Dave Chappelle Collection on Letterman, 1994-2014

Like when I was there, I don't know what he's doing up there. You know, but you have a hunch, I have a hunch, I have my suspicions and the girl, how is she? she's one, actually she's backstage, that's nice, she couldn't find an abs, yeah, it's four in the afternoon a lot of times. You know, I think the part of me that's a comedian reflects more on her, really yeah, whatever it is that makes a guy funny or wants that kind of attention, she has more than her brothers, they all have it, but she is she. she's the next jedi without knowing anything about it that's a good thing for a little girl right a girl this is a good thing so far yeah you know what it's like it starts out cute and then when you're a teenager it's a little bit, you know, I guess it can be wild, I don't know what she's going to say, yeah, she's her own person, although it's interesting to see someone come out of the closet, yeah, that's right, after five years, she's already doing her thing now.

You had your uh, you had the Dave Chappelle show on Comedy Central and then you didn't have the Dave Chappelle show on Comedy Central.and and in comedy the reason most people have a show and then don't have a show is because they say well, we don't want you to have a program anymore, but that wasn't the case here, the case here was what you said. I guess you said I don't want your show anymore and you took a walk, it's worse, yeah, but now you're tired of talking about it, it was 10 years ago, don't talk about it, it's like you know, you just know, listen to it here .

It's technically I never quit, I'm seven years late for work kid, are you going to have problems when you come back? Well, you know, no, it's like getting divorced in the 50s, people didn't go to divorce court, they just looked at their wife like a baby, I'm going to go get a pack of cigarettes, I'll be right back and then they leave with clothes on and they make a door yeah they didn't even have internet back then you could move 11 miles away and have a whole new life 11 miles yeah that's all it would take I've never seen her again just stop Going to the same places is yours or mine, it sure is.

Wouldn't it be weird if I drank your water at all? but there was a time of wild speculation, uh, and is there something that we don't know and that we should know or something that we do know and that we shouldn't know, uh, let's say I'm you and 10 years ago one day you don't go to work and leave After coming I stopped coming to work and that's what you did, am I right about that? Yeah, okay, and you went, you went to South Africa, am I right about that? uh, yeah, yeah, and you lived in South Africa for an extended period of time, well, no, I was there for two weeks, I mean, you know, I mean, there aren't many good hideouts left in the United States, but there were, were there?

Am I right about this? There was a great mystery about this. The strategy on your part was there, right? You know, I don't know, because when it came out in all the media, I left and then, if you're the guy, nobody tells you anything, so I don't know if it was mysterious or not mysterious it was like living in the corner of perception reality you know what I mean and like it was a strange place when everyone thought wesley snipes was in jail I saw him at a party hey that's true but this That's what I remember, uh, Comedy Central, your ex, that's where the show was.

The show had been on the air for two years, maybe three years, two years, we were filming our third season and you were there and they, there's a negotiation, a renegotiation, and they said here we are. We're going to give you, we're going to guarantee you a huge sum of money to continue doing the show because it's very successful and then apparently you accepted and then where did it go? The program stopped and never came back and like you. He said seven years later, you're just late for work, so what decision was made, you made a decision, oh yeah, I made a series of decisions, uh, do you regret saying I don't want this huge sum of money?

Well, okay, look Dave, it's very hard to go to something like this because no one has done it before, so there aren't many people who don't think I'm crazy, so I look at it like this: I'm in a restaurant with my wife. , it is a good restaurant. We're having dinner, I look across the room, I'm like, you see this guy across the room, he's got a hundred million dollars and we're eating the same entree, so it's okay, I don't have 50 million or whatever. . but let's say I have 10 million in the bank, the difference in lifestyle is minuscule.

The only difference between having 10 million dollars and 50 million dollars is the staggering figure of 40 million dollars, of course, of course, of course, I would like to have that money. You're right, it's 40 million, it's the difference, yeah, you know, because when you quit, my friends try to make me feel better, but no one's been through that, so they'll say stupid things, not stupid, it's nice, but they'll say Well, You know what, Dave, at the end of the day you still have your integrity. That's great. I'll go home and make the kids some integrity sandwiches. It does not make any sense.

It's like there's nothing anyone can say. It's just that you do what you do. You feel like you need to do it right, well there you go, that's the answer and how does it feel to do what you felt you needed to do? The answer is very complicated because I've felt different ways over the last 10 years, you know? Whenever there is something I would like to have that I could have paid for and now I can't afford or that I'm upset about, but when I see a guy who is going to do a time-consuming job and doesn't have the free time to do the things I can do so I had to feel good about it, but in general, in your heart, in everyone's heart, we know that money is not the answer or the solution, money is the fuel to make decisions, money It gives me options, so that's not it. nothing is something that I can choose when I want my children to go to school I can choose what I want to eat on a given day it's not the end but it's not the end at the end of the day there are other things in my life that uh I didn't buy with money that is very valuable, that's true, and let's say you have the 40 million, who, who, who, to say that you would be a happier or better person.

I think I could be a happier person. Don't know. I have a way of knowing, but you know, sometimes I listen to a Jay-Z record and it starts to make me feel bad about some of the decisions I made. This guy had more fun with two songs than I have in the last 11 years, but who of them? We don't make decisions, we all regret it, we all do, yeah, now, uh, tell me about the concert on the town hall radio. I was told the demand was so great that more dates were added besides the ones I mentioned, am I right, one was added for June 23rd and now it goes on sale at midnight and I did that show, it wasn't just about the man, there was an artist I really wanted to work with you.

I know I'm a huge fan of hip hop music, it's the 20th anniversary of possibly one of the best hip-hop albums ever made, that album is illogical, that artist is nice, so I'm very lucky to be able to say that I'm I'll be playing Monday the 23rd at Radio City Music Hall with Nas' 45-piece orchestra. Wow, it's going to be a 45-piece orchestra on Radio City Music. Well, we have June 18 to 22. And now the other show goes on sale tonight. It would be June 23 and then we will have shows from June 24 to 26. You're going to be a very busy man.

I will love every minute of it and I really appreciate doing the show. It's great to see you again. I'm happy to see you on TV and no talent. I feel the same for you. Much respect to you, David, very kind of you. Thank you very much, Dave Chappelle. Ladies and gentlemen, we will be back with Laura Prepon.