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Widely popular among hip-hop culture, comedian Dave Chappelle is worn out from pressure, partying and a creative rift with Comedy Central, it was reported yesterday.

Production of the red-hot "Chappelle's Show" was halted indefinitely last week, for undisclosed reasons, delaying the third season from its scheduled May 31 premiere. Newsweek claimed the delay was caused in part because Chappelle just wasn''t ready to handle the success of his show.

A celebrity friend told the magazine Chappelle "freaked" after realizing he was "the man" after the show's second season caught fire.

"And then came the pressure of living up to expectations for the third season," the friend said. "He's never been there - where something's so good and you got to come even stronger the next time. It was too much."

Chappelle's partying apparently didn''t help, the magazine said.

"Everyone knows Dave likes to have fun," Newsweek quoted a "music-industry pal" as saying. "I wouldn''t say it's out of control ... but at some point that has to affect you if you''ve got a regular gig."

Chappelle has also encountered friction with Comedy Central, Newsweek reported. The comedian wants to top his previous material by delving into even more controversial racial issues, and network executives are balking.

"Dave is not compromising what he wants to do," Newsweek quoted a source close to Chappelle as saying. "He's waited a long time for this chance, and he's not trying to do anything that isn''t 100% his vision."

Comedy Central denied any conflict with Chappelle, as did an employee in Chappelle's camp, the magazine said.