Richard Pryor Essentials
Apple Music


Inarguably one of the most important standups of the 20th century, Richard Pryor revolutionized comedy by exposing the street-level realities of American society. After spending the '60s playing it straight, he reinvented his act in the '70s, unleashing an expletive-littered mix of African American storytelling and slapstick that rips back the curtain of race relations (“Black Man / White Woman”), sex (“Women”), and drugs (“Cocaine”). But underneath all of the wild vocal contortions and genius insights lurks a real sense of tragedy, as when his observations turn to his deeply troubled childhood (“Wino & Junkie”).