Remember when Dave Chappelle was the effing man? This was what seems like way in the day when Chappelle's Show was all the rage and everybody was yelling "I'm Rick James bitch!" He was perhaps the funniest man in America at the time, had a hit TV show and just signed a $50 million contract. Then he just walked away from it all. The pressure got to him and everybody says he went crazy. But they were wrong, he didn't go crazy, even as crazy as turning down $50 million might seem. As it turns out, money can't but you happiness. He was much more content on being a normal dude without all the money and fame. Fast forward a couple months later and Chappelle threw a hip hop concert block party in New York City, maybe as a way to tell everyone he was still around and kicking, but more likely to finally be able to do something he's always wanted to do. As he reflects in the documentary, "This is the single best day of my entire career" and seems to genuinely mean it.
I was listening to iTunes and a song from the soundtrack came up and it got me thinking back to this movie and suddenly I was in the mood to watch some bits and pieces from it. Block Party holds a special place in my heart because it features a bunch of my favorite rappers, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, and The Roots, a who's who of socially conscience emcees along with mega stars Kanye West and the Fugees. So it was much to my delight that Dave Chappelle and I share the same appreciation in rap music. Combine my favorite rappers with my favorite comedian in one package, how could you go wrong?
As soon as I put in the DVD and pressed play, I was taken back by just how cool Dave Chappelle is. Some celebrities you'd think would act like celebrities, distanced and unapproachable, but Chappelle seems like a genuinely humble down to earth guy. There is this hypothetical question that asks, "If you can hang out with any celebrity for a day who would you pick?" Typical answers would be George Clooney or Brad Pitt, the megastars. But I generally think those are poor answers because just because these guys are rich and mega famous, how fun would they be to actually hang out with once you get past the glitz and glamor? Dave Chappelle would be near the top of my list. He just seems like a really cool dude. Oh, and he's funny as hell.
I was reminded by how funny he was with his bits of spontaneous comedy and jokes in the film. He has little nuggets of gold sprinkled throughout. But the funny man is also surprisingly insightful and reflective.
One observation he makes is that all comedians want to be musicians and all musicians think they are funny. This film is a perfect blend of both worlds, funny bits sprinkled in with great music. The concert footage doesn't disappoint. It helps that these are basically my favorite rappers of all time, but I get the feeling that people who say they don't like rap music would like this film. Chappelle even goes out of his way to make sure to invite people who say they don't like rap music, from old white folks from his hometown in Ohio to free loving hippies living in the Bed Stuy projects the concert is to take place in.
Block Party is a wonderful little documentary film about Dave Chappelle's desire to put on a good show for everyone to appreciate, really no different from what he wanted to create with the famous show he walked away from, but only this time it seems it was more for himself than anything. A man should be allowed to do what he loves.
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment