Chris Rock

Chris Rock is arguably the most important African-American stand-up comedian since Richard Pryor. While the former Saturday Night Live star isn't above witty observations about daily life or the occasional comment on the complexities of romance, Rock is at his most powerful when tackling race in America. His routines, captured via a series of legendary HBO specials, are marked by complex, controversial insights that if delivered by another less nuanced and intelligent performer could result in extreme misinterpretation. Rock developed the hit television series EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, a sitcom based on his own experiences growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s, which debuted in 2005.

• r&b/soul
• comedy
• 1990s