For the record, "Weird Al" Yankovic has no opinion about R. Kelly's recent acquittal on child pornography charges. But the famed parodist does hope the R&B star makes additional chapters of "Trapped in the Closet."

Kelly sings about infidelity, gunplay and midgets in an open-ended song that began in 2004 and now comprises 22 cliffhanger segments.

On the 2006 album "Straight Outta Lynwood," Yankovic details an ill-fated food run during an 11-minute track titled "Trapped in the Drive-Thru."

"That was the challenge of my parody: How do you make a song more weird, random, bizarre and convoluted than that?" Yankovic says, sitting on a couch in the lobby of the Westin Indianapolis hotel. ("Are you who I think you are?" a passerby asks. "Kenny G?" answers the singer.)

Although Yankovic describes himself as a "leech" of pop culture, his guiding principle is the creation of stand-alone entertainment.

"The parody has to be funny even if you're not familiar at all with the original source material," he says.

This adage applies to "White & Nerdy," the biggest hit of Yankovic's career. Inspired by "Ridin'." -- a 2006 collaboration by rappers Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone -- "White & Nerdy" reached No. 9 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart. Yankovic estimates that Internet users have viewed the song's video more than 80 million times.

He admits little research went into the song, which is packed with references to Dungeons & Dragons, ping-pong and glee club.

"I will not say the song is completely autobiographical, but I'm down with that core audience," he says.

"White & Nerdy" also features impressive rhyming from Yankovic, who will showcase his MC skills July 3 at the Whitelies.tv Lawn at White River State Park.

With 12 albums and 1,000-plus concerts on his resume, Yankovic "went viral" before YouTube existed. He recorded "My Bologna" in a bathroom in 1979, and "Another One Rides the Bus" was captured live on a 1980 episode of Dr. Demento's radio show.

These efforts were copied on cassettes and passed from fan to fan, but several years passed before Yankovic landed a recording contract.

"Everybody (at labels) would listen to my stuff and say, 'Oh, this is clever and funny and all that, but you'll never have a career doing this kind of thing,'." Yankovic says.

The 48-year-old California native now enjoys the last laugh, as he has outlasted many acts he parodied.

Just ask the now-obscure Toni Basil (whose "Mickey" inspired "Ricky"), Coolio ("Gangsta's Paradise"-"Amish Paradise") or the Knack ("My Sharona"-"My Bologna").

"Weird Al" Yankovic

When: 8 p.m. July 3.

Where: Whitelies.tv Lawn at White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St.

Tickets: $47.50 and $29.50. For more information, call (317) 239-5151 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.