Comedian Richard Pryor was the undisputed king of raw, honest, and often profane comedy in the 1970s. His groundbreaking stand-up routine used taboo language and unflinching observations about race in America to generate both laughter and uncomfortable truths. Richard Pryor built his comedy empire on taboo words. Central to his material was the frequent, almost casual use of the “N-word,” a word he used both to reclaim and satirize racial slurs.
The King of Naughty Comedy
Richard Pryor built his comedy empire on albums that were fearless in their language and subject matter. He won multiple Grammy Awards for comedy albums that unflinchingly explored the African-American experience. His use of the controversial word was famously integrated into the titles of two of his most iconic and successful albums: That Nigger’s Crazy (1974), which won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, and Bicentennial Nigger (1976), which also won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. His entire persona was tied to this edgy, confrontational style of humor, making his eventual public rejection of the word even more powerful.
The Kenyan Awakening
In 1979, seeking perspective and connection with his roots, Pryor traveled to Kenya. While there, he spent time observing the local people, the culture, and the environment. What he witnessed was not the caricature of desperation often depicted in Western media. Instead, he saw a population of Black people in positions of power, dignity, and self-respect, disconnected from the historical weight of American racism and slavery. As he later recounted in his stand-up special, he looked at the people of Africa—the mothers, the workers, the leaders—and had a profound realization. “I didn’t see any ‘n*s’ over there. All I saw was beautiful Black people,” he said. This moment of clarity, where he saw people defined by their humanity and not by a derogatory label, moved him to tears. A trip to Africa left him in tears and vowing before millions that he would never use the N-word again.
The Vow on Sunset Strip
Pryor made his public renunciation of the word a central part of his next concert film, Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (1982). Directed by Joe Layton, the film documented his triumphant return to the stage after a near-fatal freebasing accident. It included a significant, emotionally charged segment detailing his African trip. It was during this nationally televised and highly successful concert film that Pryor announced his vow to his millions of fans, declaring the word officially retired from his stand-up vocabulary. The declaration marked a crucial turning point in his career, showcasing his emotional growth and establishing a more reflective, yet equally powerful, voice for the remainder of his life.