Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005, Michel Gondry, USA)

I love a block party

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party is a documentary film chronicling the comedian’s block party in Brooklyn, New York City, during the summer of 2004.

A block party is pretty much a Black summer staple. Every summer before COVID hit, my family and I would go up to the city to my aunt’s house for her annual neighborhood block party. While there are similarities between my family’s and Dave Chappelle’s block party- an abundance of Black people (obviously), hip hop and R&B music, historic locations- but there are some differences. For the first, the host isn’t perhaps one of the biggest comedians of the 2000s. There are DJ’s at the family block party, not live performances by John Legend, Common, and a before-he-started-wildin-out Kanye West!

Before the block party actually happens, we see Dave Chappelle walking around handing out tickets and gathering performers for the block party. One of the performers was the marching band of Central State University. Being an HBCU student myself, I loved to see an HBCU marching band getting to perform on a televised stage. There were also members of Tau Beta Sigma in the band, and I love to see Black Greeks shine (I’m a member of a D9 organization, and while I didn’t see any of my sorors, there was a lady with an Alpha Kappa Alpha umbrella).

Everywhere Black people go, it’s a party. The men in Chappelle’s Ohio hometown that we see in the beginning of the film are hilarious. On the bus through Brooklyn, riders are singing songs. Spectators in the crowd (one of which is a young J Cole) sing, dance, and crack jokes. 

 Those on stage definitely brought the show as well. You thought Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and The Fugees were going to come out and I wasn’t going to sit back and enjoy?! I think Dave Chappelle had a controversy recently, but so many celebrities have said something they shouldn’t have recently that I can’t even remember what people are mad at him for. I can’t recall ever watching a Dave Chappelle comedy special. However, ignoring whatever ignorant things he has said/done recently (which is wrong and I will only do for the sake of this assignment), he is FUNNY. The highlight of his jokes for me was when him and an audience member got on stage and rap battled each other.

He was also a genius for the block party idea. To bring so much Black excellence to the neighborhood of Brooklyn. To give out free tickets. Then to film it and release it in theaters. I had to look up how much money the movie made in the box office, and Wikipedia states that it grossed $6 million in its opening weekend. It also received high ratings from critical reviews. Overall, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party was a celebration of Black culture, talent, and history. Would I watch it again, now that Kanye West is…doing what he does, and Dave Chappelle is embroiled in whatever he did to piss people off? No. Am I glad that I got to watch so many talented acts and hear great jokes and just watch Black people have an overall great time? Absolutely.

De La Soul "Much More" on Chappelle show

Dave Chapelle's Block Party (2005)

Dave Chapelle's Block Party is directed by Dave Chapelle and Michel Gondry. This documentary takes place primarily in Brooklyn, New York and the Block Party had a variety of hip-hop and soul artist performing.

As I watched this film, I had a few different emotions arise. I felt entertained for a good bit of it as well as bored for some parts as well. It became hard for me to keep my focus because I am not a huge Dave Chapelle fan myself, so his commentary started to get old quickly. While I do agree there are parts in the documentary that I find important like Chapelle returning to places he and other famous artist grew up and were raised; being able to interview different people from different stages of his life, I did not find a lot of it personally interesting. I also found some of the commentary outdated. The actual performance itself I liked because the artists shown like Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and John Legend are artist I like to listen to and their music is prominent in my playlists. The rest of the film just felt lackluster to me, it barely felt like a documentary. In my opinion, the significance of the film felt lost to me. If you are aiming to make an impactful documentary, the purpose should remain consistent. Throughout the film you just see Chapelle going around and talking to random folk and just inviting them to the Block Party. I found myself waiting for the point and honestly it never came. If anything, maybe some of the artist interviews were significant in the telling of the purpose of the Block Party, however it came so late in the film that I had already grown bored. I wish I had more to say about this film, but I feel like all I can say it I was barely captivated. Overall, I feel like the film was fine. The most exciting part to me may have to be watching the Central State University Marching Band be invited to the occasion. Getting to see their excitement at the opportunity was wonderful to watch; I hope more things like that happen to more Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). This film was an okay experience to watch though I am not sure I would want to do it again.

