Dave Chappelle has been given the Key to City of his childhood home of Washington, D.C. by Mayor Muriel Bowser. The awarding took place on Friday at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Chappelle, who graduated from the school back in 1971, donated his recently-won Emmy, his first, to his alma matter.
Chappelle won the Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy for his SNL monologue following the election of Donald Trump. It was the first time Chappelle hosted the show. The legendary group A Tribe Called Quest were the musical guests for the evening, and along with Consequence and Busta Rhymes, they performed the tracks “We the People...” and "The Space Program" off their then recently released final album We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service.
"Some very special native Washingtonians have dedicated their lives to making Washington, D.C. better, and they’ve gone above and beyond to show others what makes the nation’s capital the best city in the world," Mayor Bowser remarked at the ceremony. She continued, "Dave Chappelle reminds us what it means to live a life filled with purpose, meaning, and laughter."
Chappelle is also featured in Def Comedy Jam 25, which is now streaming on Netflix. Cedric the Entertainer, Martin Lawrence, Craig Robinson, Sheryl Underwood, Tracy Morgan, Steve Harvey, and others also make appearances in the special commemorating Russell Simmons' iconic show.