When it comes to hip-hop, Chris Rock kids because he loves.

Next week the acclaimed comedian releases "Bigger & Blacker," the companion album to his upcoming HBO special. The LP was produced by Prince Paul (who also handled Rock's 1997 Grammy Award-winner "Roll With the New") and will feature cameos by everyone from Janeane Garofalo to ODB as well as cover art by the same design crew responsible for No Limit Records' flashy packaging (see [article id="1433715"]"Chris Rock Gets In Eddie Murphy Mood With Slick Rick"[/article]).

Considering the above, it's no surprise that the album is hip-hop heavy. According to the comedian, the genre makes for great material.

[article id="1449897"]"Hip-hop's funny, 'cause hip-hop takes itself very serious,"[/article] Rock explained to MTV News. [article id="1449897"]"Whenever you take yourself very serious, it's easy to make fun of you. No, whenever you take yourself too serious, it's way, way too

easy to make fun of you. I'm always in the making-fun-of-hip-hop business, as is [Prince] Paul. 'Cause I love hip-hop, though, I love hip hop." [RealVideo][/article]

Bigger & Blacker" airs this weekend on HBO, and the album will be in stores on July 13.

Rock will also return to the small screen as host of the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from New York on September 9 (see [article id="1433714"]"Chris Rock Takes The Mic For Video Music Awards"[/article]).

For more from Chris Rock, watch this week's "MTV News 1515" airing this Friday night at 7:30 p.m.