Dave Chappelle speaks on George Floyd’s killing in new special

Dave Chappelle is adding his voice to the ongoing discussion of Black Lives Matter, the protest for social justice, and the elimination of systemic racism. The comedian dropped a free, surprise special on June 11 that is more of a conversation than a standup as Chappelle openly talks about race, George Floyd’s death, and the media coverage surrounding the subsequent protests. “This is not funny at all,” he says at one point in the show.Although Chappelle revealed at the top of the special that he wasn’t quite sure how to address Floyd’s death because it was hard to figure out what to say, he eventually said, “I got to tell you, this is like the first concert in North America since all this s--- happened, so like it or not, it’s history. It’s going to be in the books.” The special is named 8:46, which has double meaning for Chappelle. That’s how long police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck on May 25 in Minnesota, killing him. But it’s also the official time of birth on Chappelle’s birth certificate. “What are you signifying that you can kneel on a man’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn’t get the wrath of God?” Chappelle asks in the 27-minute performance. “That’s what is happening right now. It’s not for a single cop, it’s for all of it.”[video_embed id='1974635']RELATED: Tiffany Haddish shares experience at George Floyd’s memorial[/video_embed]Chappelle also revealed that when he eventually brought himself to watch the video of Floyd’s death it reminded him of a plea from his own father, on his deathbed. “This kid thought he was going to die, he knew he was going to die,” Chappelle said. “When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die.”8:46 was taped on June 6 at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Roughly 100 people were in attendance at the socially distanced event, which also marked the first time Chappelle has been on stage in 87 days. Although, as Variety notes, he has performed at intimate settings around the Dayton area in between.Throughout the performance, Chappelle also spoke out about how he was unable to attend the Grammys to accept his trophy on the day Kobe Bryant died, and naturally he also threw in a bit about Ja Rule. But he also lashed out at the media and how it has covered Floyd’s death and the protests in the days since his murder. Specifically he called out Don Lemon at CNN, who has accused celebrities of sitting at home and doing nothing during violent protests. According to Chappelle, that attitude is just talking over the work people are doing out there.“Listen to me, do you want to see a celebrity right now? No!” he said. “This is the streets talking for themselves. … Why would anyone care what their favorite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds?” Then Chappelle turned his sights to Fox News host Laura Ingraham (the one who told Kevin Durant and LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” when they criticized Donald Trump). Ingraham has made controversial comments about the protests that have followed Floyd’s death, which didn’t sit well with the comedian.“We didn’t choose him! You did,” he said. “They killed him and that wasn’t right, so he’s the guy. We’re not desperate for heroes in the black community. [Anyone] that survives this nightmare is my g-------- hero.”[video_embed id='1975291']BEFORE YOU GO: A look at removing controversial statues[/video_embed]