Dave Chappelle Accepts Mark Twain Prize For American Humor At The Kennedy Center

(AllHipHop News) Dave Chappelle was honored in his hometown of Washington, DC on Sunday. The legendary comedian was presented with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Numerous celebrities were on hand at the event to honor the creator of the classic sketch comedy series Chappelle’s Show. Tiffany Haddish, Jon Stewart, Kenan Thompson, Neal Brennan, Morgan Freeman, and other stars were in attendance.

Music acts Common, John Legend, Q-Tip, Yasin Bey, Chance The Rapper, and Erykah Badu performed at the event. Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ Radical Elite Show Band opened the soiree with Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”

“I have a profound appreciation for music,” Chappelle expressed. “The culture of comedy and music is really oddly similar. We’re like kindred spirits, comedians and musicians, just the way we interact with each other. It’s a natural friendship.”

Besides the Mark Twain Prize, Chappelle has won numerous other awards including an Emmy and two Grammys. Over the last three decades, he starred in films such as The Nutty Professor, Half Baked, Chi-Raq, and A Star Is Born.

The 46-year-old DMV native released five stand-up comedy specials over the last three years. The Age of Spin, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, and Sticks & Stones were all distributed through Netflix.

“This is the truth and you are obstructing it. I’m not talking about the content. I’m talking about the art form. Do you understand?” said Chappelle during his acceptance speech. “The First Amendment is first for a reason. The Second is just in case the first one doesn’t work out.”

The Mark Twain Prize ceremony celebrating Dave Chapelle will air January 7, 2020 on PBS. Past recipients include Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Ellen DeGeneres, and Eddie Murphy.