT MY BABY ♪♪

DAVE: MOST OF MY FRIENDS
ARE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE

SOCIO-ECONOMIC LADDER AND MADE
IT TO THE MIDDLE AND THE TOP.

♪ ERYKAH: TELL ME WHAT TO DO ♪♪

DAVE: CAUSE WE
ALL HAD A LONG TRIP.

♪ ERYKAH: I KNOW YOU GOT
TO GET YOUR HUSTLE ON ♪

♪ SO I PRAY ♪

♪ AND I UNDERSTAND
THE GAME, SOMETIMES ♪

♪ AND I LOVE YOU STRONG ♪♪

DAVE: I LOVE GOING BACK.

I'VE BEEN BACK HERE MANY TIMES
BUT NOT TO CELEBRATE ME.

♪ BACKGROUND:
I CAN'T MAKE IT ON MY OWN ♪

♪ YOU SEE, SUMMER CAME AROUND
AND THE FLOWERS BLOOMED ♪

♪ HE BECAME THE SUN
I BECAME THE MOON ♪

♪ ERYKAH: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ♪♪

DAVE, I LOVE YOU.
WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.

ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU CAUSE
YOU ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR US.

AND I LOVE YOU STRONG, BUDDY.

LORNE: RICHARD PRYOR
WAS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF

THE TWAIN PRIZE

WHEN I STARTED SNL HE WAS THE
FIRST PERSON I ASKED TO HOST.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2016,
WITH THE ELECTION LOOMING,

THERE WAS ANOTHER
PERSON WHO I WAS JUST AS

DETERMINED TO HAVE.

I KNEW THAT FOR THE
NOVEMBER TWELFTH SHOW,

AFTER THE ELECTION,
IT HAD TO BE DAVE CHAPPELLE.

DAVE: THANK YOU!

LORNE: I KNEW I NEEDED
SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN WHAT

HAD JUST HAPPENED.

I, I HAD TO HAVE DAVE
FOR THE SAME REASON I HAD

TO HAVE RICHARD...

HE'S A TRUTH TELLER AND THE
FUNNIEST PERSON WORKING TODAY.

THIS WAS GOING TO BE A BIG
MOMENT FOR SNL AND FOR HIM.

I KNEW WHEN THE MOMENT CAME,
DAVE WOULD BE READY FOR IT.

DAVE: BUT AMERICA'S DONE IT.

WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE'VE ACTUALLY
ELECTED AN INTERNET TROLL

AS OUR PRESIDENT.

THE WHITE'S ARE FURIOUS.

THEY'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE IT.

I HADN'T SEEN WHITE PEOPLE THIS
MAD SINCE THE O.J. VERDICT.

THERE WAS A SPLIT SCREEN WITH
WHITE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES.

(SCREAMS).

I'M NOT SAYING I ENJOY IT,
I'M JUST SAYING I'VE NEVER

SEEN THIS BEFORE.

I WATCHED A WHITE RIOT IN
PORTLAND, OREGON ON TELEVISION

THE OTHER NIGHT.

LORNE: THAT WEDNESDAY,
THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION,

WE HAD OUR
READ-THROUGH FOR THE SHOW.

THE MOOD WAS PRETTY BLEAK.

PEOPLE WERE FEELING
TENSE AND VERY VULNERABLE.

IT WAS A MESS.

DAVE SAT DOWN BESIDE ME,

LOOKED AT EVERYONE AND
SENSED THE EMOTION IN THE ROOM.

HE ASKED IF HE COULD READ A
QUOTE BY TONI MORRISON.

THE QUOTE READ,

"THIS IS PRECISELY THE
TIME WHEN ARTISTS GO TO WORK.

THERE'S NO TIME FOR DESPAIR,
NO PLACE FOR SELF PITY,

NO NEED FOR SILENCE,
NO ROOM FOR FEAR.

WE SPEAK, WE WRITE,
WE DO LANGUAGES.

THIS IS HOW CIVILIZATIONS HEAL."

I KNEW THEN THAT WE'D BE OKAY.

THE SHOW OPENED UP
WITH KATE MCKINNON SINGING

HALLELUJAH AS HILLARY CLINTON
AND THEN OUT WALKED DAVE.

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT
HE WAS GOING TO DO.

I LIKE TO THINK HE DID...

BUT I'M NOT EVEN
SURE ABOUT THAT.

HE WAS BREATHTAKING,
HE WAS BRILLIANT.

IT WAS A LANDMARK SHOW.

DAVE: I'M WISHING
DONALD TRUMP LUCK.

AND I'M GONNA GIVE
HIM A CHANCE AND WE,

THE HISTORICALLY
DISENFRANCHISED,

DEMAND THAT HE GIVE US ONE TOO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

KENAN: YOUR ABILITY TO SPEAK
YOUR MIND REGARDLESS OF HOW

ANYBODY FEELS ABOUT IT...

THAT FEARLESSNESS TO ENTERTAIN
THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO

HAS DEFINITELY PIERCED
MY LIFE TO THE POINT WHERE

I PLAYED A WEREWOLF
CHOREOGRAPHER LAST NIGHT AND

I WAS VERY PROUD TO DO IT.

AND I LEARNED ALL
OF THAT FROM YOU.

YOU KNOW, I HOLD YOUR FIRST TWO
SEASONS OF THE CHAPPELLE SHOW

UP AGAINST ANY SKETCH
COMEDY SHOW, I WOULD SAY,

IN HISTORY.

