One of the elements that a lot of current mainstream hip-hop seems to be missing—and one of the things that historically has made the music most exhilarating—is the element of pure joy. You wouldn’t necessarily think this in light of his recent disappearing act and slow reemergence into the public eye, but Dave Chappelle knows how to find joy, especially in hip-hop.

Dave Chappelle’s Block Party answers the age-old question of “What would you do with a million dollars?” just by merit of the title—throw a giant, all-day free concert on a block in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. This, however, is much more than a party. It’s an examination of an extremely popular and troubled comic in the days before his troubles began. It’s a coming together of a huge roster of some of the most well-known, talented and creative figures in hip-hop music. It’s funny and political and a vanity project and a gift to hip-hop fans everywhere. It makes you want to crawl into the screen and hug Dave Chappelle for getting it exactly right.

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