Comedian Rudy Rush Reveals Truth Regarding Dave Chappelle and Comedy Central in an Interview on Black Hollywood Live's Network
By: Robert Diamond Oct. 28, 2013
Comedian/Writer Rudy Rush, known primarily for hosting "Showtime at the Apollo" and featured on "Chappelle Show", made an appearance on Black Hollywood Live's Stand-Up, Sit-Down. In his appearance Rush talks about advice StEve Harvey gave him, apologizing for a offensive joke, and the story behind Dave Chappelle and Comedy Central.
What StEve Harvey told Rush the 1st time he opened for him at Apollo:
"Don't make fun of my crowd. So when I get out there I don't have to work... da..da-da," says Rush.
Rush on performing nightly:
Rush says, "Every night, me and a buddy of mine Richard Pierre Louis, we would team up and go everywhere. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Sunday was like College for us, there was this place called The Boston Comedy Club where we would get on. On Sunday it was the best. Dave Chappelle. Chris Rock. And they would just throw us on the stage with those guys. So it's almost like you put it on your resume 'I opened up for Dave Chappelle.'
Rush on his involvement with Dave Chappelle:
Rush states, "I was working with Dave Chappelle on his show, and this is how I got written in to some of the sketches. He and I have built a relationship so he called out of the blue. This is when his show [the Chappelle Show] was just getting off the ground. Dave says 'We need high energy with this crowd when we do these wrap arounds.' One day Dave took 45 minutes to get to the stage, so for 45 minutes it was just me and the DJ."
Rush on Dave Chappelle and the Comedy Central situation:
Rush recalls, "People thought about that 50 million bucks that Dave got. That was more. Dave Chappelle's DVD when it first came out was the highest selling DVD in the history. I think it's still breaking records now. This is why you get CSI on DVD. Every show they ever had you can get it on DVD now because of what Dave's [Chappelle Show] did. That was Comedy Central giving Dave some 'get back.' He got hosed on the first deal. Who thinks about DVDs? I got a show, give me that money. The 50 million was partially [Comedy Central] saying 'Hey we're sorry... We didn't know either.' But then the people around you.... They were thinking out of that 50 million 'I'm going to at least get 1 million of that.' Are you kidding me? You might get a little more than scale. But why do you think you deserve a million dollars of his 50? That was the vibe that was going around. This is what I could just see from my view. Could you imagine with managers and all these other people trying to get in your money. That's why he didn't go crazy, he just went 'Let me back up off this. I got money, I don't need the headache.' People can say what they want, but that's what really happened."
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