Chance The Rapper Talks Conversation With Dave Chappelle At Black Star Line Festival

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Chance The Rapper discussed Dave Chappelle's appearance at Black Star Line Festival.

Dave Chappelle is no stranger to controversy, but it seems that Chance The Rapper has his back. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Chance discussed the inaugural Black Star Line Festival in Accra, Ghana, which included Chappelle as a surprise guest for a conversation at The University of Ghana. Since his Netflix special The Closer, which released October 2021, Chappelle has been the center of perceived transphobia and anti-LGBTQ material in his stand-up.

“I think it’s something that Dave was actually shining a light on,” Chance said the talk with Chappelle. “That’s where that conversation came from. Dave was making a comment about the comedy scene in Ghana when he said, ‘I bet gay jokes go over so well here.'”

“I feel bad that the person in the audience felt singled out or that the violence against the trans community or LGBTQ community in Ghana wasn’t being respected,” he continued. “… so if having Dave there made people feel like they weren’t, that they didn’t have space or that they weren’t welcome, that was not my intention… I can’t really all the way speak for Dave. I don’t want to say what he thinks or what he feels, but what I think I know about him is that he loves everybody, especially his people, meaning Black people, meaning Black people that are trans, Black people that are gay, Black people that are gender non-conforming, people period.”

Chance later made an explanation to those offended by Chappelle's inclusion in Black Star Line Festival.

“Again, I wanted everyone to feel as welcome and communal as possible,” Chance concluded. “And so if having Dave there made people feel like they weren’t, that they didn’t have space or that they weren’t welcome, that was not my intention. And I can assure you there are a lot of people at the festival and at the talk from a lot of different backgrounds.”

This story was updated on Thursday, January 19.