Dave Chappelle has released a vinyl edition of a 8:46—his hard-hitting stand-up special in which he addresses the police killing of George Floyd and racial injustice in America.
The legendary comedian teamed up with Third Man Records to drop a limited run of red, black, and green vinyl LPs exclusively available at ThirdManStore.com, as well as the label’s Nashville and Detroit stores. The colored vinyl, which was limited to 846 copies, has since sold out online; However, fans can pre-order a standard black copy for $20 here. (The product is expected to ship on Oct. 29.)
8:46 was released by Netflix and became one of the most popular videos on social media, garnering more than 30 million views on the official YouTube post and about 7.5 million views on Chappelle’s Instagram page. The comedian filmed the special during a socially distanced event last summer in Ohio, at the height of the global health crisis and worldwide demonstrations for racial justice.
“Do we want to see a celebrity right now?” he asked in 8:46, which was named for the length of time ex-officer Derek Chauvin had kneeled on Floyd’s neck. “… This is the streets talking for themselves, they don’t need me right now. I kept my mouth shut. And I’ll keep my mouth shut. Don’t think my silence is complicit. Why would anyone care what their favorite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds? I can’t get that number out of my head.”
Side B of the 8:46 features Amir Sulaiman performing his poems “My Insides Out” and “We Must Win,” which were also recorded in Ohio. There’s also a portion titled “White Noise,” which is an 8 minute and 46 second moment of silence for Floyd and other victims of police brutality and racism.
The album’s artwork also features performance and backstage photos from Chappelle’s concert as well as pictures from the Black Lives Matter demonstrations across Los Angeles. The images were taken by Grammy-nominated artist/photographer Mathieu Bitton.
Proceeds from the vinyl sales will go toward Chappelle’s high school alma mater Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
“When I was a student at Duke Ellington, the teachers instilled in me the notion of activism through art,” the comedian said. “We need more soldiers for great causes on the stage.”
