I dont get why people put Dave Chapelle up there with the greats. Yea he WAS funny, but his standups were not his best work. His best work was the first two seasons of the Chapelle Show. I think he either let all of the success get to his head, or just simply wilted under the pressure to keep being funny. I dont know. But give me Martin Lawrence, Steve Harvey, and Old Eddie Murphy all day over Chapelle.
Oh, on my first list I forgot to mention Eddie Griffin and Kevin James.
Well, i mean, dave's story is out there. He laid it out on inside the actor's studio once he got back from going incognito in africa for a year.
He didn't let fame go to his head and just quit doing his show because he was rich or something, he had a severe nervous breakdown because he felt that he had lost all creative control over the show and that it was being used to show racism as "funny" and "not that big of a deal" and that he was the spokesperson for an attitude if "see,making fun of race issues is hilarious! even African American's agree race isn't a big deal anymore!" and not promoting an open dialogue, but rather a dismissal of the issue as stupid.
and from that he had a pretty severe mental breakdown that he's just now getting over. He hasn't done stand up or any other work since, to my knowledge.
I disagree that his stand up stuff "wasn't his best work". I saw him live twice pre-comedy central and have his albums, he was outstanding. killing me softly is the second best comedy album I've ever heard, Eddie murphy's delirious gets the number one nod.
Dave's story is pretty sad IMO, but its not a "fame went to his head" story, its about being thrust into a situation your uncomfortable with and having it spiral out of control on you. He left alot of money on the table by having his mental break and walking away, I think a recent article I saw said he made little money from the show post lawsuit by comedy central for breach of contract (which they were right to file)
HE's not starving or anything, but he's not living the fat cat lifestyle or something.