Watch Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle Give Each Other Props in New 'Tamborine' Clip
An extended version of the Chris Rock special Tamborine drops Tuesday on Netflix.
On Tuesday, Netflix will release Chris Rock: Total Blackout, The Tamborine. The special is an extended cut of Rock's 2018 stand-up special. Along with the new on-stage material, the new Tamborine features backstage footage with comedic legends like Dave Chappelle and Arsenio Hall. In one clip, the two discuss how different the stand-up game is from decades past, leading to a fascinating story about prior tensions among the ranks.
After giving each other praise for their material, Arsenio remarks that he would've loved to see this sort of camaraderie decades ago. He reveals a story that encapsulates the tension between Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, comparing it to tension between Prince and Michael Jackson during their careers. Watch the full video below.
During a stand-up set, Pryor was informed that Murphy had entered the room. He immediately stopped his set, challenging Murphy to take the stage and prove himself. Pryor sat at the edge of the stage, watching along as Murphy did just that. The moment proved to be a moment of defiance as well as hopeful admiration for the man who was to become his successor.
"For Eddie, it's like, Richard's sitting here," Hall explained. "and Eddie turns the motherf----- out. And Richard stands at the end, Eddie comes to the steps and they walk away together. It was the greatest f---ing moment."
At the time of its release on Valentine's Day in 2018, Tamborine was Rock's first stand-up special in ten years. The special explored the rise of Donald Trump, police brutality, as well as personal matters like his 2014 divorce from Malaak Compton. Total Blackout: The Tamborine Extended Cut features a mix of new jokes, interviews, and more behind-the-scenes moments like this story. In the extended cut, Rock reclaims control of the directing.