Dave Chappelle

Barack Obama And Dave Chappelle Inducted Jay-Z Into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

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Jay-Z was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame last night, becoming one of the few solo rappers who has received the honor so far. LL Cool J and Tina Turner were other notable additions to the hall this year, though early nominations indicate other rappers and R&B legends might be added soon, too.

For Jay’s induction, hip-hop magnates like Eminem, Pharrell, Beyonce and Rihanna, and many more were all part of a tribute video acknowledging the vast impact of his words and rhymes on culture at large, and Black culture in particular. Appearances just kept pouring in, with cameos from LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Blue Ivy, John Legend, Questlove, P. Diddy and so many others. With induction speeches from both former President Barack Obama and comedian Dave Chappelle, it’s hard to understate the breadth of Jay’s influence.

Here’s some clips from the tribute video:

Barack Obama’s induction speech included references to how much Jay’s music has helped him personally over the years, and praised the way he’s brought up so many other people along with him. “I’ve turned to Jay Z’s words at different points in my life, whether I was brushing dirt off my shoulder on the campaign trail,” Obama said. “Or sampling his lyrics on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the Selma march to Montgomery. Today Jay-Z is one of the most renowned artists in history and an embodiment of the American dream, a dream he has helped make real for other young people like him.”

And Dave Chappelle let the Rock Hall know that even though they’re honoring Jay, he’s still “ours,” referring to the Black community:

For his acceptance speech, Jay talked about the impact of hip-hop and the “heroes” in it:

And actually took to Twitter himself to thank everyone who was involved:

Hopefully full-length copies of these speeches and tributes will be available soon, for now enjoy the social media clips above.

Cavalier Hotel Says No To Pharrell For Event With Dave Chappelle

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Dave Chappelle

Pharrell and Dave Chappelle are facing some roadblocks. A Virginia Beach businessman has turned down Pharrell William’s plan to hold an event featuring Dave Chappelle at the historic Cavalier Hotel. Virginia Beach businessman Bruce Thompson recently turned down a plan from Grammy award-winning singer and Virginia Beach native, Pharrell Williams, to hold an event at […]

50 Cent Agrees With Dave Chapplle About DaBaby’s Homophobic Comments

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In Dave Chappelle’s new Netflix special The Closer, the veteran standup comic gives his perspective on the backlash against Charlotte rapper DaBaby in the wake of his homophobic comments at Rolling Loud. In one bit, Chappelle compares the reaction to DaBaby’s comments to a relatively muted after DaBaby allegedly shot and killed another man in a Walmart in self-defense: “In our country, you can shoot and kill a n***a but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings,” he summarizes.

While Chappelle’s bit elicited varied reactions from fans on social media, one notable person who approved of the bit is 50 Cent, who shared a clip on Instagram and offered some context from his unique perspective. “Dave Chappelle is a funny mother f*cker,” he wrote in the caption. “That was flawless. Hip hop loves things that are damaged, that’s the beauty of the culture. @dababy is on a new path. Music has changed everything. LOL” It seems in 50’s eyes rap provided a net positive for someone like DaBaby because although DaBaby has come under scrutiny, at least he’s not being assaulted in public (usually, he’s doing the assaulting, but that’s a different post).

Of course, 50 has been one of DaBaby’s staunchest supporters, even after the backlash. In an August interview, 50 compared DaBaby’s situation to that of Chris Brown, inadvertently highlighting the position that cancel culture doesn’t exist. Naturally, he says, as long as DaBaby keeps making hits, he should be able to bounce back from the awkwardly-worded call-to-action. History shows he might be right.

Entertainment News: Nick Cannon Swaps “Wendy,” Dave Chapelle Closes, Bye Issa Rae, ‘Toxic’ Tamron Hall Show

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Nick Cannon

This week’s entertainment news spotlight is on Dave Chapelle’s new comedy show, Issa Rae’s farewell, Nick Cannon and Wendy Williams trading places, and reports of toxicity at The Tamron Hall Show. Issa Rae’s Goodbye, Dave Hittin’ Hard Issa Rae has just released a new trailer for the last season of her hit show “Insecure”.  Fans […]

Dave Chappelle Takes On The Backlash To DaBaby’s Homophobic Comments In His New Netflix Special

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The fallout from DaBaby’s disastrous Rolling Loud Miami set continues to settle, as more voices enter the chat to debate his demerits. While the majority of the reactions to DaBaby’s comments have deplored his ill-chosen words, Dave Chappelle has a different question on his mind. In his new Netflix special The Closer, which debuted today, Chappelle juxtaposes the backlash to DaBaby’s homophobic comments with the rapper’s violent lyrics — which aren’t all stereotypical rapper bluster.

