Raphael Saadiq has always admired the boldness of stand-up icons like Dave Chappelle and Eddie Murphy who commanded the stage alone with only their stories.

When President Donald Trump addressed U_S_ and Qatari troops at a military base in Qatar, he assured the rank and file “we don’t care if you’re politically correct.”.

On a night when half a dozen people made jokes about this being the last-ever Mark Twain Prize, Conan O’Brien made sure the ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ended on a high note.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on the NAACP Image Awards stage with a sobering message, calling the civil rights organization a pillar of the Black community and urging people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during President Donald Trump’s tenure.

Costume designer Tom Broecker has been working at “Saturday Night Live” for more than 30 years.

The 50th anniversary celebration of “Saturday Night Live” is so big, it’s not even on Saturday.

The “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special will include guest appearances by Tom Hanks, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, John Mulaney, Dave Chappelle, Scarlett Johansson and numerous other stars who’ve been associated with the show over the years.

Comedian and actor Matt Rife is coming to San Antonio in September for a stop on his tour.

The Grammy Awards are sticking with their man.

Comedian and host Conan O’Brien is the newest recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for lifetime achievement in comedy.

Timothée Chalamet will return to “Saturday Night Live” for his third stint as a host.

Celebrities, cultural icons and a few surprise guests have paid tribute to honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Honors celebration in Washington.

Did stand-up comedians help reelect Donald Trump.

Comedian Shane Gillis is kicking off 2025 with a show in San Antonio.

American comedian Dave Chappelle has said a “genocide” is striking the Gaza Strip amid the Israel-Hamas war to cheers during his performance in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Kevin Hart rose from the open mics and comedy clubs of his native Philadelphia to become one of his country’s most recognizable performers.

Trevor Noah is ready to face one of the toughest audiences of his career, the millions watching as he once again hosts the Grammy Awards.

Jim Brown's extraordinary life was celebrated in a moving tribute just a short walk from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Award-winning American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer of television and film Dave Chappelle will bring his stand-up comedy show “Dave Chappelle Live” to San Antonio at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, July 12, according to a press release.

Dave Chappelle asked the crowd at his comedy show to make some noise for the world's richest man.

While filming “Emancipation,” Will Smith routinely drew inspiration from the words “sacred motivation” that were written on the front page of a script.

Fresh off leading the Golden State Warriors to an NBA championship, Stephen Curry is hosting The ESPYS.

The Emmy Award nominations announced Tuesday included some snubs and surprises, like “This Is Us” and “black-ish” walking away forever limply and Nathan Lane making history as the most-nominated best comedy guest actor in Emmy history.

Mo'Nique and Netflix reportedly have settled her lawsuit that accused the streaming service of racial and sexual discrimination.

The twin concerts for Foo Fighters’ late drummer Taylor Hawkins will include Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Joan Jett, Mark Ronson, members of Queen, The Police, Rush, Kiss, The Pretenders, Motley Crue, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Supergrass and comedian Dave Chappelle.

Ricky Gervais' new Netflix special is drawing fire from LGBTQ and trans advocacy groups.

Jesse Williams vowed not to be discouraged after leaked video and images of his onstage nude scene in the Broadway play “Take Me Out” were posted online.

The man charged in an attack on comedian Dave Chappelle during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl has pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanors.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say the man arrested on suspicion of tackling comedian Dave Chappelle during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl will not be charged with any felonies.

Comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night and a man was later arrested.

Comedian Jon Stewart says speculation about the future of comedy amid increased audience cultural sensitivity is ignoring a true and enduring threat: authoritarian governments around the world.

The recent mass shooting in California's capital city has shaken a downtown core that's been beset by violence and decades of economic struggles.

A new study says that LGBTQ representation on TV series has grown along with the footprint of streaming services.

Comedian, talk show host and political influencer Jon Stewart has been named the 23rd recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Award for lifetime achievement in comedy.

