David Chappelle thinks it's an opportune time in America to be a comedian.

Long known as one not afraid to fuse the issue of racism into his routine, Chappelle recently hinted to The Associated Press, though it's just a coincidence he's now staging his comeback, he plans to take full advantage of the climate by sharing his perspective.

"This is a very surprisingly emotionally charged time," he said of a period marked by the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the deaths of Eric Garner and Freddie Gray also at the hands of police in New York City and Baltimore, respectively.

"So people like me, I think, are very relevant and necessary in sorting through all this information and emotional content."

Speaking before a New York state audience where he was receiving an award from Russell Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, the former "Chappelle Show" star told the audience he's convinced artists have a responsibility to be activists.

"The biggest enemy of an artist is apathy," he said. "A kid gets killed by the police, and I buy a T-shirt, and before I can wear that one, there's another kid [killed], and I'm running out of closet space."

Chappelle infamously walked away from his Comedy Central show in 2005 only a few months after inking a $50 million deal with the network. At the time, his sketch series was a juggernaut hit with many of its comedy sketches, particularly the ones about race, becoming viral sensations.

Chappelle told the crowd he has no regrets and strongly hinted he still feels he made the right call.

"I can say honestly that I'm happy, that I can sit at home on a Tuesday night and watch Key and Peele do my show, and it doesn't hurt me."