Third Man Records is excited to announce a special limited-edition vinyl run of Dave Chappelle's viral video 8:46. The video was YouTube's top trending video of 2020 with over 30 million views on the official post and 7.5 million views on Chappelle’s Instagram (@davechappelle). The limited-edition colored vinyl -- pressed at Third Man Pressing in Detroit in a run of 846 numbered copies -- is emblazoned in red, black and green, and available now, first come, first served, at Third Man Records stores in Nashville, Detroit and online at ThirdManStore.com. A standard black vinyl pressing is also available for pre-order, delivering on October 29, 2021.

Every aspect of this project, from the performance, the directing, the sound mix and mastering, the design and photography, was completed by artists who graciously donated their time and efforts. Proceeds from the vinyl sales will be donated to Chappelle's high school alma mater, Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC.

“When I was a student at Duke Ellington, the teachers instilled in me the notion of activism through art,” said Chappelle. "We need more soldiers for great causes on the stage.”

The video and subsequent album are a searing rumination in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd that ignited worldwide outrage and led to protests on race inequality, police brutality and the criminal justice system. Filmed in Ohio on June 6, during the COVID-19 lockdown, 8:46 addresses one deadly plague, while in the grips of another. 

The B-side of the album features poet Amir Sulaiman’s performance of “My Insides Out” and “We Must Win,” also recorded in Ohio. It also includes “White Noise,” 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in remembrance of George Floyd and the countless victims of police brutality and systemic racism.

The album cover and artwork features performance, backstage photos from Chappelle’s concert as well as images from various George Floyd protests in Los Angeles, CA, all taken by Grammy-nominated artist and photographer Mathieu Bitton. 

Photography made available courtesy of Pilot Boy Productions, Inc.

©2021 Pilot Boy Productions, Inc. / Mathieu Bitton

About Dave Chappelle:

Dave Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, and actor. Recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time, Chappelle was awarded the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2019. Chappelle’s work in stand-up comedy, writing, producing, and acting has earned him more than 30 nominations and awards in television and film for projects that include his groundbreaking sketch comedy television series, Chappelle’s Show, guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, and his comedy specials, most recently earning his third and fourth Emmy Awards for Sticks & Stones in 2020. In audio content, Chappelle has won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album three years in a row, 2018 through 2020. In 2017, Netflix cited Dave Chappelle: Collection 1 as the most-viewed comedy special ever on their network. 

About Amir Sulaiman:

Amir Sulaiman is a poet and director from Rochester, NY. His lastest poetry collection, Love, Gnosis & Other Suicide Attempts, exlores love as a matter of life and death. He wrote and directed the cinematic poem, Laying Flowers.:.Setting Fires. The short film is a poetic view into black love prevailing against the violence leveled against Black people in America.

About Third Man Records:

Third Man Records was launched by Jack White in Detroit, MI in 2001, and in 2009 opened its current Nashville, TN location, which houses a record store, novelties lounge (featuring the Third Man Record Booth), label offices and distribution center, photo studio, and the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. Third Man is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and a boundary pusher in the world of recorded music, aiming to bring tangibility and spontaneity back into the record business and issue releases that leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that music is indeed sacred.

©2021 Pilot Boy Productions, Inc. / Mathieu Bitton