The Funniest Black Comedians Of 2023

Pat Alexander
Updated September 15, 2023 3.1K votes 514 voters 41.7K views
Over 500 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Funniest Black Comedians Of 2023
Voting Rules

Vote up the funniest black comedians this year.

Who are the funniest black comedians of 2023? Becoming a great stand-up comic is tough. It takes years of writing jokes, trial and error, and going up on stage to share the material you love with audiences. Whether a black comedian is observational, situational, absurdist, blue collar, abstract, alternative, or a long form storyteller, all of the funniest black comedians are unique, hardworking, and hilarious. Who is the funniest black comedian in 2023? Which of the best black stand up comedians do you love?

When it comes to the funniest black comedians right now, old school stand up comics like Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are atop the list, while also among some of the funniest comedians of all time. In March, Chris Rock will release a new live standup special on Netflix. Then there's legendary black stand up comedians like Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, and Katt Williams, who sell out arenas. Lest we forget hilarious 2023 black comedians like Tiffany Haddish, Hannibal Burress, Roy Wood Jr, Jerrod Carmichael, and Eric André.

Vote up the best black stand up comedians of 2023, and help decide who are the funniest black comedians this year! Then check out the funniest black female comedians of 2023!

Most divisive: Skye Townsend
Ranked by
  • Dave Chappelle
    1
    David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Chappelle is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards. He is most known for his iconic and acclaimed satirical comedy sketch series Chappelle's Show (2003). The series was also co-written by Neal Brennan, which ran until Chappelle's retirement from the show two years later. After leaving the show, Chappelle returned to performing stand-up comedy across the U.S. By 2006, Chappelle was called the "comic genius of America" by Esquire and, in 2013, "the best" by a Billboard writer. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him No. 9 in their "50 Best Stand Up Comics of All Time."Chappelle has appeared in several films including Mel Brooks's Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Nutty Professor, Con Air, You've Got Mail, Blue Streak and Undercover Brother. His first lead role was in the 1998 comedy film Half Baked, which he co-wrote with Neal Brennan. Chappelle also starred in the ABC TV series Buddies. In 2016, he signed a $20 million-per-release comedy-special deal with Netflix and in 2017, he has released four standup specials so far.Chappelle received his first Emmy Award in 2017 for his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. In 2018, he received a Grammy Award for his Netflix specials The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas. Equanimity, his Netflix special, was nominated in 2018 for three Emmys and received the award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). In 2019, Chappelle was selected to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor presented by the Kennedy Center as America's highest comedy honor.
  • Katt Williams
    2

    Katt Williams

    247 votes
    Micah Sierra "Katt" Williams (born September 2, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, rapper, singer, and voice actor. He had a role as Money Mike in Friday After Next, had a stint on Wild 'n Out, portrayed Bobby Shaw in My Wife and Kids, provided the voice of A Pimp Named Slickback in The Boondocks, Seamus in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, and portrayed Lord Have Mercy in Norbit. In 2008, he voiced himself in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
  • Chris Tucker
    3

    Chris Tucker

    140 votes
    Christopher Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is an American comedian and actor. Tucker made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series Def Comedy Jam, where he frequently appeared on the show throughout the 1990s. He appeared in the films Friday, The Fifth Element, Money Talks, and Jackie Brown, and later gained fame for playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour series, for which he received several accolades.
  • Kevin Hart
    4

    Kevin Hart

    225 votes
    Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hart began his career by winning several amateur comedy competitions at clubs throughout New England, culminating in his first real break in 2001 when he was cast by Judd Apatow for a recurring role on the TV series Undeclared. The series lasted only one season, but he soon landed other roles in films such as Paper Soldiers (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Soul Plane (2004), In the Mix (2005), and Little Fockers (2010).
  • Chris Rock
    5

    Chris Rock

    181 votes
    Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, and film director. After years working as a stand-up comedian and appearing in minor film roles including Beverly Hills Cop II, Rock gained prominence as a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1993. While at SNL he appeared in films New Jack City, Boomerang and CB4, which Rock also wrote and produced. Rock reached mainstream stardom with the critically acclaimed Bring the Pain in 1996, the second of his five HBO comedy specials. His other HBO comedy specials include Bigger & Blacker, Never Scared and Kill the Messenger. HBO also aired his talk show, The Chris Rock Show, which gained critical acclaim for Rock's interviews with celebrities and politicians. His most recent comedy special Chris Rock: Tamborine was released for Netflix in 2018.
  • Cedric the Entertainer
    6
    Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American actor, comedian, and game show host. He hosted BET's ComicView during the 1993–94 season and Def Comedy Jam in 1995. He is best known for co-starring with Steve Harvey on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, as one of The Original Kings of Comedy, and for starring as Eddie Walker in Barbershop. He hosted the 12th season of the daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2013–14 and starred in the TV Land original series The Soul Man, which aired from 2012 until 2016. He has also done voice work for Ice Age, the Madagascar film series, Charlotte's Web and the Planes franchise. In 2019, he will receive a Hollywood walk of fame star.