Donnell Rawlings Talks ‘Chappelle’s Show’ Sketches, Covid Comedy, & Charlie Murphy’s Legacy

In this episode of People’s Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, and radio host — Donnell ‘I’m Rich Biaaaaatch!’ Rawlings. The hilarity ensues from the jump as Donnell calls out Talib for disrespecting him during a recent comedy event they attended with Dave Chappelle. They go on to discuss Donnell’s stand-up philosophy of challenging himself to the fullest with every performance, they dig into the elements that went into creating sketches on Chappelle Show like the all-time classic “Player Hater’s Ball,” he talks about some of his first appearances on TV with the “Ricki Lake Show,” and sneaking onto People’s Court every chance he could. Donnell also reflects on his early days doing stand-up in D.C. where he was born and raised, and what brought him to Brooklyn, New York where he would seek out gigs anywhere he could, until eventually landing a spot on Def Comedy Jam. He gives his thoughts on his stint in the military and then goes to expand on his “go hard or go home” hustler mentality that he’s maintained over the years which he credits to his success.