Dave Chappelle is among the group of the most fortunate people in show business. And no, it's not because he won his first GRAMMY for Best Comedy Album at the milestone 60th GRAMMY Awards in New York. It's because, first and foremost, he loves his job.
"I love what I do and my favorite part of it is when I get to stand in front of audiences and I'm real grateful that the rooms fill up," Chappelle said backstage at Madison Square Garden. "Just [having] a platform like this is an amazing, amazing experience."
Speaking of amazing, Chappelle admitted his surprise when his named was called as the winner of Best Comedy Album for his double album, The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas. This year's category was crowded with talent, with Chappelle nominated alongside the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Jim Gaffigan, and Kevin Hart.
"I wasn't expecting it, I think it was probably one of the worst GRAMMY speeches ever," he said. "But I was very happy to win. And my son texted me afterward and [said] he was proud of me. It made it all worth it."
But as much as winning a GRAMMY is a thrill, Chappelle cited his participation in Kendrick Lamar's spell-binding show-opening medley as his personal highlight of the evening. During the performance, which included "XXX," "DNA" and "King's Dead," Chappelle appeared to deliver a punctuating monologue: "The only thing more frightening than watching a black man be honest in America is being an honest black man in America."
"My favorite part of the night was actually the Kendrick [performance]," said Chappelle. "It was an honor to be part of that. I loved it, man."
So what's next for Chappelle? While he didn't get into specifics, one thing is for sure: It's back to the grindstone.
"[The work] never ends," he said. "If you do something good in this game, then do it again, do it again, and do it again. So I enjoy the moments but I try to keep a level head and see if I can create new great memories."
In the meantime, when asked about his fellow Best Comedy Album nominees receiving puppies from host James Corden as consolation prizes, Chappelle deadpanned, "I would love to get one of those puppies."