Leave it to Mel Brooks to blurb his own memoir.

Jussie Smollett is going on trial this week, accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack downtown Chicago nearly three years ago.

Retirees are ruling the roost in this year's Grammy nominations in the record of the year category.

Two former Netflix employees who raised concerns about anti-transgender comments on Dave Chappelle’s TV special are dropping labor complaints and one has resigned from the company.

Jay-Z has added another title to a bustling resume that includes Grammy winner, songwriter, billionaire business mogul, and global icon — now, Hall of Famer.

Netflix employees walked out Wednesday in protest of Dave Chappelle’s special and its anti-transgender comments.

Netflix has posted sharply higher third-quarter earnings thanks to a stronger slate of titles.

MTV says its Europe Music Awards will air next month in Hungary.

Netflix says it has fired an employee for disclosing confidential financial information about the Dave Chappelle comedy special “The Closer,” which some have condemned as being transphobic.

A top Netflix executive says Dave Chappelle’s special “The Closer” doesn’t cross “the line on hate” and will remain on the streaming service.

Claire Foy, Courtney B.

Most people know him for “I Believe I Can Fly,” the 1996 sing-along hit that became an inspirational anthem played at school graduations, weddings and advertisements.

Stevie Wonder and Common will perform together for the seventh Stand Up To Cancer telethon.

Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon and Amy Schumer are in a star-studded group of comedians to perform for one night only at Madison Square Garden to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

In Questlove's documentary “Summer of Soul” a musical flood, too long dammed up, is finally released.

Fifteen months after shuttering for the pandemic, New York’s Radio City Music Hall reopened its doors Saturday for the Tribeca Festival premiere of a new Dave Chappelle documentary.

The 20th Tribeca Festival is aiming to not just rebuild itself after a 2020 edition was largely scuttled by the pandemic, but to help revitalize its hometown.

Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series “The Mod Squad” and Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” has died.

Elon Musk moved a cryptocurrency's value and TV ratings with his “Saturday Night Live” appearance.

NEW YORK – When Eddie Murphy made the original “Coming to America,” he was, almost indisputably, the funniest man in America. “Now I take nothing for granted and appreciate everything.”Thirty-three years after “Coming to America,” Murphy and Hall have returned to Zamunda. At the barbershop, where Murphy and Hall also reprise their characters, the conversation bounces from Teslas to transgender people. Before making “Black Panther,” Murphy has said Ryan Coogler approached him about a “Coming to America” sequel. Ruth E. Carter designed the costumes of both “Black Panther” and “Coming 2 America.” Both were shot in Atlanta.

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2019, file photo, Dave Chappelle arrives at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Dave Chappelle, in Washington. Chappelle tested positive for the coronavirus just before his comedy show scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21, forcing his upcoming appearances to be canceled, a spokeswoman said. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)AUSTIN, Texas – Dave Chappelle tested positive for the coronavirus just before his comedy show scheduled for Thursday, forcing his upcoming appearances to be canceled, a spokeswoman said. Those shows have been canceled and Chappelle is quarantining, his representative Carla Sims said in a statement. He apologized on Instagram to followers for the canceled shows, saying they'd be rescheduled.

Chappelle is set to buy a former fire station near his Ohio hometown with plans to turn it into a comedy club. Fire Station in Yellow Springs will be sold to the 47-year-old actors company and turned into a club that will seat 140 people. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio – Comedian Dave Chappelle is set to buy a former fire station near his Ohio hometown with plans to turn it into a comedy club. Chappelle's ties to Ohio go back to his father, who graduated from Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, and later was a professor there. In June, Chappelle held a private, outdoor stand-up and social commentary performance to a socially distant and masked audience in Yellow Springs.