Black film #4 Dave Chappell Block party

This movie was very enlightening to watch and you watch the entire film with a smile. I thoroughly enjoyed the unseriousness of this film but it also held many messages that resonate with many black people. Hip hop is a culture that was cultivated by Black people and it speaks to many moods. I feel like the line up that he chose held many different meanings from the biggest artist in the world, artists with messages that aren’t palatable for the radio, and nostalgic reunions. Dave Chappell uses his influence and talent to bring people across the east coast to experience this block party whether they could get there or he had to get them there himself. It is clear that his audience and target was people who are from the regular neighborhoods or “ the block”, so that they are able to experience this kind of music and enjoy themselves. The men came there with a message to tell but the women brought the vibes. It was cool to see these artist in their early years especially Kanye West. This movie showed that Hiphop and R and B is an specific experience that you can’t get everyone and everyone wouldn’t understand the joy of it. One portion he asks people what they think of Hiphop or if they enjoyed it and most weren’t necessarily familiar with it. One of the most exciting scenes for me is the love he showed to bands and band culture and I loved that this band had that opportunity because it’s really life changing when you get great opportunities to show your band and school. Also the behind the scenes gives us insight into the people behind Hiphop and how human celebrities are. Overall I enjoyed the message of the film and the playfulness as well. Black people deserve places that let them be themselves and live in what blackness is for those in the U.S.

Dave Chappelle's  Block Party 

By far this has been my favorite film shown in my Black Film class. One thing about me is I am a big hip hop head. If I'm listening to any genre of music it's hip hop! What Dave Chappelle brought to his block party was the original hip hop. From the crowd, to the performers, to the styles, to the energy! My favorite part of this documentary is when Dave went on a trip around his hometown in Ohio to gather individuals to invite them to his Block party he was having in Brooklyn, especially when he stopped to talk to the band. It hit a little harder because the band members were mainly black and to give a young black boy or black girl an opportunity like performing in brooklyn for Dave’s event is such a blessing. Something important that stood out to me was the golden ticket(s) that Dave carried around to give to the people he personally invited. I found it interesting that Dave connected it to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory '' golden ticket idea. The happiness that the ticket brought to certain people really brought light to the film, on top of being personally invited by the legend himself, Dave Chappelle. 

Adding on, I wanted to comment on the style of this black film. I know in class it caused a discrepancy because i guess it just wasn't interesting to some- like it was pointless-the film didn't have any meaning to them which everyone does has their own opinions. Personally I feel the documentary style of this film made it feel more real and believable to a certain degree. Like it actually happened in American history and it wasn’t  scripted or staged. Even down to the scene of J.Cole in the crowd made it more believable because at that time J.Cole wasn't as big as he is now. Also, this style captures real responses, real dialogue, real interactions, real reactions, and real people! As a black person this film brought a lot of joy and smiles to see that Dave can bring people together in another medium other than comedy shows. Overall my rating for this film is a 11/10-must watch!!

El año del descubrimiento.

El 10 de Febrero de 2004 se lanzó al mercado The College Dropout el debut de Kanye West, un productor que venía haciendo ruido por aquel entonces y se había convertido en el protegido de Jay-Z, el rey del game tras las muertes de 2Pac y Biggie. Se ha escrito ya todo lo que se tenía que escribir sobre él, por eso no quiero profundizar en su análisis, no lo veo necesario, además los 2 primeros episodios de Jeen-Yuhs quizás conformen el mejor documental making of sobre un disco de rap que se haya hecho, podéis leer una pieza que le dediqué titulada ‘Reflexiones y disecciones sobre Jeen-Yuhs’. De todas formas sí quería aprovechar la oportunidad para plasmar lo que este LP significó para mí, es el album que más impacto ha tenido en mi vida musical y está en mi top 5 de más escuchados. Pensar que ya han pasado 20 años de algo que viviste tan fervientemente da vértigo, es una cantidad de tiempo grandilocuente pero a la vez tengo la sensación de que ha pasado en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.

