David Khari Webber Chappelle aka “Dave Chapelle” (born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He starred in and co-created the satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle's Show (2003–2006) before quitting in the middle of production during the third season. After a hiatus, Chappelle returned to performing stand-up comedy across the United States.By 2006, Chappelle was called the "comic genius of America" by the Esquire magazine, and, in 2013, "the best" by a Billboard writer. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 9 in their "50 Best Stand Up Comics of All Time".

Robert Beck (born Robert Lee Maupin or Robert Moppins Jr. 1918–1992), better known as “Iceberg Slim”, was an American pimp who later became a writer. Beck's 1967 memoir, Pimp: The Story of My Life, sold very well, mainly among Black audiences. By 1973, it had been reprinted 19 times and had sold nearly 2 million copies.