8:46

This was a special, but not a comedy special. It was much more than that. He does have a thesis that serves as the backbone of the 27 or so minutes of material, but it's secondary to the content. Is it raw? Yeah. It's current, it's now. He makes reference to how his great-grandfather was born a slave...thats not thousands of years ago, that's now.

If you are expecting a gut-busting laugh-fest, you will be sorely disappointed. It's not perfect, but this needs to be watched, if only for perspective. To reiterate, its not a comedy special, it's history.

Released on YouTube by Netflix Is A Joke - the streamer's comedy and stand-up "brand" - the audience could be misled into thinking this was another installment of Chappelle's latest run of hilarious stand-up specials, like Sticks and Stones.

The name 8:46, inspired by how long the police officer who killed George Floyd's knelt on his neck, should give viewers an indication that this half-hour shouldn't be as filled with laughs as other times Chappelle got up on a stage. The brief description -

"Normally I wouldn't show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand"

• is another clue.

From the pandemic-compliant live audience sitting meters apart of each other and with masks, to the use of a notebook to the keep the comedian on track, 8:46 is definitely raw. That helps to make it much closer to a podcast or a personal essay than to a fully rehearsed stand-up routine.

But 8:46 is a captivating watch.

Chappelle's takes you on a journey by narrating through many events in his life that are tied to violence against or involving the African-American community.

It is true, the laughs are few and far in between. The distance between audience members also makes each joke harder to land. But you still get glimpses of quintessential Chappelle in this 30-minute long "special", including a reference to the famous "Where's Ja Rule?" joke.

In fact, what makes 8:46 bewitching is Chappelle's command of his own tone and enunciation.

8:46 is not a hilarious watch, no.

But if you are at all interested in the current social unrest in the US and the (latest) events that triggered it, watching a personal essay by Dave Chappelle - an African-American comedy legend who always spoke on the issue of race - should be very high up on your list.

In this brief COVID-lockdown era special Dave dials down the jokes and dials up the anger. It's not a comedian on stage foaming at the mouth, but you can see the anger in his face and hear it in his voice. It comes from a good place though because "8:46" is representative of the eight minutes and forty-six seconds Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd's neck (we now know that the time was above nine minutes). A visibly shaken Dave wanted to address the issue while throwing in a joke or two. Was it as funny as other stuff of his? No, and I'm not mad.

You have been warned. If you like that sort of thing...Enjoy!

This isn't a comedy show, Dave is releasing some pure anger in this special. Even Dave claims it is not well rehearse, just an angry man talking. It is good if you know what you are getting into. This isn't "Killing me Softly," that is pure comedy art. This is just a man who is pissed off and needs to release some steam.

8/10 (DAVE has surpassed Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, he is now the GOAT)