IT'S JUST BRILLIANT.

DAVE: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME
TO THE FIRST, AND MAYBE ONLY,

RACIAL DRAFT IN NEW YORK CITY.

BILL: I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHO'S
GONNA BE DRAFTED BY WHICH RACE.

AND THE BLACKS HAVE
ACTUALLY WON THE FIRST PICK.

DAVE: WOW, THAT'S THE FIRST
LOTTERY A BLACK PERSON'S WON

IN A LONG TIME, BILLY.

BILLY: YES, AND THEY'LL
PROBABLY STILL COMPLAIN.

DAVE: MAN, FUCK YOU.

MOS DEF: THE BLACK DELEGATION...

CHOOSE TIGER WOODS.

BILL: THE RICHEST AND MOST
DOMINANT ATHLETE IN THE WORLD.

NOW IS OFFICIALLY BLACK.

DAVE: SO LONG FRIED RICE,
HELLO FRIED CHICKEN!

I LOVE YOU, DAD!

MICHAEL: I HAD NO IDEA YOU HAD
SO MANY OLD WHITE FANS.

I FEEL LIKE I DIED AND
WENT TO BROOKS BROTHERS, BUT...

I THINK HONESTY
GET'S THROWN AROUND A LOT.

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
HONESTY IN COMEDY,

BUT A LOT OF GREAT COMEDIANS
DON'T ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH.

I MEAN, RODNEY DANGERFIELD,
I LOOKED IT UP,

WAS ACTUALLY VERY
WELL RESPECTED.

HE LIED THE WHOLE TIME.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HONESTY,

WE TALK ABOUT NOT BEING
AFRAID TO TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH

ABOUT HOW WE FEEL BECAUSE
THAT'S THE CONNECTION THAT

COMEDIANS CAN HAVE
WITH PEOPLE AND I THINK NOBODY

DOES IT BETTER THAN YOU, EVER.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE LEARN
FROM BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT

WE'RE A PART OF THE JOKE.

DAVE MAKES IT...

HE'S WILLING TO
MAKE FUN OF EVERYBODY WHETHER

YOU'RE WHITE OR GAY,
END OF LIST.

HE'S...

.

DAVE: EVERYBODY LOVES ME
AND I LOVE EVERYBODY.

I GOT FRIENDS WHO ARE "L'S",
I GOT FRIENDS WHO ARE "B'S"

AND I GOT FRIENDS WHO ARE "G'S"

BUT THE "T'S"
HATE MY FUCKING GUTS.

AND I DON'T BLAME 'EM.

IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT, IT'S MINE.

I CAN'T STOP TELLING
JOKES ABOUT THESE NIGGA'S.

I DON'T WANT TO
WRITE THESE JOKES,

BUT I JUST CAN'T STOP!

MICHAEL: IT'S WEIRD FOR ME TO
EVEN TALK TO YOU ABOUT COMEDY,

CAUSE YOU CAN TELL
EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM

EVERYTHING THERE IS
TO KNOW ABOUT COMEDY.

BUT THERE'S ONE
THING THAT YOU'LL NEVER KNOW

ABOUT COMEDY AND THAT'S

DOING COMEDY WITH
A DAVE CHAPPELLE TO LOOK UP TO.

SO, I THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALRIGHT.

.

COLIN: AND I'M HERE
TO CELEBRATE MARK TWAIN.

.

TO ME THAT'S COMEDY.

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME,
THAT MARK TWAIN IS HILARIOUS,

I WOULD LIKE TO READ
JUST A BRIEF PASSAGE

FROM HUCKLEBERRY FINN.

KEENAN: OKAY.
ALRIGHT. TIGHTEN UP.

COLIN: "HUCK FINN
TURNED TO HIS FRIEND JIM,

OR AS WE CALLED HIM...

YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE
TO READ THE WHOLE PASSAGE.

KEENAN: Y'ALL SEE THAT?

SARAH: ARE WE GONNA
MAKE LOVE TONIGHT?

AS FRIENDS!

TIFFANY: OH, YOU
SMELL DELICIOUS.

CAUSE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I'M
LIKE A VERY EMOTIONAL PERSON.

I'M GOING TO CRY FOR YOU.

DAVE: I SWEAR TO GOD
I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ART FORM

PURER THAN STAND UP COMEDY.

IT PUZZLES ME THAT
PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED IF

THIS IS AN ART OR NOT.

MAN, TALKING SHIT IS AN ART.
TALKING SHIT IS AN ART.

AIN'T THAT RIGHT, MURIEL?

TO ALL THE STAND UP
COMICS IN THE ROOM,

I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU...

I PROMISE YOU AND
I'VE ALWAYS SAID IT,

WE HAVE THE BEST GENRE;

WE DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ANYTHING
BUT WHAT WE KNOW AND EVERYTHING

WE KNOW IS VALUABLE
BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DO WITH IT.

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF.

FUCK THE GAME,
THE MONEY WILL COME.

MOST OF YOU WON'T MAKE IT.
GONNA BE HONEST.

I HEARD AN INTERVIEW
WITH PATTON OSWALD,

FAMOUS COMEDIAN STARTED
ONE WEEK APART FROM ME.

PATTON SAYS IN AN
INTERVIEW WITH TERRY GROSS.