Lo descubrí por un banner publicitario en la web de Misión Urbana, uno de los e-place to be de la época, con noticias, biografías y una numerosa comunidad menos troll que la de Hip Hop Hispano, me llamó mucho la atención el artwork, entré al foro y se estaba comentando. 5 meses antes se había filtrado una primera versión del disco pero en esos años no estaba tan al día y pasó por debajo de mi radar. Si habéis escuchado esa versión primigenia notaréis que es descafeinada con respecto a lo que conocemos, que tiene un aire sucio a mixtape tipo Freshmen Adjustment ( algunas canciones acabarían en la mixtape oficial y otras ya fueron lanzadas en su primera tape de 2002 Get Well Soon…) que su voz antes del accidente sonaba más alta y que el sample de Lauryn Hill en ‘All Falls Down’ se tuvo que sustituir por la voz de Syleena Johnson. Y bueno, en la intro de ‘Jesus Walks’ John Legend canta El Tamborilero, esos poropopompon no son adlibs, en serio escuchad la versión OG, John Legend >> Raphael. El caso es que buscando información al respecto leí que fue una copia promocional que le hicieron llegar a algunos A&R y periodistas, las reviews fueron malas y en lugar de confrontar a los críticos ( s/o spanish rappers en Twitter ) Kanye se puso manos a la obra: remezcló, remasterizó, añadió arreglos y coros, cambió versos, flows y entonaciones, lo refinó. Y quitó el poropopompon. El resto, es historia.

Excepto a Hov, no conocía a la mayoría de MC’s que colaboran en él: Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Freeway, todo Rawkus… los descubrí gracias a Kanye, diggeando los samples di con el soul clásico como Marvin Gaye y Chaka Khan y aunque no estén muestreados aquí también a leyendas como Stevie Wonder. Escuchando y leyendo entrevistas a Kanye conocí sus influencias: A Tribe Called Quest y todo Native Tongues, The Pharcyde, Souls Of Mischief, Main Source… todo el rap conscious. Hasta llegué a Dave Chappelle, que se convirtió en mi cómico favorito, cuando tocó ‘The Food’ con Common en su show ( hoy considerado un momento icónico para la cultura ) y circuló el clip por todo internet. Busqué como loco cómo ver Chapelle’s Show, sólo podía ver algunos sketches en la web de Comedy Central y tardé unos años más en hacerme con una copia bootleg de las dos temporadas del programa, aunque antes pude disfrutar de la maravilla de documental que es Dave Chapelle’s Block Party, en el que Mr.West hacía unas interpretaciones en directo acojonantes llenas de energía y hambre acompañado de una banda en la que tocaba un batería de afro increíble ( aquí descubrí a The Roots ).

The College Dropout no sólo me parece lo mejor de Ye junto a Late Registration, si no que supuso una llave maestra que abrió multitud de puertas ante mí, fue el comienzo de mi nerdismo por el rap y la música. Tras un tiempo escuchando a saco 2Pac, Biggie, Wu-Tang o Black Eyed Peas destapé un estilo con el que me identificaba 100%, una musicalidad hip hop inédita para mis oídos, para mí todo era nuevo, como el interludio de ‘I’ll Fly Away’ que fue lo primero de gospel que escuché más allá de alguna película que hubiese visto, esas armonías vocales me cautivaron. ‘Through The Wire’ era mejor que ‘Hey Ya!’ y esto era mejor que el último de Outkast. Hubo puristas y OGs de España a los que respeto que en su día criticaron a Kanye, se le consideraba comercial, persona non grata en el Hip Hop ( como a Jay-Z y tantos otros ) y además vestía camisas y jerseys pero mi yo adolescente ya estaba seguro de su taste. Recuerdo sentir cierto alivio cuando años más tarde salió el documental Spanish Players y Tote King mencionó que era uno de sus MCs favoritos del momento, no alivio exactamente pero si cierta sensación de que el gusto en España no estaba del todo perdido y de que podía venir un cambio de mentalidad que finalmente acabó llegando ( tardaría otro trecho ).

