A block of fun and music.

“All comedians want to be musicians, and all musicians think that they are funny.” - Dave Chappelle
Unfortunately for most comedians they don’t have the list of talented musician friends that Dave Chappelle seems to be able to bring together, making a vanity project such as Dave Chappelle’s Block Party completely unrealistic. Luckily, for fans of Mr. Chappelle’s narrow brand of comedy and fans of the hip-hop music world, Dave does have the right friends and all the right ambitions essential to bring some of the finest musical talents of that genre together on the big screen.
After signing a $60 million contract with Comedy Central, Dave Chappelle walked off the set supposedly over “creative differences”, and disappeared into the wild thin air of “Africa” at the height of his fame. Since his show was the number 1 series at the Network at the time that he left, it stands to reason that his legions of fans must be starving for more of his outrageous, color-conscious skits.
However, anyone who is looking for Dave’s trademark brand of humor is likely to be a bit disappointed by Dave Chappelle‘s Block Party, for this filmed concert’s strength lies in it’s stimulated musical performances by a host of hip-hop artists who are my personal cup of tea but are very good at what they do.
In the fall of 2004, Dave Chappelle set out to throw his own version of a “once-in-a-lifetime” block party for 5,000 of his leading fans. He spent days, as he showed us in the film, combing the streets of Southwestern Ohio, passing out golden tickets much like a black Willy Wonka on speed, that would send hundreds across the country to Brooklyn, New York for what would become a epic show. Once there these lucky few would hold witness to an overwhelming marathon, with performances by Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and the Roots. They would also be treated to the musical reunion of Wyclef Jean, Pras and Lauren Hill - formally known as the Fugees. With a spectacular concert and a little bit of sketch comedy to fill in the gaps, Chappelle and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry set a path to make Block Party a moment in musical and comedy history that will not soon be forgotten to those who enjoy that type of music, again not my type but I was very open to experience what they had to offer.
The artist like Chappelle are not at all shy about sharing their sharp-edged political perspective on what at that time was the start of the second half of the Bush years. The artist messages ranged from “F*ck the police!” to “I’m up for shooting some crackers at City Hall,” to lyrics which suggested assassinating the President on Saturday and burying him on Sunday. Sporting t-shirts (Che Guevara) and buttons (Black Panthers) advancing evenly progressive causes, some spoke earnestly during interludes about their heartfelt concerns for the planet.

If you are a fan of hip-hop music, there is nothing bad about this film. The music is electrifying, and seeing such talent all pulled together on one stage brings a moment of doubt, followed by many moments of musical bliss. Cut in between the shots of Dave Chappelle roaming the streets seeking zealously egar fans of the hip-hop style is the amazing concert, which begins with an electrifying performance from Kanye West, flanked by the infinitely talented John Legend. Then after performances from Mos Def, Common and Talib Kweli, the women of Chappelle’s Block Party take over and steal the entire show. Soulful and sexy, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott slow things down and heat things up with a few ballads.
This all precedes, of course, the moment of true genius on the part of Chappelle and whomever else helped him plan this event; the moment when Lauren Hill, Wyclef and Pras take the stage as the Fugees for the first time in over 7 years. Personally as a fan of the Fugees from the time I discovered The Score, I was amazed to see them all on stage together again. It solidified the musical experience for me, not only as a fan of the Fugees, but as a fan of hip-hop.
But lest we forget that these wonderful musical performances are all wedged in between the street-wise comedy bits of Dave Chappelle, which can at times be a little hokey. To me however, Dave’s jokes were very crude. Here’s a couple to give you a good idea what to expect. “Your mother has three ti*ties, one for milk, one for water, the other one’s out of order.” Or, “How many white folks does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None, because they’ll get a n*gger to do it for ‘em.” And then there was one about the “industrious prostitute who had another vagina surgically implanted on her hip so she could make some money on the side?” Fortunately, the other performers easily overshadow Dave’s dumb antics. In some ways the film begins to appear more like a narcissistic project for Chappelle than a musical out pouring. If it wasn’t for his obvious love of the music and his commitment to bringing his fans along for the ride as far spread as Ohio, the message of this film would have been lost in a twister of self-centered promotions by its leading man. Chappelle’s bits are funny to a point, but the real appeal of this documentary film is the musical showcase that he assembles.
To me, Dave’s jokes were very crude. Here’s a couple to give you a good idea what to expect. “Your mother has three ti*ties, one for milk, one for water, the other one’s out of order.” Or, “How many white folks does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None, because they’ll get a n*gger to do it for ‘em.” And then there was one about the “industrious prostitute who had another vagina surgically implanted on her hip so she could make some money on the side?” Fortunately, the other performers easily overshadow Dave’s dumb antics.
In the end, this film appeals to a fairly limited audience, that dose not include me. You really have to either be a big fan of Dave Chappelle, a fan of hip-hop, or a fan of both in order to even be interested in the first place. The sad part for those of you who do not fit into the above categories (much like myself) is that we are missing out on a wonderfully crafted musical show. Chappelle’s Block Party is entertaining and above all original enough to rent but I would not buy it to own.