Vince Staples Discusses Friendship with Dave Chappelle and Stand-Up Comedy

LOS ANGELES, CA — Vince Staples opened up about his friendship with comedy legend Dave Chappelle in a recent interview on Vulture‘s Good One Podcast. The 32-year-old actor and rapper explored how his bond with Chappelle shapes his understanding of creativity and life.

During the discussion with host Jesse David Fox, Staples emphasized that their connection goes beyond typical industry conversations. ‘Dave’s just nice and Dave’s like a regular person,’ he said, highlighting that their talks often focus on life and hip hop rather than entertainment. He noted Chappelle’s unique storytelling ability, saying, ‘He speaks in riddles and shit,’ which makes for interesting dialogue.

Staples shared how he has witnessed Chappelle’s creative process firsthand. ‘I’ve kind of seen his process, like his stand-up process,’ he explained. Staples observed how the comedian draws material from routine conversations and crafts them into shows. ‘He pulls from kind of conversations in the room and [I] kind of see him work out things, and then go do a show with the worked-out material,’ he said.

As the conversation shifted to whether Staples might try stand-up comedy himself, he expressed skepticism about the intense work involved. ‘Oh, I hear it all the time, but I’ll never do that,’ he stated. Staples emphasized the discipline and dedication required, suggesting that it’s not something one can easily start. ‘I would really need to take in the time … I don’t know if I got that in me right now,’ he admitted.

Fox proposed a ‘soft launch’ approach, suggesting that Staples could begin with planned Q&As. Staples related this to Chappelle’s process, recalling a time he saw the comedian casually engage with the audience for hours before crafting a solid set of material. ‘I’ve never seen some shit like that in my life,’ he joked, calling Chappelle a ‘psychopath’ for his commitment to the craft.

Despite his uncertainty about performing stand-up, Staples left the door open for future possibilities. ‘It’s a really interesting muscle to develop, you know? … Maybe one day,’ he said, keeping fans curious about his potential journey into comedy.