Ver a Kanye vestido de esa manera siendo tan rapper a la vez y expresarse con ese bravado en sus canciones y entrevistas me hizo sacar un ego sano, ser más extrovertido, hacerme valer, en definitiva, ser yo mismo, romper el cascarón. En ese proceso de formación que es la adolescencia Kanye me ayudó haciéndome ser un poco Kanye, puso algo en aquel zagal. Era un artista con el que te podías identificar 100% si venías de clase media/acomodada porque ni era gangster ni era bling bling y hablaba de temas como la educación, la familia y una religión cristiana en la que había crecido pero de la que cada vez me sentía más distanciado, aunque lograba conectar con la épica de ‘Jesus Walks’. Su debut es una historia de autoempoderamiento, usó su arrogancia como combustible para cumplir sus sueños y no dejar que sus haters destruyesen su autoestima, de ser inseguro y encontrar tu propia identidad, le rezó a los cielos y cambió sus estrellas, es un relato honesto de una persona imperfecta, como lo somos todos, un hipócrita simpático y fanfarrón que hace crítica social cargando contra el consumismo para 3 frases más tarde frontear de haberse comprado ropa cara y un carro nuevo. Por eso amamos a Kanye, es (era) como nosotros. También era un nerd, su swag no venía de la calle, venía de una confianza enfermiza en sí mismo y su storytelling era embriagante, goofy en el buen sentido y lleno de humor.¿‘The New Work Out Plan’? Kanye en 2004 ya estaba riéndose de los gymbros y gymgurlz, influencers, cryptobros motivadores, Llados de la vida y demás fauna.

9 días después de su lanzamiento fue mi cumpleaños así que con las perrillas que recogí fui a comprar el CD, el autoregalo perfecto, había que tenerlo, me pasé el trayecto de vuelta en bus leyendo los créditos del libreto y flipando con ese diseño de artwork tan elegante y sofisticado y esa selección de colores ( Eric Duvauchell, el encargado de arte de Roc-A-Fella se inspiró en un libro de ilustraciones del siglo XVI ). Lo que no sabía es que se quedaría a vivir en la ranura del Mercedes de mi padre durante los siguientes 3–4 años, que su carcasa tipo jewel case pasaría los inviernos dentro de la guantera ( a la que un año después se uniría la de Late Registration ) y que sería la banda sonora de los viajes familiares y trayectos en el carro, cuando mi padre me recogía del colegio o se escuchaba el programa de Andrés Montes en Radio Marca o se escuchaba a Kanye. En 2006 cuando mi hermana mayor fue de viaje a París le pedí que me comprase la edición deluxe del DVD de Late Orchestration con esa funda marrón aterciopelada, aquí sólo se vendían la normal y quería tener la mejor posible, lo acabé viendo tanto que creo que lo jodí y me hace skip en uno de sus fragmentos. Un año después ella y su novio, que jamás habían escuchado rap, terminaron sucumbiendo ante Kanye, para mi alegría, con la fusión pop de Graduation ( eran fans de Coldplay y la colabo de Chris Martin ayudó ) y sobre todo con 808’s & Heartbreaks, esos 2 discos se quemaron en el coche del que desde hace 3 años es mi ex-cuñado, con el que pasaba bastante tiempo, era como el hermano mayor que nunca tuve y como controlaba inglés por fin tenía alguien con el que hablar de lo último que había estado leyendo en los foros de kanyelive ( más tarde pasaría a ser KTT ) y pasarle los videos de directos y conciertos que había estado recolectando. La fiebre por Kanye estaba en la casa y recuerdo conversaciones telefónicas aceleradas con ellos cuando en 2008/09 estuvo a punto de tocar en Razzmatazz, cruzando llamadas con el personal de la sala que nos confirmaron que sí estaba reservado, yo estaba estudiando en Cádiz e hicimos cábalas para quedar en Barcelona. 

The College Dropout tenía ese carácter accesible que me hacía pensar que no iba a taladrarle la cabeza demasiado a mi familia, aunque me acuerdo de llevar en coche a mi pobre abuela ( que tendría sus 90 años ) a su casa circa 2011 bumpeando el disco y decirme de repente en voz baja y con mucha cautela desde el asiento de atrás “nene, parece que están pegando tiros en la calle”, fue algo que me hizo mucha gracia y que jamás olvidaré. Mis padres han escuchado más hip hop yankee que algunos rappers pegaos de aquí, eso sí, no lo entendían, aunque algunos de aquí tampoco entienden mucho, sinceramente. No sé si eran tiempos más felices porque no quiero caer en la trampa de la nostalgia pero desde luego si que eran más despreocupados e inocentes, éramos ricos y no lo sabíamos. Hoy ha salido Vultures y mi hermana está desde las 7 de la mañana en un centro comercial, ha llevado a mi sobrina, que tiene la misma edad que tenía yo cuando escuché TCD, a un meet & greet con expulsados de OT, cosa de la que le he dicho entre risas que se arrepentirá dentro de 10 años. Mi padre ya no puede conducir y soy yo el que lo saca a comer por ahí, el Mercedes se vendió y todos mis CDs están cogiendo polvo en un armario, disfrutando de una jubilación anticipada, quizás algo injusta, consecuencia de los avances tecnológicos y el cambio de los nuevos tiempos pero satisfechos por los servicios prestados. El otro día Tom Breihan escribió una pieza en la que decía que no sólo echaba de menos al viejo Kanye sino que también echaba de menos al Kanye de 2016 que rapeaba sobre por qué echamos de menos al viejo Kanye. Así es como me siento yo, en una matrioska de añoranza. Aquel 2004 en mi casa se conoció a Kanye antes de ser el marido de Kim Kardashian y the crazy n*gga from the interviews.

What's on Prime TV January 2024

Everything coming to Prime Video in January Jan. 142 (2013)1984 (1985)About Last Night (2014)Airplane! (1980)Alfie (2004)Along Came a Spider (2001)Bad Boys (1995)Bad Boys II (2003)Bridesmaids (2011)Chaplin (1993)Conan The Barbarian (1982)Couples Retreat (2009)Cruel Intentions (1999)Cry Freedom (1987)Dave Chappelle’s Block Party (2006)Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009)Europa Report…

View On WordPress

Block Party Dave Chappelle's block party was truly such a fun movie to watch. He honestly made the project feel as if you were experiencing what he was at the same time. The way he connected with the people in the Brooklynn streets truly made me smile. Honestly his humbleness added charm to the film. It was very inspiring to watch all the way around. I also loved his vision with the whole block party idea. The idea of creating and hosting an intimate concert in areas that are convenient to your main/targeted audience was huge! Inviting all kinds of musicians from Erykah Badu to Kanye West was mind blowing, as well as his own participation. In the film, the camera often cuts away to more personal scenes of the artist, where the artists talk about their aspirations and their views. Music connects with emotions and with the soul, so he made sure he brought in people who were strong minded and who stood for something. There were even moments where he invited someone from the audience to come on stage and rap battle him. All kinds of things like that kept the audience on toes, not knowing what was gonna happen next. On top of that, in between each set Dave would come onto the stage and crack some jokes to keep the audience entertained while the next artist gets ready to perform. In those jokes he would touch on numerous topics, such as politics and race- as he does so well. He is brilliant and his delivery was better. One thing I admired was the attendance of an HBCU band he invited to perform. It feels nice to see any HBCU receive opportunity and blessings in situations with big platforms. Ultimately the film showed Dave every step of the way, as he invited numerous people (including loved ones) to his festival. He provided transportation if it were an obstacle and gave time and dates. It was a whole journey from beginning to end, but it seemed well worth it. The shows glimpses of the artist just as well as the crowd to blend interactions. The director did an amazing job with capturing all of the love and joy that was being spread in unison. It was also inspiring to see J. Cole, a legend, attended the festival in the audience before he was ever famous. This film was authentic and completely genuine, there were no actors at all, just a camera and a mission. I rate this movie a ten out of ten. I say this because the movie was witty, insightful, funny, and heartwarming. All in all, I loved the film and the approach Dave Chappelle took with it all. I recommend this to everyone, it is family friendly :)

Block Party Dave Chappelle

This movie documents a black party featuring Dave Chappelle as host. This block party was thrown in Brooklyn, New York. The festival included many big name artists, especially in 2004, like Kanye West, Most Def, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.

