TRACY MORGAN is a "wild and crazy guy." That's the first thing he wants to get across in his autobiography, "I Am the New Black."

And the current star of NBC's "30 Rock," won't get any argument from us.

From his very public battles with alcoholism and diabetes to the breakup of his 20-year marriage, Morgan is a walking train wreck.

The question is: "Why should we care?" The answer is simple. Morgan is knocking on the door to a very exclusive group--top 10 greatest black comedians of all time, a gang that includes Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.

Yes, Morgan deserves mention with those names. He's that funny. In fact, his raunchy stand-up act recalls that of another black comic hall-of-famer, Redd Foxx.

Morgan is part of another fraternity, comprised of black "Saturday Night" comics, such as Garrett Morris and Chris Rock, who were underutilized during their tenures on that show.

Unfortunately, Morgan finds himself in yet another association of performers: black comedians, such as Dave Chappelle and Martin Lawrence, who have self-destructed once they've gained fame.

Morgan's rise to comedy's big leagues was meteoric. He quickly went from hawking Yankees jerseys to a spot on a premier TV program.

His candid, amusing book works as a cautionary tale: What not to do after you've made it to "the show."

Kurt Rabin is a copy editor at The Free Lance-Star.