YOU KNOW HOW
TERRY GOES, "AND, YES..."

PATTON SAID TO TERRY GROSS,

HE SAID, "TERRY,
NOBODY DOES GOOD THEIR

FIRST TIME DOING STAND UP."

THEY STOPPED, I WAS DRIVING IN
THE CAR LISTENING TO THIS

INTERVIEW AND HE GOES,

"OKAY, DAVE CHAPPELLE DID GOOD
HIS FIRST TIME DOING STAND UP."

I HAD A SMILE FROM EAR TO EAR.

WHAT PATTON DIDN'T TELL TERRY
IS THE NEXT 7 OR 8 TIMES...

FUCKING TERRIBLE.

BUT THE FIRST TIME
WAS SO MOTHERFUCKING GOOD.

IT'D BE LIKE THE FIRST TIME YOU
HAD SEX AND THEN THE SECOND TIME

YOU WERE HAVING SEX
SOMEBODY HIT YOU IN THE HEAD

WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER.

GOD, THIS IS NOT NEARLY
AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME,

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT,
MAYBE SOMEONE WONT HIT ME

IN THE HEAD WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER
THE 9TH OR 10TH TIME.

DAVE: I DON'T NECESSARILY
BELIEVE IN POLITICS, BUT I THINK

THE TRUST IN POLITICS IS
SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTRY

DESPERATELY NEEDS.

REPORTER: PRESIDENT BUSH
CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS CASE

FOR AN INVASION OF IRAQ.

DAVE: AFTER CAREFULLY
EXAMINING THE REGION,

ME AND MY CABINET AGREE
THAT THAT AREA IS DEFINITELY

RIPE FOR REGIME CHANGE.

DONNELL: ALRIGHT.

DAVE: THAT NIGGA TRIED
TO KILL MY FATHER!

MAN, LINCOLN IS FUCKING UP.

DAMN, TRUMAN IS FUCKING UP.

MAN, CARTER IS FUCKING UP.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S
THE WORST OF THE WORST.

YES, I SAID IT.

"WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
TO BE SELF EVIDENT.

ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."

GO GET ME A SANDWICH,
NIGGER OR I'LL KILL YA.

"LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL"

I WATCHED DONALD TRUMP
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE...

"I AM GOING TO BRING BACK COAL!"

COAL?!

I'M NOT EVEN EXAGGERATING.

I HAVE NEVER, IN
MY LIFE EVEN SEEN A

FUCKING LUMP OF COAL!

IF YOU GONNA HAVE MOTHERFUCKERS
DIGGING AROUND IN THE DIRT

LOOKING FOR SHIT...

FIND ME SOME TRUFFLES, NIGGA.

THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT.

THIS IS A FUCKING ELECTION YEAR,
WE GOTTA BE SERIOUS.

EVERY ABLE BODIED AFRICAN
AMERICAN MUST REGISTER...

FOR A LEGAL FIREARM.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY'LL
CHANGE THE LAW.

ALTHOUGH AMERICA'S THE GREATEST
NATION IN THE WORLD,

WE STILL FACE
MANY MODERN PROBLEMS.

HEALTH CARE IS IN SHAMBLES.

MEDICAID DOESN'T WORK.

MEANWHILE, OUR NEIGHBORS IN
CANADA HAVE FREE HEALTHCARE

FOR ALL THEIR CITIZENS.

SO, WHAT AM I SUGGESTING?

FAKE CANADIAN I.D.
CARDS FOR ALL AMERICANS.

I'M DAVE CHAPPELLE AND
I WANT TO REPRESENT YOU.

NEAL: PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY TO
ME "MAN, CHAPPELLE'S SHOW

LOOKED LIKE A BLAST,
WAS IT FUN?"

IT WASN'T!

IT WASN'T FUN AT ALL,
IT WAS HARD.

WE'D HAVE TO STAY AWAKE
FOR 48 HOURS AT A TIME JUST TO

KEEP UP WITH THE SCHEDULE.

WE WERE BOMBED-OUT AND DEPLETED.
WE WERE LUMPED UP.

WE BOTH HAD
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION.

I TOLD DAVE ABOUT
MINE AND HE GOES,

"IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE USING
LAPTOPS TOO MUCH, MAN".

AND THEN, AND THEN HE GOES,
"PLUS WE'RE NOT AS YOUNG AS

WE USED TO BE"

MEANWHILE, THERE'S NO CAUSAL
LINK BETWEEN LAPTOP USE AND

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AND

ALSO, WE WERE 29.

DAVE CHAPPELLE COMPLETELY
TRANSFORMED MY LIFE.

HE LENT ME $1,000 SO
I COULD MOVE TO L.A.

HE ASKED ME TO WRITE
A MOVIE WITH HIM WHEN I

HAD ZERO EXPERIENCE.

DAVE CHAPPELLE BELIEVED IN
ME AT A TIME WHEN ABSOLUTELY

NOBODY DID.

YOU KNOW HOW WE ALL HAVE A
FRIEND WHO WILL HIT US UP

OUT OF THE BLUE
SOMETIMES WITH SOMETHING FUNNY?

IMAGINE WHAT HIS TEXTS
AND PHONE CALLS ARE LIKE.

ONE TIME HE CALLED ME ON A
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, AND HE GOES

"HEY MAN, I JUST FINISHED
WATCHING 12 YEARS A SLAVE,

ANYHOW DO YOU THINK SLAVES
EVER WHIPPED THEIR KIDS?"

ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON!

IN CLOSING,

IF YOU REMEMBER ONLY ONE
THING FROM MY SPEECH TONIGHT,

I HOPE THAT IT'S
CHAPPELLE'S SHOW WAS NOT FUN.

BUT IT WAS GREAT AND IT WILL
BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT,

AND IT'S BECAUSE OF
THAT GUY RIGHT THERE.

DAVE: WELL THIS HAS
BEEN FUCKING WONDERFUL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, MAN.

I DON'T EVEN WANT
THIS NIGHT TO END.

I PROMISE YOU,

WHOEVER CARES THE MOST,

I CARE AT LEAST AS MUCH AS THEM.

I KNOW WHAT I GOT,
CAUSE I LOST IT ALL.

I GOTTA TELL YOU SOMETHING, AND
I DON'T TALK ABOUT IT OFTEN.

HAVE YOU EVER WORKED ALL
YOUR LIFE FOR SOMETHING AND

HAVE IT NOT WORK OUT?

THAT HAPPENED TO ME.

IT WAS TOUGH, THINK ABOUT IT.

I WAS GONE FOR 12 YEARS,
THAT'S NOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

IT WAS HELL.

I'D WATCH OTHER NIGGA'S THAT I
KNEW BECOME VERY FAMOUS,

I WATCHED THE
WORLD GO ON WITHOUT ME.

I MOURNED THE LOSS OF
IT AND AFTER A WHILE...

I DIDN'T CARE.

COMING BACK WAS TERRIFYING.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM,
I REALLY DO.

MORE THAN ANYBODY, LIKE WHEN
THEY WRITE ABOUT ME IN HISTORY

I'LL BE DEAD READING IT, LIKE,
"YEAH I KNEW THEY'D SAY THAT."

THEY SAY THAT A PERSON
CAN'T DREAM OF A FACE

THEY'VE NEVER SEEN.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE,
BUT IT'S PROBABLY TRUE.

BOY, I GOT A LONG BANK OF FACES.

32 YEARS I CAN CLOSE MY EYES
AND CAN THINK OF ANY NIGHT.

THERE'S SO MANY FACES.

EVERY NIGHT, MOST NIGHT'S
THEY'RE ALL LOOKING UP...

SMILING.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE
WORLD LOOKS LIKE FROM THERE.

ALL DIFFERENT RACES,
ALL DIFFERENT COLORS,

ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF BELIEFS

JUST LOOKING AT ME
SMILING FOR 32 YEARS,

NIGHT AFTER NIGHT.

LET NO COMEDIAN TAKE
THAT FOR GRANTED.

I SWEAR TO GOD, THIS MIGHT BE
THE NOBLEST OF PROFESSIONS.

ROBIN WILLIAMS HAD
A BARB THAT I LOVED.

HE SAID, "COMEDY IS THE ONLY JOB
YOU CAN HAVE WHERE YOU CAN USE

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW."

AND THAT'S TRUE.

YOU CAN USE MORE THAN YOU KNOW,
YOU CAN USE WHAT YOU THINK.

USE IT.

DON'T BE AFRAID, DON'T
LET THESE BITCH ASS NIGGA'S

BUTTON YOUR LIP.

SAY IT ANYWAY.

SARAH: IF YOU'RE
AT HOME WATCHING,

NOT KNOWING WHAT TO
MAKE OF THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T

CHECKED TWITTER YET
TO SEE HOW YOU FEEL...

UM, YOU CAN...

.

NO, IT'S OKAY, TRUST ME,
I ALREADY LOOKED.

YOU THINK IT'S
DELIGHTFULLY REFRESHING.

ALRIGHT, HERE'S
THE THING ABOUT DAVE.

DAVE DIDN'T, LIKE,
GET FUNNY EVENTUALLY...

HE WAS ALWAYS FUNNY.

AND HE REMAINS AT
THE TOP OF HIS GAME.

WHY? BECAUSE HE'S CONSTANTLY
EVOLVING, HE GROWS.

OR SOMETIMES IT'S A SLIGHTLY
MORE LATERAL MOVE BUT...

ALWAYS WITH SOME KIND OF
NEW PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW?

HIS CRITICAL
THINKING IS HIS ART.

HIS STAND UP BLOWS MY MIND,
YOU KNOW.

IT CHANGES THE WAY I THINK AND
SOMETIMES I WHOLEHEARTEDLY

DISAGREE WITH HIM BUT
THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT DAVE.

IT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ART.

DAVE: THE ONLY WAY TO
KNOW WHERE THE LINE IS,

IS TO CROSS IT.

AND I THINK, "WHAT IS LIFE IF
NOBODY'S CROSSING THE LINE?"

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

MAN THE FUCK UP OR
YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT

THROUGH THE
END OF THIS SHOW.

JUST MAN THE FUCK UP.

JUST BECAUSE I'M DRESSED THIS
WAY DOES NOT...

MAKE ME A WHORE.

NOW THAT WOULD BE LIKE ME,
DAVE CHAPPELLE THE COMEDIAN,

WALKING AROUND THE
STREETS IN A COP UNIFORM.

SOMEBODY MIGHT RUN UP ON ME.

"OH, THANK GOD, OFFICER HELP US.

COME ON, THEY'RE OVER HERE,
HELP US!

