Richard Pryor’s talent was immense and he quickly became one of the most popular comedians in the ’70s. During his reign, Pryor won a whopping 5 Grammy awards for his comedy records, emerging as one of the most prominent talents of his era. Rolling Stone confidently labeled Pryor as the best stand-up comic of all time, a sentiment that most comedians and fans seem to agree with. Pryor was best known for his provocative, hard-hitting, no-nonsense routines, where he frequently discussed social injustice, race relations in America, and his various escapades.
In 1998, Pryor was the first comedian to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, an award that the likes of Dave Chappelle and Adam Sandler had won. “I’m a pioneer,” Pryor told The Washington Post (via The Los Angeles Times) about winning the award. “That’s my contribution. I broke barriers for black comics. I was being Richard Pryor; that was me on that stage.” Pryor died in 2005, leaving behind an impressive legacy.
It looks like being talented runs in the family, as Ludacris seems to have the same funnybone that Pryor had. While Ludacris is mostly renowned for his contributions to Hip-Hop — his track “Get Back” will forever be an anthem — the multi-hyphenate talent has always stolen the show as the bumbling but humble Tej in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. While Pryor and Ludacris never got to meet, the “My Chick Bad” artist has another famous cousin in Monica, best known for her track “Angel of Mine.”
