Dave Chappelle has teamed up with an independent record label to drop limited edition vinyls of 8:46, the special that came out in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. According to multiple reports, the comedian is selling copies of the red, black and green-colored LP with the help of Nashville-based Third World Records.
The album — named after the initially-reported length of time that Derek Chauvin kneeled on the Floyd’s neck — has two sides. Side A features the roughly 30-minute special. The B-Side contains performances from poet Amir Sulaiman, who recites both “My Insides Out” and “We Must Win.”
The vinyl — which features photos from the show and various George Floyd protests on its cover — also honors Floyd and other victims of police brutality and systemic racism with 8 minutes and 46 minutes of silence. Only 846 copies will be sold.
Chappelle’s 8:46 limited edition vinyls are currently selling on online and at the Third Man locations in Nashville and Detroit. A black edition of the album — which will drop on Oct. 29 — is now available for pre-order.
Proceeds from the sale will go to Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the high school Chappelle attended in Washington, D.C.
“When I was a student at Duke Ellington [School of Arts], the teachers instilled in me the notion of activism through art,” Chappelle said in a news release. “We need more soldiers for great causes on the stage.”
Chappelle’s 8:46 special — his response to Floyd’s tragic death — sees him coming to terms with the death of another Black man and discussing the recurring incidents of police violence in front of a socially-distanced audience. According to the press release, the video was YouTube’s top trending video of 2020, garnering more than 30 million views and an additional 7.5 million views on the comedian’s Instagram page.