I'D BE LIKE, "OH, JUST
BECAUSE I'M DRESSED THIS WAY;

DOES NOT MAKE ME
A POLICE OFFICER."

I'M, WHAT'S KNOWN
ON THE STREETS,

AS A VICTIM BLAMER.

"DAVE, MICHAEL JACKSON WAS
MOLESTING CHILDREN."

WELL WHAT WERE THOSE KIDS
WEARING AT THE TIME?

THE ONLY REASON EVERYBODY IS
TALKING ABOUT TRANSGENDERS,

IS BECAUSE WHITE
MEN WANT TO DO IT.

THAT'S RIGHT, I JUST SAID THAT.

IF IT WAS JUST
WOMEN THAT FELT THAT WAY,

OR BLACK DUDES OR
MEXICAN DUDES BEING LIKE,

"HEY Y'ALL WE FEEL
LIKE GIRLS INSIDE."

THEY'D BE LIKE,
"SHUT UP, NIGGER.

NO ONE ASKED YOU HOW YOU FELT."

COME ON, EVERYBODY WE
HAVE STRAWBERRIES TO PICK.

IT REEKS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE

YOU NEVER ASKED YOURSELF WHY
IT WAS EASIER FOR BRUCE JENNER

TO CHANGE HIS GENDER THAN
IT WAS FOR CASSIUS CLAY

TO CHANGE HIS FUCKING NAME?

EVERYBODY GET'S MAD
CAUSE I SAY THESE JOKES.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THIS
IS THE BEST TIME TO SAY EM.

MORE NOW THAN EVER YOU
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY

TO SPEAK RECKLESSLY.

OTHERWISE MY KIDS MAY NOT KNOW
WHAT RECKLESS TALK SOUNDS LIKE.

THE JOYS OF BEING WRONG.

I DIDN'T COME HERE TO BE RIGHT.

I JUST CAME HERE
TO FUCK AROUND.

JON: THE COURAGE THAT
IT TAKES AS A PERFORMER

AND AN ARTIST,

TO STAND UP FOR
WHO YOU KNOW YOU ARE,

TO TAKE A
CHANCE ON YOURSELF.

IS, IS JUST ONE MORE REASON
WHY WE ALL JUST LOVE,

AND RESPECT, AND
ADMIRE THIS MAN.

AND YOU KNOW,

IT WAS UNTIL WE STARTED TOURING
A COUPLE YEARS AGO TOGETHER THAT

I REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO
WATCH HIM WALK THROUGH LIFE.

I ALWAYS IMAGINED HIM ON A
TRACTOR, YOU KNOW,

OUT IN OHIO,
LISTENING TO PRINCE.

UM, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS DAVE
OBVIOUSLY, I JUST IMAGINED THAT

PRINCE WAS THERE.

BECAUSE THAT'S JUST
HOW DAVE'S LIFE WAS.

THINGS HAPPEN IN DAVE WORLD THAT
JUST DON'T HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE.

IN FACT, THE LAST TIME,
THIS WAS IN 2008 I THINK,

AND I WAS IN D.C.
IN THE BACK OF UH,

THIS LITTLE RESTAURANT
WAS A GENTLEMAN THAT

I RECOGNIZED AS,
AS DAVE CHAPPELLE.

AND I THOUGHT "WHY IS
DAVE CHAPPELLE HERE?"

I SAID, DAVE, I HADN'T SEEN HIM
IN A LONG TIME, HOW ARE YOU,

WHAT ARE YOU DOING AND WE,
WE CAUGHT UP AND I SAID

"YOU KNOW DAVE, I'M DOWN
HERE I'M ACTUALLY RUNNING OVER

TO WALTER REED,"

IT WAS IN THE
HEIGHT OF THE IRAQ WAR,

AND I WAS GONNA RUN DOWN TO
WALTER REED AND I HAD A STACK OF

CHAPPELLE SHOW DVDS
THAT I WOULD BRING WITH ME,

BECAUSE THEY LOVED THOSE.

AND THE DAILY SHOW, EH!

SO I HAVE THESE UH,

CHAPPELLE SHOW DVD'S
AND I SAY TO DAVE,

"DAVE, I'M GONNA HEAD DOWN,
AND I'M GONNA SEE THESE GUYS,

THESE WOUNDED
WARRIORS AND I HAVE YOUR DVD'S,

WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW,
WHAT DO YOU SAY?"

YOU KNOW, HE'S SPONTANEOUS GUY.

"LET'S GO, LET'S
REALLY BLOW THEIR MINDS"

AND HE LOOKS AT ME
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET IT,

HE LOOKS UP AND HE GOES,
"NAH, I'M GOOD".

I RESPECTED THAT SO MUCH.

I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY
WHO CARES MORE DEEPLY,

AND ANYONE WHO
GIVES LESS OF A FUCK.

DAVE IS A TOUCHSTONE,

BECAUSE HE'S A
SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE.

HE'S A MAN THAT SEEKS OUT
PEOPLE, AND EXPERIENCE,

AND KNOWLEDGE.

AND HE WANTS TO TOUCH IT AND
FEEL IT AND BE WITH IT ON THE

GROUND SO THAT HE
CAN THEN CHANNEL THAT

THROUGH HIS ART AND
REDIRECT THAT BACK TO YOU AS

SOMETHING COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT AND NEW.

