In a recent sitdown with Naomi Campbell on her No Filter with Naomi podcast, Dave Chappelle revealed that he intends to return to Africa. Inspired by Stevie Wonder, the comedian says he is looking to move to Ghana.
“Now those in the room that know Stevie personally he’s said this thing many times through the years that we’ve known him,” Chappelle said. “But this last time he said it, what he said was, ‘I am moving to Ghana so that I can be valued and respected more,’ that’s almost exactly the phrase he used.”
Chappelle told Campbell that he finds it surprising and appalling that Stevie Wonder, a 25-time Grammy Award-winning artist, would feel undervalued and disrespected, given all his contributions.
“As a Black American, who amongst us is more valued and respected than Stevie Wonder?” he asks. “The idea that he would feel this way at this stage in his life and career…I think that Stevie is the soul of American culture, and if the soul leaves the body, then this thing is dead. I thought I’ll follow him over there, or I’ll go myself. I’ll do it for him.”
The comedian also said he is working with Ghanaian British architect David Adjaye to build a comedy club in the African nation.
“We have been working together; hopefully, I’ll build something there, but I am definitely going to at least rent something for the foreseeable future, and I hope to open a comedy club there because there’s none,” Chappelle said.
Chappelle famously walked away from the Chappelle Show during the third season’s production to move to South Africa.