AUSTIN, Texas – Dave Chappelle appears to be enjoying his time in Texas because he’s performing 10 shows in Austin on scattered dates between Dec. 8 - 20. Tickets for the shows go on sale Friday, Dec. 4, at noon and are expected to sell out quickly. One of Texas’ newest celebrity residents, Joe Rogan, will join Chappelle on stage for the Dec. 8, 9, 11, 15 and 16 shows. Chappelle was spotted out in San Antonio a few times over the last month at the historic Pearl. One fan who ran into the comedy icon said their interaction was “the most Dave Chappelle thing ever” and spoke highly of their random run-in.

Dave Chappelle is asking his fans to stop streaming his popular sketch comedy show, “Chappelle’s Show,” and educating viewers about his early career and the circumstances of why his show ended with Comedy Central and Viacom. But when Chappelle asked that he not do it anymore, the other comedian said he wasn’t going to stop. The second lesson, a lesson in street smarts, Chappelle says he played a Three-card Monte game in New York where he lost $60. “I’m not going through the agents, I’m coming to my real boss, I’m coming to you. Boycott Chappelle’s Show, do not watch it unless they pay me.”Related: ‘It was the most Dave Chappelle thing ever.’ Man runs into famous comedian at the Pearl

NEW YORK – “The Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah has been tapped to host the 2021 Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy made the announcement hours before the nominees for the upcoming show are revealed. It would mark Noah's first time hosting the Grammys, which will be held Jan. 31. Earlier this year, Noah competed for his first Grammy Award: The 36-year-old Emmy winner was nominated for best comedy album with “Son of Patricia," but lost to Dave Chappelle. See you at the 63rd GRAMMYs!”Alicia Keys was the most recent Grammys host.

SAN ANTONIO – Legendary comedian Dave Chappelle was spotted in San Antonio again just over a month after his last visit to Alamo City when he ran into one lucky San Antonio man who called the interaction the “most Dave Chappelle thing ever.”Chappelle was seen walking around The Pearl on Saturday afternoon, according to MySanAntonio.com. He posed with fellow comedians Ardie Fuqua, Mo Amer and Ashley Barnhill in a photo on Fuqua’s Instagram. But it’s a photo that Chappelle didn’t pose for that is one of the best celebrity photos of the year (in our opinion). The photo shows Chapelle strolling through the Pearl farmer’s market while a dog poops in the foreground. Chapelle is set to perform several shows in Texas this week, including three in Houston this Thursday through Saturday after three shows in Austin Monday through Wednesday.

Jim Carrey played President-elect Joe Biden, taking the stage and poking fun at the five-day wait for results. He even offered a throwback to one of his infamous '90s-era lines, calling President Donald Trump a “Looooosseer!” to laughs and applause. Chappelle hosted “SNL” in November 2016 in its first episode after Trump’s election, pointedly critiquing the surprise over the result. “You know, I didn't know Donald Trump was going to win the election,” Chapelle said four years ago. “SNL” has regularly lampooned Trump and his presidency in recent years, enlisting Baldwin to play the commander in chief.

SAN ANTONIO – “It was the most Dave Chappelle thing ever." That’s the reaction one lucky San Antonio man had when he had an unexpected run-in with the famous comedian at The Pearl on Tuesday morning. Julian Dais spoke with KSAT Wednesday about his chance encounter with Chappelle and said the man, widely considered a comedy genius, noticed him before he noticed Chapelle. Chappelle responded saying “just hearing you say that means a lot to me,” Dais told KSAT. The last time the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor winner was spotted around San Antonio was during a series of surprise, pop-up comedy shows last October.

Dave Chapelle released a 27-minute set on YouTube Thursday night addressing George Floyd’s death which has sparked one of the largest civil rights movements in history. Chappelle didn’t hold back starting his set saying “this is weird and less than ideal circumstances to do a show," referencing the socially distanced crowd who were wearing masks due to the coronavirus pandemic. The quote is followed by a link encouraging people to support the Equal Justice Initiative. Towards the end of the set Chappelle discusses his late friend Kobe Bryant who died in January in a helicopter crash. "Crying like a baby.”Watch the YouTube special below:*Please be advised the video contains graphic and offensive language.