I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THIS,
THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON THAT CAN

SAY "HEY MAN I NEED YOU" AND
I WILL BE THERE NO MATTER WHAT,

NO MATTER WHERE,

AND WHEN HE CALLED ME
JUST RECENTLY AND SAID

"I NEED YOU",

A WEEK LATER I STOOD WITH DAVE,

ON A STAGE, IN DAYTON OHIO,

ONE HUNDRED FEET FROM
THE SITE OF ONE OF THE WORST

MASS SHOOTINGS IN
AMERICAN HISTORY,

AND I WATCHED THIS MAN.

HELP A CITY HEAL...

A WOUND BORNE OF VIOLENCE

AND BORNE OF PAIN...

BUT AS WE SAT AND WE
WATCHED STEVIE WONDER SING

MY CHERIE AMOUR,

AND THE CROWD GOING CRAZY
AND RECLAIMING THEIR CITY,

HE TURNED TO ME ON
STAGE AND HE SAID,

"THIS IS THEIR MEMORY NOW.
THIS IS THEIR MEMORY."

.

♪ JOHN: WAKE UP EVERYBODY
NO MORE SLEEPIN' IN BED ♪

♪ NO MORE BACKWARD THINKIN'
TIME FOR THINKIN' AHEAD ♪

♪ THE WORLD HAS
CHANGED SO VERY MUCH ♪

♪ FROM WHAT IT USED TO BE ♪

♪ THERE IS SO MUCH
HATRED WAR AND POVERTY. OH ♪♪

DAVE: I SAY THIS EVERY
TIME I COME TO ELLINGTON AND

I HOPE YOU GUYS REMEMBER THIS.

YOU ARE VERY NECESSARY NOW.

THIS IS A SEASON FOR ARTISTS.

SECRETLY, I'M BUILDING
AN ARMY OF ARTISTS

I WANT ALL OF YOU GUYS TO GET
OUT THERE AND FIGHT IN THE ARMY.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT A VIOLENT
FIGHT, BUT IT'S A REVEALING ONE.

YOU'VE GOTTA REVEAL PEOPLE TO
THEMSELVES BY EXPOSING YOURSELF

WITH YOUR ART.

♪ JOHN: THE WORLD WON'T GET NO
BETTER IF WE JUST LET IT BE ♪

♪ OH. THE WORLD
WON'T GET NO BETTER ♪

♪ WE GOTTA CHANGE IT YEAH ♪

♪ JUST YOU AND ME ♪♪

DAVE: HONESTLY, LOOKING
AT Y'ALL INSPIRES ME.

I FEEL LIKE I WAS JUST YOU.

IF I COULD GO BACK
AND TALK TO MYSELF,

I WOULD TELL MYSELF
WHAT I'M TELLING YOU GUYS.

"BE NICE AND DON'T BE SCARED."

.

JOHN: THANK YOU.

DAVID: THE MARK TWAIN PRIZE
WAS CREATED IN HONOR OF

A GREAT SATIRIST
AND IRREVERENT OBSERVER

OF THE WORLD
IN WHICH HE LIVED...

IN HONORING DAVE CHAPPELLE
THIS EVENING WITH THE

MARK TWAIN PRIZE,

WE ARE HONORING A
COMEDIAN AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME,

SOMEONE WHO ALREADY
HAS A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

BEHIND HIM BUT PROMISES
TO HAVE ANOTHER LIFETIME IN

THE COMING DECADES.

AND FOR THESE REASONS,

THE KENNEDY CENTER IS
PROUD TO PRESENT DAVE CHAPPELLE

WITH THE NATION'S HIGHEST
COMEDIC AWARD...

THE KENNEDY CENTER
MARK TWAIN PRIZE.

.

.

DAVE: THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.

I LIKE NOT KNOWING
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

I LIKE MAKING MEMORIES.

SOMETIMES I DO ALL THIS CRAZY
SHIT AROUND MY COLLEAGUES

JUST SO THEY CAN TELL
THEIR FRIENDS I DID IT.

BUT RATHER THAN
TALK ABOUT MYSELF,

JUST BRIEFLY I WANNA
JUST TALK ABOUT MY GENRE.

STAND UP COMEDY IS AN
INCREDIBLY AMERICAN GENRE.

I DON'T THINK ANY OTHER
COUNTRY COULD PRODUCE

THIS MANY COMEDIANS.

AND UNBEKNOWNST TO MANY
PEOPLE IN THIS AUDIENCE,

I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN
OPINION THAT EXISTS IN THIS

COUNTRY THAT IS NOT
REPRESENTED IN A COMEDY CLUB

BY SOMEBODY.

EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
HAS A CHAMPION IN THE ROOM.

WE WATCH YOU GUYS FIGHT,

BUT WHEN WE'RE
TOGETHER WE TALK IT OUT.

I KNOW COMICS THAT
ARE VERY RACIST.

AND I WATCH THEM ONSTAGE AND
EVERYONE'S LAUGHING AND I'M

LIKE "MMM, THAT MOTHERFUCKER
MEANS THAT SHIT".

.

DON'T GET MAD AT EM,
DON'T HATE EM,

WE GO UPSTAIRS
AND HAVE A BEER,

AND SOMETIMES I EVEN
APPRECIATE THE ARTISTRY THAT

THEY PAINT THEIR
RACIST OPINIONS WITH.

MAN, IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT
IS FIRST FOR A REASON.

THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS
JUST IN CASE THE FIRST ONE

DOESN'T WORK OUT.

.

WE GOTTA LET SOME
AIR OUT THE BALL, MAN.

THE COUNTRY'S
GETTING A LITTLE TIGHT,

IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S
EVER FELT IN MY LIFETIME.

SO TONIGHT, I AM HONORED
THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE,

IN COMEDY AND IN MUSIC.

.

AND I WANT EVERYONE IN AMERICA
RIGHT NOW TO LOOK AT ME,

LOOK AT ME SMOKING INDOORS.

I DIDN'T ASK ANYBODY,
I JUST DID IT.

WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO, KICK
ME OUT BEFORE I GET THE PRIZE?

NAW NIGGA, THIS IS
CALLED LEVERAGE.

.

THING THAT I LIKED BEST ABOUT
TONIGHT WAS THAT I SAW SO MANY

PEOPLE FROM
DIFFERENT PARTS OF MY LIFE.

LIKE FRIENDS THAT I
GREW UP WITH HERE IN DC,

FRIENDS OF MINE FROM
OHIO THEN AND NOW.

FRIENDS OF MINE
FROM COMEDY CLUBS.

ALL THE FUCKING MUSICIANS
THAT BLEW MY MIND.

YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA
HOW YOU INSPIRE ME.

I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL
SHOUTOUT TO MY OG TONY WOODS.

MILES DAVIS HAS A QUOTE.

.

UH, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE,

MILES DAVIS SAID
SO MUCH COOL SHIT,

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS HE
SAID THAT I ALWAYS LOVED,

HE SAID, "IT TOOK ME
YEARS TO LEARN HOW TO

PLAY LIKE MYSELF."

YOU KNOW, HE WOULD
WATCH OTHER MUSICIANS AND

HE WOULD TRY TO
PLAY LIKE DIZZY OR BIRD

OR ALL THOSE
OTHER GUYS WHO WERE GREAT,

TONY WOODS WAS MY
DIZZY AND BIRD,

IF I WAS A MILES.

I WAS TRYING TO PLAY LIKE YOU,

YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON I
EVER SAW DO IT ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

YOU WERE FEARLESS AND
YOU TOLD THE TRUTH.

THERE'S SOMETHING SO
TRUE ABOUT THIS GENRE,

WHEN DONE CORRECTLY,

THAT I WILL FIGHT ANYBODY THAT
GETS IN A TRUE PRACTITIONER

OF THIS ART FORM'S WAY.

BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE WRONG.

THIS IS THE TRUTH, AND
YOU ARE OBSTRUCTING IT.

I'M NOT TALKING
ABOUT THE CONTENT,

I'M TALKING
ABOUT THE ART FORM.

DO WE UNDERSTAND?

DO WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT?

.

AND WHAT I REALLY
WANTED TO SAY TONIGHT,

AND I'M GLAD I GET
THE PLATFORM TO DO IT,

I'M GAY!

I AM GAY AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
WHAT THIS DOES FOR MY CAREER,

BEING GAY LIKE THIS.

SO MANY SPECIAL SHOUTOUTS.

ONE OF THE MAIN ARCHITECTS OF
THE COMEBACK OF THE CENTURY,

MY BROTHER AND MY MENTOR,
THE MIGHTY STAN LATHAN.

I NEVER DREAMED I WOULD
BE ABLE TO WORK WITH SOMEONE

AS GREAT AS YOU.

THESE LAST FIVE SPECIALS,
STRAIGHT FIRE.

I WOULDN'T WANT TO
DO ANOTHER SPECIAL WITH

ANYBODY ELSE BUT YOU.

SO EAT YOUR
MOTHERFUCKING VEGETABLES AND

LIVE AS LONG AS YOU CAN,

CAUSE WE DOING A FEW
MORE OF THESE BITCHES.

NEIL BRENNAN, YOUR
SPEECH MADE ME CRY.

BECAUSE IT REMINDED ME OF
ALL THOSE HARD DAYS OF WORK,

AND ALL THAT MONEY
I NEVER GOT FOR IT.

THE OTHER REAL SPECIAL
SHOUTOUT I GOT TO MAKE,

BECAUSE NONE OF THIS
WOULD'VE BEEN POSSIBLE ON ANY

LEVEL WITHOUT THIS PERSON,
IS MY MOTHER.

MOM.

.

MY MOTHER.

.

MOM, MOM, MOM, MOM.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I
PUT THIS WOMAN THROUGH.

IF YOU HAD JUST
GIVEN BIRTH TO ME,

THAT WOULD'VE BEEN
MORE THAN ENOUGH,

BUT THE FACT THAT YOU
RAISED ME AND RAISED ME WELL.

WE HAD A REAL ORAL
TRADITION IN OUR HOUSE,

I KNEW THE WORD GRIOT
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY.

A GRIOT WAS A PERSON IN AFRICA
WHO WAS CHARGED WITH KEEPING

THE STORIES OF THE VILLAGE.

EVERYONE WOULD TELL
GRIOT THE STORIES,

AND THEY WOULD
REMEMBER THEM SO THEY COULD

TELL FUTURE GENERATIONS.

AND WHEN THEY GOT OLD,
THEY'D TELL EM TO SOMEONE ELSE,

AND THEY SAY IN AFRICA,
WHEN A GRIOT DIES,

IT'S LIKE A
LIBRARY WAS BURNT DOWN.