Chappelle leads into the observation by cheekily addressing the backlash to his own recent sets, on which he seems to have specifically targeted queer people in order to point out what he sees as discrepancies in the way they are treated in comparison to Black people (setting aside the fact that people can be … both). “All the questions you might have had about all these jokes I’ve said in the last few years, I hope to answer tonight,” he says. “And I’d like to start by addressing the [LGBTQ] community directly. I want every member of that community to know that I come here tonight in peace and I hope to negotiate the release of DaBaby.”

After some additional preamble, he reminds the audience that before DaBaby’s rise to fame (in fact, almost immediately before it) the rapper was involved in a fatal shooting, in which he claimed self-defense. Then, Dave poses his observation: “In our country, you can shoot and kill a n***a but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings.” It’s doubtful that anything’s as simple as that — queer people are often the targets of just as brutal crimes for little other reason than being queer — but to his credit, Chappelle promises to address the nuance in the special. We’ll see if he does.

DaBaby, meanwhile, has continued to address the fallout himself, meeting with organizations dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness and sneering at some of his critics in his return to the stage at Summer Jam.

Watch the trailer for Dave Chappelle’s The Closer, which is now streaming on Netflix, above.

Dave Chappelle Reacts To Paul Mooney’s Shocking Death

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Dave Chappelle Opens Saturday Night Live Celebrating Donald Trump's Exit

Comedy legend Dave Chappelle is paying respect to a true icon. The hip-hop head and popular funnyman has reacted to the crushing news of former “Chappelle’s Show” guest star Paul Mooney dying. Dave Chappelle Reacts To Paul Mooney’s Death Footage has surfaced of Chappelle getting ran up on by paparazzi in New York City shortly […]

The post Dave Chappelle Reacts To Paul Mooney’s Shocking Death appeared first on SOHH.com.

Dave Chappelle Is Launching His First-Ever Podcast, Along With Talib Kweli And Yasiin Bey

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“Last summer, Yellow Springs [Ohio] was what Hollywood is supposed to be,” says Talib Kweli about the much mythologized “Chappelle Summer Camp” of 2020, which has now given birth to Dave Chappelle’s first podcast. “What we realized is that Hollywood and all that stuff is fake. The real dopeness is where the people are. If someone like Chappelle says, ‘Well, I’m in Yellow Springs.’ Then that’s where the people are going to be.”

The show, co-hosted by Kweli and Yasiin Bey and called The Midnight Miracle, will air on the subscription podcast network Luminary, will reveal the inner workings of Chappelle’s covid rapid tested events (along with the even more legendary after-parties), held in Ohio through the summer and deep into the fall. The first episodes are set to drop “in the coming weeks” and will feature wide-ranging conversations as well as sketches, archival clips, and impersonations from Chappelle, along with a roster of his incredibly famous friends.

“The constant isn’t fame,” Kweli says, “it’s contributions to the culture. Chappelle, one of his many talents, is curating great rooms, so what people will hear on the podcast is essentially what they would hear if they were in the room with us. It’s very organic, very free-flowing, it’s non-linear… we just happen to associate ourselves with greatness.”

“The Midnight Miracle” was recorded in a retrofitted mechanic’s garage turned clubhouse, and the trio has already banked over 100 hours of content recorded with a jaw-dropping list of guests from Common and Tiffany Haddish to Questlove and Chris Rock (plus a soundtrack that includes Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and D’Angelo).

As for where the seed of the show first blossomed, Kweli credits his longtime Black Star partner in rhyme, Yasiin Bey. The trio’s friendship has endured since the Chappelle’s Show days.

“We speak often and the last few years we’ve spoken more, as we’ve gotten older,” Kweli tells us. “It was actually Yasiin’s idea to do this type of podcast, when he and Dave first heard people talking about my show, The People’s Party. [People’s Party is produced by Uproxx] Yasiin said to Dave, ‘you should be doing a podcast, too’ and Dave said ‘well the only way I’m doing it is if I do it with ya’ll,’ It was just that simple.”

“Making a podcast isn’t the obvious next move for me, but it’s the right one,” Chappelle said in a press release announcing the show. “The Midnight Miracle gives you a look into how me and my friends process the world around us, and I think it will change the way listeners think of what a podcast can be.”

Look for The Midnight Miracle to drop on Luminary in the weeks to come.