performances included material about the African
American community’s relationship with televi-
sion news media and that community’s internal di-
visions.
By 1990, Rock had already appeared on national
comedy shows and in films, such as Home Box Of-
fice’s (HBO)Uptown Comedy ExpressandBeverly Hills
Cop II(1987) with Eddie Murphy. In 1990, Rock had
become a regular onSaturday Night Live, where he
remained until 1993. Throughout the early 1990’s,
Rock appeared in a variety of films, most of which
held a great deal of significance for the new genera-
tion of African American urban audiences, includ-
ingNew Jack City(1991),Boomerang(1992), andCB4
(1993), which he also cowrote.
The early 1990’s saw Rock returning to television.
In 1993, Rock briefly joined the cast of the Fox net-
work variety showIn Living Color. By 1994, he was
headlining HBO’sComedy Half-Hour. Throughout
the late 1990’s, Rock’s urban wit would be showcased
on several HBO shows, including the Emmy Award-
winningChris Rock: Bring the Pain(1996) andChris
Rock: Bigger and Blacker(1999). In 1997, Rock was the
host of HBO’sThe Chris Rock Show.
In the late 1990’s, Rock appeared on a number of
shows, including Bill Maher’sPolitically Incorrecton
Comedy Central and the MTV Video Music Awards,
which he hosted in 1997. In a return to film, Rock of-
fered his trademark voice to a guinea pig character
in Eddie Murphy’s remake ofDr. Dolittle(1998) and
starred as Rufus, the fictional thirteenth apostle, in
Kevin Smith’sDogma(1999). Rock’s relevance to the
MTV generation was evidenced by his hosting the
MTV Video Music Awards for a second time in 1999.
Impact Rock came into prominence at a time when
African American comedians’ routines were ex-
pected to contain a certain amount of vulgarity, fol-
lowing in the footsteps of previous decades’ stars,
such as Richard Pryor in the 1970’s and Eddie
Murphy in the 1980’s. Rock’s approach to comedy
was traditional in that sense; his sharp insight dem-
onstrated his cultural and political knowledge and il-
lustrated the complexity of the postmodern, urban,
African American experience, appealing to audi-
ences who had yet to find a comedian who shared
their voice.
Further Reading
Blue, Rose, and Corinne J. Naden.Chris Rock, Come-
dian. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2000.
Rock, Chris.Rock This!New York: Hyperion, 1997.
Zolten, J. Jerome. “Black Comedians: Forging an
Ethnic Image.” Journal of American Culture 16
(Summer, 1993): 65-76.
Dodie Marie MillerSee also African Americans; Cable television; Co-
medians;In Living Color; Late night television. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Museum
Identification Museum and archives dedicated to
rock-and-roll music
Date Opened on September 2, 1995
Place Cleveland, Ohio
After years of planning, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Museum building was completed, providing a home for the
Hall of Fame and a museum of memorabilia and interpre-
tive experiences for visitors to enjoy.
In 1985, the officials of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame Foundation decided to create a museum and
archives dedicated to the heritage of rock-and-roll
music. After an exhaustive search, world-renowned
architect I. M. Pei was chosen to design the museum.
In 1993, Pei’s vision began to take shape as construc-
tion commenced on the building to house the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame Museum following a formal
agreement with the city of Cleveland. Funding for
the construction project came from a combination
of public and private sources, and the project pro-
gressed rapidly as the Hall of Fame continued to in-
duct rock-and-roll legends into its ranks while await-
ing its permanent venue.
When completed in 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame Museum consisted of 150,000 square feet
and carried an $84 million price tag. The building,
which dominates the Lake Erie shoreline, is a dra-
matic representation of the raw power of rock-and-
roll music. It uses daring geometric forms and canti-
levered spaces anchored around a 162-foot tower to
create exhibition areas. The tower, which emerges
from the harbor, also anchors a large triangular-
shaped tent made of glass that serves as one of the
primary distinguishing features of the building. The
building consists of spaces for exhibition and admin-
istrative functions as well as dedicated areas for li-
brary and archival functions.724 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum The Nineties in America