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