This movie included some comedy, which is not surprising considering the host was Dave Chappelle, but it overall gave viewers an idea of what it is like as a black person to come together over music and the heavy meaning behind it.

My top 20 new-to-me movies of 2023.

Visions of Light (1992, Arnold Glassman/Todd McCarthy/Stuart Samuels, Japan)

2. Nothing but a Man (1964, Michael Roemer, USA)

3. Room (2015, Lenny Abrahamson, Canada)

4. Brick (2005, Rian Johnson, USA)

5. The Roaring Twenties (1939, Raoul Walsh, USA)

6. An American Werewolf in London (1981, John Landis, UK)

7. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005, Shane Black, USA)

8. In the Bedroom (2001, Todd Field, USA)

9. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Richard Brooks, USA)

10. I clowns (1970, Federico Fellini, Italy)

11. News from Home (1976, Chantal Akerman, France)

12. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975, Chantal Akerman, Belgium)

13. 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994, Michael Haneke, Austria)

14. Southern Comfort (2001, Kate Davis, USA)

15. Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2005, Michel Gondry, USA)

16. I Like Movies (2022, Chandler Levack, Canada)

17. Frailty (2001, Bill Paxton, USA)

18. Shaolin Soccer (2001, Stephen Chow, Hong Kong)

19. Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (2020, Julien Temple, UK)

20. Gun Crazy (1950, Joseph H. Lewis, USA)

Wattstax Vs Block Party

Wattstax is a film directed by Mel Stuart. It is a film that follows and shows a film festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1972 narrated by Richard Pryor. This music festival was important because it was used as a break for black people to promote unity, comfort and togetherness . During this time there were many riots due to system issues and injustices. The visuals in the film felt really good; there were community scenes that just showed the different areas , and there were different types of artists that had performed at the festival. The music that had been performed was also played throughout the film. It captured unity amongst everyone , how much different artists in black entertainment are needed. It also showed me how much core traditions or values have remained the same throughout time. 

In comparison "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," directed by Michel Gondry and released in 2005 This film follows the same style as WattStax. The point of this film was to bring the community together as well. There were different forms of art shown in the music , art , and fashion. Dave Chapelle used his comedic skills to connect with many different people on different levels. Before the concert was shown it shows him going to different communities and connecting with everyone in hopes they attended the block party.  it gave the film more of a homey feel good feeling for viewers. The different interactions were very raw and I liked that the most. The point of them using the same filming style was that the block party itself becomes a form of resistance and resilience, showcasing the community's ability to find joy and connection despite adversities.