NEW YORK – An angry and emotional Dave Chappelle spoke on the killing of George Floyd in a surprise Netflix special, saying America was being punished for its mistreatment of black men. The special was released Thursday and is streaming free on Netflix’s comedy YouTube channel. It was taken from a show at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with about 100 attendees on June 6. Chappelle called his special “8:46” in part after the length of time the officer was on top of the handcuffed Floyd. “When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die,” said the comedian.

Dave Chappelle broke his silence on George Floyds death and addressed racial discrimination in a surprise Netflix special titled 8:46 on Friday. Floyd was a 46-year-old black man who died on May 25 after a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. This is weird and less than ideal circumstances to do a show, Chappelle said to the crowd. Its hard to figure out what to say about George Floyd, he continued as he paused to ask fans how they were feeling. This man kneeled on a mans neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.

For some candidates, surrogates help keep their hands clean of controversy by acting as an attack dog. He called out her rivals by name during a recent campaign swing through Iowa, saying neither Sanders nor Joe Biden are as widely acceptable to Democrats. Surrogates also offer reassurance to voters that the candidate understands and will pay attention to local issues. Jane O'Meara Sanders will campaign on behalf of her husband next weekend in Nevada while he is likely stuck in Washington. Surrogates can also bring a dash of star power to the campaign trail to keep voters engaged.

DAVENPORT, IA – On a recent swing through Iowa, Andrew Yang was moving through his stump speech, a string of stories and statistics that can sound like an economics seminar. While other second-tier candidates in the race are planning to use money and advertising to make an end-run around those early voting states, Yang says he's largely sticking to the traditional path. A strong showing there, Yang believes, will help propel him through the other early voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, and into the Super Tuesday contests on March 3. The 62-year-old said he has narrowed his choices to Yang, Sanders and Buttigieg. “He’s made me more confused.”___Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, “Ground Game.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – Mo’Nique sued Netflix on Thursday for race and sex discrimination in its offer for a proposed comedy special, accusing the streaming service of giving her a lowball offer that was part of a larger company tendency to underpay black women. "We care deeply about inclusion, equity, and diversity and take any accusations of discrimination very seriously,” the statement said. “I had a choice to make,” Mo’Nique said in a post on her Instagram account after the suit was filed. I chose to stand up.”The suit claims Netflix has a corporate culture that tolerates racial insensitivity and impropriety, lacks diversity and underpays women and minorities. And it alleges that Netflix’s refusal to deal with Mo’Nique, shutting her out of what has become an essential home for comedy specials, amounts to retaliation.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Latest on Dave Chappelle receiving the Mark Twain prize for lifetime achievement in comedy (all times local):10 p.m.Musician John Legend paid tribute to Dave Chappelle's passion for music and determination to use his influence to spotlight different artists. At the height of his fame, Chappelle organized "Dave Chappelle's Block Party"_a movie built around an all-star concert featuring Legend, the Roots and a reunion of The Fugees. Chappelle was accepting his Mark Twain prize for lifetime achievement in American comedy at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. Hometown boy Dave Chappelle is crediting his formative years in Washington DC with helping home his comedic spirit and artistic bravery. Chappelle grew up outside Washington in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Washington's Duke Ellington High School for the performing arts.

WASHINGTON, DC – Dave Chappelle has built a career on pushing boundaries and challenging social conventions. Rapper and actor Common praised Dave Chappelle's bravery and sociological influence. Musician John Legend paid tribute to Chappelle's passion for music and determination to use his influence to spotlight different artists. At the height of his fame, Chappelle organized "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" — a movie built around an all-star concert featuring Legend, the Roots and a reunion of The Fugees. Chappelle spoke with reverence about the Mark Twain prize and the "art form" of stand-up comedy.