Dave Chappelle Calls Prince's Death 'Black 9/11'

The comedian turned his show into a four-hour tribute to the music legend.
Andrew D. Bernstein via Getty Images

If you ever want to be laughing in the purple rain, you just have to watch Dave Chappelle's Prince sketch. The popular skit showing Prince's supposed love of basketball and pancakes forever linked the comedian to the singer, so in order to pay Prince homage, Chappelle turned a Friday morning show into a four-hour tribute, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chappelle reportedly went on stage at the Chapel venue in San Francisco at 2 a.m. and admitted he almost didn't do the show at all. The comedian said his band reminded him that "Prince would definitely not condone that."

"And now there is no place I'd rather be," he said.

During the set, the comedian's backing band played Prince songs and Chappelle told stories about his encounters with the singer, as he mourned his death.

"This is black 9/11," Chappelle said. "It's so much better that we grieve together."

The comedian revealed he learned about the singer's death from media inquiries asking for comment.

"I'll tell you what: I didn't know him well, but I knew him well," he said.

In a statement given to WCCO CBS Minnesota, Chappelle called Prince a "musical giant." "Nothing of this world will begin to fill the void of his absence except his memory," he added.

Chappelle and Prince reportedly became friends after the "Chappelle's Show" bit aired. The singer even put Chappelle's image on one of his singles. We imagine they probably had plenty of pancakes together as well.

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