Donnell Rawlings Walks Talib Kweli Through The Final Days of ‘Chappelle’s Show’

The Chappelle’s Show vet also detailed how he introduced the late Charlie Murphy to stand-up.

Donnell Rawlings is the latest guest on Talib Kweli‘s People’s Party podcast.

In a clip released ahead of Monday’s drop of a new episode, the comedian walked Kweli through the sudden demise of Chappelle’s Show, where he starred as a grip of memorable characters in sketches, alongside Bill Burr, and the late Charlie Murphy. According to Rawlings, not even fellow cast members were informed of the host’s intention to leave the show.

“It never seemed to be ending, it just ended,” Rawlings tells Kweli in a box-faced interview from their respective corners of the internet. Recounting the precise sketch in which he sensed Chappelle’s feigning interest in resuming the show, Rawlings recalls hearing the host say to himself, “I guess 50 million isn’t enough,” while filming the “Black Monsters” bit, which was eventually aired in the abbreviated third season as a “lost episode,” but with Rawling and Murphy as stand-in hosts.

Rawlings goes on to reflect on how the show wasn’t really about the money for him and fellow breakout comedians. And the abrupt end of Chappelle’s Show allowed him, Burr, and Murphy (who had only recently picked up a mic) to embark on a stand-up tour. The rest is history.

Watch Donnell Rawlings and Talib Kweli discuss Chappelle’s Show’s final days, Charlie Murphy’s short but brilliant stand-up run, and more, in the clip above. Tune in tomorrow for the full episode.