Where in the world has Chris Tucker been?

Fans have been asking that question for years. Besides the occasional TV guest spot and appearances at charity events, celebrity-packed parties and the Michael Jackson trial (see "Jackson's Defense Team Rests After Chris Tucker Testimony"), we haven't seen much of him since "Rush Hour 2" in 2001.

Well, he's back. Tucker has lined up a string of dates at some lesser-known comedy venues around the country and may be hitting more-popular spots soon.

On Saturday he was at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey, where he talked about everything from growing up in the church to R. Kelly, George W. Bush, his "Rush Hour" co-star Jackie Chan and his "Friday" co-star Ice Cube.

Tucker joked that the reason he hasn't appeared in any sequels to the cult-classic comedy is that Cube never paid him for the first one. Tucker claimed that the former N.W.A member-turned-Hollywood mogul tried to compensate him for the first "Friday" film with "weed and CDs."

During his two-hour-plus routine, Tucker also made light of reports that he received $25 million to do the upcoming "Rush Hour 3" (due next summer), and that it took so long for him to sign on for the project because he wasn't satisfied with the script.

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As for rumors that Chris' comedy is now squeaky-clean because he's turned his life over to the Lord? Well, fans of Tucker's old standup routines will be pleased to know that he still does let the four-letter words fly, like he did back in the day on "Def Comedy Jam," even if his new routines aren't nearly as vulgar.

Staff at the Englewood club — where Tucker performed on both Friday and Saturday — said the shows were warm-up gigs for a longer tour. Ticketmaster's Web site lists four further dates, beginning Friday in Philadelphia and continuing in Baltimore (Saturday), Minneapolis (August 21) and Atlanta (August 25); Tucker's manager had not returned calls requesting further information at press time.

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