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'Walkin' Straight Into Da Bowl,' Man Arrested In Dave Chappelle Attack Name Checked Him In Rap
In a song called "Dave Chappell," Isaiah Lee seemingly referenced the Hollywood Bowl, the same location where Dave Chappelle was tackled, and people he deemed "a joke."
The man accused of attacking comic Dave Chappelle on stage this week apparently wrote a rap song two years ago about the comic that seemingly references the Hollywood Bowl.
Chappelle, 48, was performing stand-up at that venue in Los Angeles on Tuesday night when 23-year-old Isaiah Lee allegedly jumped on stage. Police say Lee was armed with a replica gun that had an ejectable knife blade attached to it when he tackled Chappelle to the ground.
Chappelle was not injured, but images of Lee in the New York Post showed him with a swollen right eye, several facial laceration and a bloody nose as he was taken away from the Hollywood Bowl in a stretcher; police said he sustained “superficial injuries” while being detained by the venue’s security team.
Lee apparently wrote a song titled “Dave Chappell” in 2020, which features the lyric, “Walkin’ straight into da Bowl” and suggests that certain, unnamed people are "a joke," according to People.
The song is one of many uploaded to Spotify from the verified username “NoName_Trapper.”
Police have also released images of the alleged weapon carried during the attack, which show how the knife ejects from the replica handgun's barrel.
A former neighbor of Lee’s, from when they both lived in Redondo Beach, California condos, recalled that the suspect seemed troubled.
Russell Taylor told the New York Post that Lee had lived rent-free in a condo with Lee's brother, and that the siblings would often fight. He said he witnessed police visiting their unit several times and Lee getting arrested more than once.
“They would be screaming and yelling in front of the street almost every weekend,” Taylor said. “They would always come back after an hour at the police department or the next day. It got bad around here — threatening each other with knives.”
For Tuesday’s incident, Lee has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, authorities confirmed to Oxygen.com. He is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. It is not immediately clear if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
"As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show," Carla Sims, Chappelle's representative, said in a statement obtained by CNN. "Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening."
Chappelle was performing at "Netflix is a Joke: The Festival” when the incident occurred. Comedian Chris Rock joined Chappelle on stage after the apparent attack. Less than two months ago, Rock was slapped on stage by Will Smith while doing stand up at the Academy Awards.
“Was that Will Smith?” Rock joked to the audience at Hollywood Bowl following the attack.
