WTF Happened to Charlie Murphy?

By Matt Schoenman

Charlie Murphy was recently booed off stage while performing at Grambling State University. The comedian was so offended by the disappointed crowd that he gave them back the check with which he was paid before declaring “fudge you” and walking off stage. Obviously, no one was happy in that situation. Do you remember when we all were delighted to hear Charlie Murphy’s stories on Chappelle’s Show? We laughed at his characters and enjoyed seeing him perform. Whatever happened to those days? Let’s reminisce together and watch some of his most treasured Chappelle’s Show sketches. And at the very end you can see the footage from the live performance for yourself.

5. The Monsters

This is probably one of the least seen Chappelle’s Show skits because it was from the lost episodes of the third season; the ones that only aired after Dave Chappelle went crazy and moved to Africa, or whatever. In this satire of old black-and-white monster sitcoms like The Munsters or The Addams family, Murphy plays the first ever Black Frankenstein…Blackenstein. The monster goes to work and expects a promotion, only to find out that he is being fired. Blackenstein can’t control his rage, and what ensues is a classic Charlie Murphy moment.

4. The Playa Haters Ball

I’m sure you all remember this one. Charlie Murphy plays Buc Nasty, one of many foul-mouthed pimps who are all gathered together to determine who is going to win the award of “Playa Hater of the Year.” Nasty, famous for his uncontrollable shaking, squinting, and grinning, joins the other playa haters in insulting all of the “mark-ass marks, trick-ass marks, punk bitches, skig-skag skanks and scallywags, ho’s, heifers, heehaws, and hoolihoos.” The haters also return in a lost sketch where they travel through time to hate on people. Buc Nasty runs into one of his ancestors, a slave, in a moment of comic genius.

3. Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Prince

What Charlie was most famous for though was telling stories of his glory days, partying in Hollywood with his younger brother, Eddie Murphy. You might have heard of him. In this tall tale, the Murphys run into Prince and the Revolution at a club and return to the artist/musician’s house to play an impromptu game of basketball (“the shirts against the blouses”) and eat pancakes. Murphy narrates, while also starring as an 80’s version of himself (complete with tacky suit and Jerry Curl), and Chappelle plays the basketball phenom and world-class musician formerly known as Prince.

2. The Mad Real World

This skit was Chappelle’s commentary on MTV’s The Real World. The comedian claimed that the cast of the reality TV show always comprised of one black person who was labeled and misconstrued as crazy. Here we have house full of crazy black people with one normal white person, played by Christian Finnigan. Charlie Murphy is the driving force of insanity here, playing the white kid’s roommate: A recently released, chain-wearing criminal named Tyree, who’s crazy about man-on-man “dominance” and prison shanks.

1. Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Rick James

This sketch is actually not a sketch at all. It took an entire episode for Charlie Murphy to tell this whole story; an episode which remains one of the best and most loved of Chappelle’s Show. We return to the 80’s as Murphy chronicles his encounters with the musician known as Rick James. Some of the lines from the grand tale continue to be quoted years later: “Fuck yo’ couch,” “cocaine is a hell of a drug” and “I’m Rick James, bitch” are just a few examples.

And, if you’ve made it this far, check out the video of Charlie Murphy walking off stage below.