Dave Chapelle Block Party

I have a strong admiration for Dave Chappelle, so it was fascinating to have a glimpse into his life beyond the stage where he entertains us with jokes or appears in comedic movies. It appears that his personality aligns with that of certain characters he portrays, exhibiting a natural sense of humor. I found it commendable that a diverse range of artists, including Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, and Common, all made an appearance to support Dave Chapelle. These individuals are the only acquaintances that I am familiar with. It was truly remarkable to witness the presence and exceptional execution of each individual in honor of him. There could have been a lot of things and jobs that they probably had to do, but for them to be there for him just means that they are all cool. The women who participated in the performance showcased a variety of hairstyles, including beautiful Afro and natural black girl hairstyles. It was a delight to see their hair styled in such unique and authentic ways. I love seeing black people in their natural hair styles. It was truly awe-inspiring to witness the performances of Kanye West and Jill Scott, two of my personal favorites in the music industry. It kind of makes you wish that you were there. Jill Scott exudes a captivating aura, projecting warmth and kindness, which makes her appear to be a genuinely pleasant individual. I had limited exposure to her before, just in ordinary situations, so seeing her from a different perspective was quite interesting. She also sang my favorite song by her, but in a different way. They possess the ability to crack jokes in serious circumstances, similar to the humor seen in Wattstax. Laughter, music, and jokes were employed instead of resorting to anger and violence in order to progress and maintain a focus on positivity. I have observed additional resemblances between Wattstax and the event mentioned, including the fact that both Dave Chapelle and Richard Pryor, who serve as hosts for the concert, are comedians adept at humorously addressing their challenges. They both had the same concept, but just different generations. So it’s basically like a tradition sort of where black people all get together to listen to music performed by artists and just joke about life. The concert and the music are used to represent their pain and struggle. I loved how he looked out for those two boys and how he gave them tickets to the show, money for a hotel room, and some money to get home and back. That was a nice gesture. Also, he was just giving away tickets to the concert so people could come. It was sort of like he was recruiting people. It was so cool to have seen J. Cole in the audience as a student, and now he is a big singer. Then he was just a regular person watching some of his favorite artists perform, and now he is his own artist while fans and students watch their favorite artist, which is him, perform. He came a long way from being in the audience to having an audience, and I think that is a big accomplishment to have. I loved the prayer that Common said; it was very heartwarming. He prayed for everything and everyone, not just himself or the performance. Not a lot of times do you hear people praying for others instead of their own needs or success.

BLACK FILM- DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY

Dave Chappelle's Block Party is a documentary film that captures the essence of a unique and memorable event. The film showcases a block party organized by comedian Dave Chappelle in 2004, featuring live performances by various artists from different music genres. It offers a blend of comedy, music, and social commentary, making it a fascinating and entertaining watch.

One of the notable aspects of the movie is its emphasis on community and inclusivity. Chappelle brings together people from all walks of life, creating a space where everyone can come together and celebrate. The block party becomes a symbol of unity, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of togetherness.

The performances in the film are a highlight, featuring a diverse lineup of talented artists. From hip-hop and R&B acts like Kanye West and Erykah Badu to soulful performances by The Roots and Jill Scott, the music showcases a range of styles and influences. Each artist brings their own unique energy and stage presence, captivating the audience and creating a memorable experience.

In addition to the performances, the film also provides glimpses into the lives of the people attending the block party. Through interviews and interactions, we get a sense of the impact that the event has on the community. It becomes clear that the block party serves as more than just a concert; it becomes a platform for self-expression, empowerment, and connection.

Another aspect worth mentioning is Chappelle's comedic presence throughout the film. His humor adds a lighthearted touch to the documentary, providing laughter and comic relief amidst the musical performances. Chappelle's wit and charm shine through, making him a central figure in the overall experience.

While watching Wattstax and Dave Chappelle’s block party, these two movies are very similar, both films celebrate the power of music, unity and social commentary. Wattstax captures the cultural and political climate of the time, addressing issues of racial inequality and social justice through the performances and interviews. Similarly, Dave Chappelle's Block Party explores themes of community, inclusivity, and empowerment, bringing together a diverse lineup of artists and showcasing their talent.

 Wattstax is a concert film that includes performances by renowned artists such as Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, and Rufus Thomas. It also features interviews with attendees, providing insights into the experiences and perspectives of the audience. Dave Chappelle's Block Party, on the other hand, combines live performances with comedic interludes by Dave Chappelle himself, creating a unique blend of music and comedy.

Both films offer a platform for underrepresented voices and highlight the importance of community engagement. They demonstrate the power of music to rise above boundaries and bring people together. While Wattstax reflects the cultural and political climate of the 1970s, Dave Chappelle's Block Party captures the spirit of a block party in the early 2000s, showcasing contemporary artists and their impact on the community.

In summary, both Wattstax and Dave Chappelle's Block Party are significant films that celebrate music, community, and social commentary. They provide a platform for diverse voices and showcase the power of art to inspire, unite, and provoke meaningful conversations.

Overall I would this movie 9/10

Watch "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" on YouTube