#1) dane cook. i went to this guy's show out in LA and he is a non-stop comedy tour de force. i was literally falling out of my chair laughing so hard. what i really like about cook is that he takes a refreshing view of the comedy world and tells jokes that are fresh and original as opposed to many comedians today who just rehash old george carlin jokes.
#2) jeff foxworthy. the proof is in the pudding, they gave the guy his own television quiz show (in case you haven't seen it, it's called Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader). he has a great style to his joke telling that makes other comedians drool.
#3 carlos mencia. sure his jokes are a bit R-Rated but the guy can flat out bring it. i also love how he supports other comedians by having younger guys open up for him and helps them come up. i've seen mencia twice and both times he delivered, A++ recommendation.
#4) richard prior. yes a lot of his schtick deals with race, which should be outlawed, but i think he deserves honorable mention just because he was around when these other guys weren't around and although most of his routine/jokes were not funny or original, at least he was a black comedian who probably laid the foundation for other blacks to be funny, like Sinbad.