AND MY MOTHER USED TO TELL ME,
BEFORE I EVER THOUGHT ABOUT

DOING COMEDY, SHE TOLD ME
"YOU SHOULD BE A GRIOT"

AND SHE'D FILL ME WITH
EVERY STORY OF BLACK LIFE.

YOU KNOW, SHE'S EDUCATED
IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES,

AND SHE WOULD LET ME
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT THAT

I WAS BEING RAISED IN.

THAT I'M BEING RAISED IN A
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT THAT

I HAVE TO TAME.

BY THE TIME I WAS 14 YEARS
OLD I WAS IN NIGHTCLUBS,

MASTERING AN ADULT WORLD.

IT WAS TERRIFYING.

CRACK EPIDEMIC WAS GOING ON,
AND MY MOTHER WOULD HEAR

GUNSHOTS OUTSIDE AND
BE SCARED TO DEATH,

MAYBE IT'S MY SON.

BUT EARLY IN MY CAREER,
IF YOU REMEMBER MOM,

YOU USED TO SIT IN
THE CLUB WITH ME.

SHE'D DO A FULL DAY OF WORK,
YOU'D BE BACK THERE,

FALLING ASLEEP, JUST
WAITING FOR ME TO GO ON.

SHE WOULD WATCH MY
SHOW EVERY NIGHT,

DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG
THAT CAR RIDE IS HOME?

.

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE
EVER HEARD YOUR MOTHER SAY,

"PUSSY JOKES WERE A
LITTLE TOO MUCH TONIGHT, SON"?

.

I WAS A SOFT KID.

I WAS SENSITIVE, I CRIED EASY,

AND I WOULD BE
SCARED TO FISTFIGHT.

AND MY MOTHER USED TO
TELL ME THIS THING,

I DON'T EVEN KNOW
IF YOU REMEMBER,

BUT YOU SAID THIS TO
ME MORE THAN ONCE.

YOU SAID, "SON, SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE TO BE A LION SO YOU CAN

BE THE LAMB YOU REALLY ARE".

I TALK THIS SHIT LIKE A LION,

I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANY OF YOU
WHEN IT COMES WORD TO WORD,

I WILL GAB WITH
THE BEST OF THEM.

JUST SO I CAN CHILL AND BE ME.

AND THAT'S WHY I
LOVE MY ART FORM,

BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND
EVERY PRACTITIONER OF IT.

WHETHER I AGREE
WITH THEM OR NOT,

I KNOW WHERE
THEY'RE COMING FROM.

THEY WANNA BE HEARD,
THEY GOT SOMETHING TO SAY,

THERE'S SOMETHING THEY NOTICE,
THEY JUST WANNA BE UNDERSTOOD.

I LOVE THIS GENRE.

IT SAVED MY LIFE.

SO TONIGHT MA, I WOULD
LIKE TO HONOR YOU IN A VERY

SPECIAL WAY THAT I
CANNOT DO ON MY OWN.

BUT BECAUSE NOW I'M A MAN,

WITH GREAT AND
INFLUENTIAL FRIENDS,

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MY MAN
THUNDERCAT TO COME OUT ONSTAGE.

THUNDERCAT, THE MIGHTY MOS DEF.

.

WASHINGTON DC, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR GIVING ME A HOME AND

A PLACE TO START.

TODAY IS OFFICIALLY
DAVE CHAPPELLE DAY IN

WASHINGTON D.C., THE
MAYOR DECLARED IT LAST NIGHT.

SO, IN THE FUTURE,

ON DAVE CHAPPELLE DAY I
ASK EVERYONE WHO WISHES

TO CELEBRATE
IT TO MAKE ONE INCREDIBLE

MEMORY FOR THEM SELF
AND/OR SOMEBODY ELSE.

THANK YOU VER MUCH, GOODNIGHT.

.

♪ MOS DEF:
TOMORROW MAY NEVER COME. ♪

♪ FOR YOU OR ME,
LIFE IS NOT PROMISED ♪

♪ TOMORROW MAY NEVER SHOW UP ♪

♪ FOR YOU OR ME,
THIS LIFE IS NOT PROMISED ♪

♪ I AIN'T NO PERFECT MAN,
I'M TRYING TO DO ♪

♪ THE BEST THAT I CAN
WITH WHAT IT IS I HAVE ♪

♪ I AIN'T NO PERFECT
MAN I'M TRYING TO DO ♪

♪ THE BEST THAT I CAN
WITH WHAT IT IS I HAVE ♪

♪ PUT MY HEART AND
SOUL INTO IT Y'ALL ♪♪

THANK YOU BROTHER DAVE.

♪ MY UMI SAID SHINE
YOUR LIGHT ON THE WORLD ♪

♪ SHINE YOUR LIGHT
FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. ♪

♪ MY UMI SAID SHINE
YOUR LIGHT ON THE WORLD ♪

♪ SHINE YOUR LIGHT
FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. ♪

♪ I WANT MY
PEOPLE TO BE FREE, ♪

♪ TO BE FREE, TO BE FREE. ♪

DAVE: THE MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN,

WHO HELPS ME AND EMPOWERS
ME TO DO EVERYTHING I DO.

ELAINE, THANK GOD FOR YOU.
{\c&HFFFFFF&\t(\c&H0000FFFF&)}Extracted By Nelka