MC Hammer

This article is about the American rapper and former baseball executive. For the Rick Ross song, see Teflon Don (album).
"Stanley Burrell" redirects here. For the basketball player, see Stanley Burrell (basketball).

MC Hammer
MC Hammer in 2010
MC Hammer in 2010
Background information
Birth nameStanley Kirk Burrell
Also known as
  • Hammerman
  • Hammertime
  • Hammer
  • King Hammer
  • Kirk Burrell
  • KB
  • Holy Ghost Boy
Born (1962-03-30) March 30, 1962 (age 62)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • dancer
  • record producer
  • entrepreneur
Years active1973–present
Labels
Spouse
Stephanie Burrell
​
(m. 1985)​

Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, extravagant choreography and his eponymous Hammer pants.[2] Remembered for a rapid rise to fame, Hammer has also been an entrepreneur[3][4] and celebrity spokesperson.[5][6]

A multi-award winner, Hammer is considered a "forefather" and pioneering innovator[7] of pop rap (incorporating elements of freestyle music), and was the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status with his album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em. [8][9][10] After being labeled a sellout, and with the changing landscape of hip hop music, Hammer attempted to appeal to the rise of gangsta rap.[11] However, due to overexposure and critical backlash,[12] his popularity waned by the mid-1990s (which led to a highly publicized bankruptcy beginning in 1996).[13]

Along with a Mattel doll and other merchandise, Hammer starred in a Saturday-morning cartoon called Hammerman in 1991. He became an ordained preacher during the late 1990s and hosted MC Hammer and Friends, a Christian ministry program on TBN. Hammer was also a dance judge on Dance Fever in 2003, was the co-creator of the dance website DanceJam.com,[14][15] and was executive producer of his own reality show titled Hammertime (which aired on the A&E Network during the summer of 2009).[16][17]

Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business as a record label CEO. As a result, Hammer has created and produced his own acts/music including Ho Frat Hoo!,[18] Oaktown's 3.5.7, Special Generation, Analise, DRS, B Angie B,[19] Gentry Kozia[20][21] and Oakland Fight Club.[22] A part of additional record labels, he has associated, collaborated and recorded with Psy,[23] VMF,[24] Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, The Whole 9,[25] The Hines Brother,[26] Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Jon Gibson. Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records in 1995.[27]

BET ranked Hammer as the No. 7 "Best Dancer of All Time".[28] Vibe's "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared him the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round. He continues to perform concerts at music venues and appears in television advertisements,[29][30][31] along with participating in social media and ministry/outreach functions.[32][33] Hammer is also active in community and sports activities,[34][35] being interviewed locally and nationally.[36][37]

  1. ^ Huey, Stephen. "MC Hammer AllMusic Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 1, 2023. West Coast rapper whose upbeat, pop-friendly style made him hip-hop's first multi-platinum, crossover superstar.
  2. ^ Huey, Steve. "MC Hammer". AllMusic. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  3. ^ Bellafante, Ginia (June 13, 2009). "Where a Fallen Rap Star Is Still No. 1". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "2 Legit 2 Quit: MC Hammer's unlikely path to WireDoo". The Daily Dot. March 12, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "MC Hammer Still 'Hurtin' 'Em With Business". Ebony.com. July 23, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "MC Hammer: 30 Years of 'U Can't Touch This' Is a 'Dream Come True'". Usmagazine.com. January 30, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "'It's Hammer time!' M.C. Hammer: upbeat performer with high-voltage stage show broadens rap's appeal". Ebony. December 1990.
  8. ^ "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: Overview". AllMusic.
  9. ^ "Hammertime Holdings Retains OTC Financial Network To Direct Investor Relations Campaign" (Press release). PR Newswire. Archived from the original on January 25, 2003. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  10. ^ Cassidy, John (January 7, 2009). "The Talk of the Town: Under the Hammer". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  11. ^ "MC Hammer: Biography : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. May 29, 2009. Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  12. ^ Williams, Stereo (March 30, 2022). "MC Hammer And The Legacy Of Oakland's Bust-It Records". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  13. ^ "Rich and famous people who found themselves bankrupt". MSN. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  14. ^ "MC Hammer – DanceJam – The GigaOm Show". Revision3.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  15. ^ "MC Hammer to take on YouTube". The Sydney Morning Herald. January 2, 2008.
  16. ^ "Hammertime" (official website). A&E Network.
  17. ^ Hammertime at IMDb
  18. ^ "Ho Frat Hoo". Discogs.
  19. ^ "FNV Newsletter December 15". Daveyd.com. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  20. ^ ""We Gotta Do Better" MC Hammer featuring Gentry Kozia". Vimeo.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "BIG HAMM "22 Pills" – Feat. Gentry Kozia". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  22. ^ "Better Man by Gentry Kozia of The OaklandFightClub". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  23. ^ Schneider, Marc (November 20, 2012). "PSY, MC Hammer 'Cooking' Up New Music After Epic AMAs (Video)". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  24. ^ "Sultry Funk by MC Hammer feat. VMF on WhoSampled". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  25. ^ "The Funky Headhunter - MC Hammer | Billboard.com". Billboard. January 24, 2011. Archived from the original on January 24, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  26. ^ "The Funky Headhunter – MC Hammer | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  27. ^ "Shelved: Tupac and MC Hammer's Promising Collaboration". Longreads.com. May 14, 2019. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  28. ^ "The Legendary James Brown Rightfully Peaks List of BET's TOP 25 DANCERS of All Time". BET. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009.
  29. ^ "MC Hammer Reveals Why He Strived To Be 'A Complete Artist' Instead Of Just A Rapper". HipHopDX.com. November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  30. ^ Graham, Megan (February 3, 2020). "Why pop culture throwbacks were such a big theme in the Super Bowl commercials". CNBC. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  31. ^ "Watch Access Hollywood Interview: MC Hammer Explains Story Behind His 'U Can't Touch This' 30th Anniversary Super Bowl Ad - NBC.com". Nbc.com. January 28, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  32. ^ "MC Hammer Speaks To HBS On Marketing | News | The Harvard Crimson". Thecrimson.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  33. ^ Marinucci, Carla (November 20, 2011). "MC Hammer: Busting a move as tech-savvy visionary". SFGATE. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  34. ^ "MC Hammer dishes on his Oakland A's origins and Bay Area sports". Fansided.com. January 31, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  35. ^ "MC Hammer to throw out AL Wild Card 1st pitch". MLB.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  36. ^ "MC Hammer on Undisputed: 'We could've planned to keep the Raiders'". Raiderswire.usatoday.com. June 3, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  37. ^ "Hammertime – MC Hammer's Greatest Sports Moments". Complex. Retrieved June 21, 2022.