Dave Chappelle: 8:46

The title '8:46' refers to the exact amount of time that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck in May 2020. The special was released unexpectedly for free on YouTube in June 2020. Chappelle used the raw set to address the murder and the subsequent global protests.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the special was filmed outdoors at a private rural location in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The small, socially distanced audience wore masks as they listened to the set. Chappelle has lived in Yellow Springs for years and often uses his local ties for community events.

No, Chappelle did not monetize the 8:46 special for himself; instead, he directed viewers to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative. The special was not promoted or produced by a major streaming service like Netflix, who host his other comedy specials. This allowed the raw, unedited 27-minute set to be freely accessible to the public.

The event was actually part of a socially distanced comedy series, and the uploaded video featured opening sets by other comedians. Michelle Wolf, Mo Amer, and Jeff Ross all performed brief sets before Chappelle took the stage. However, Chappelle's impassioned monologue is the sole reason the video gained worldwide viral attention.