M.C. Hammer

MC Hammer (Stanley Kirk Burrell) is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame before losing the majority of his fortune, Hammer is also known for his records, including "U Can't Touch This", flamboyant dance movements and trademark Hammer pants. Hammer's superstar-status made him a household name and pop icon. He has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather" and innovator[ of pop rap, and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album. Hammer was later considered a sell-out rapper due in part to over-exposure and as a result of his increasingly gritty image as the landscape of rap changed. Nonetheless, BET ranked Hammer as the #7 "Best Dancer Of All Time".Vibe's "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared him the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round.

Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business. As a result, he has created and produced his own acts and he has collaborated with VMF, Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane and Jon Gibson, as well as others.

He recorded his debut album, Feel My Power, which was produced between 1986–1987 and released independently in 1987 on his Oaktown Records label. Hammer also released a single called "Ring 'Em", and largely on the strength of tireless street marketing by Hammer and his wife, it achieved considerable popularity at dance clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hammer re-issued his first record with additional tracks added and sold over 2 million copies. "Pump It Up", "Turn This Mutha Out", "Let's Get It Started" and "They Put Me in the Mix" were the most popular singles from this album which all charted.

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em was released in February 1990 which included the successful single "U Can't Touch This" (which sampled Rick James' "Super Freak"). Despite heavy airplay and a #27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the album was a #1 success for 21 weeks, due primarily to this single, the first time ever for a rap recording on the pop charts. The song has been and continues to be used in many filmmaking and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack/compilation albums as well.

Follow-up successes included "Have You Seen Her" (a cover of the Chi-Lites) and "Pray" (a beat sampled from Prince's "When Doves Cry" and Faith No More's "We Care a Lot"), which was his biggest hit in the US, peaking at #2. "Pray" was also a major UK success, peaking at #8. The album went on to become the first hip-hop album to earn diamond status, selling more than 18 million units to date.

Music videos from this album and the previous albums began to receive much airplay on MTV and VH1. A movie also accompanied the album and was produced at this same time called "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie" along with music videos included within the movie. A critical backlash began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling others' entire hooks for the basis of his singles.

Despite the criticisms, Hammer's career continued to be highly successful including tours in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Russia. Soon after, M.C. Hammer Mattel dolls, lunchboxes, and other merchandise were marketed. He was also given his own Saturday morning cartoon, called Hammerman, which he hosted and voiced.

After publicly dropping the "M.C." from his stage name, Hammer released Too Legit to Quit in 1991. Hammer answered his critics within certain songs from the album. Sales were strong (over five million copies),[62] with the title track being the biggest hit single from this record. The album peaked in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Another hit came soon after, with "Addams Groove", reaching #7 in the U.S. and #4 in the UK. Music videos were produced for all four singles released from this album (including "Do Not Pass Me By" and "This Is The Way We Roll"), all which charted. The "2 Legit 2 Quit" video featured many celebrity appearances. It's been ranked as one of the most expensive videos ever made. The song proved to be successful in the U.S., peaking at the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, at #5. Despite the album's multi-platinum certification, the sales were one-third of Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em.

In 1993, Hammer began recording his fifth official album. To adapt to the changing landscape of hip-hop, this album was a more aggressive sounding album entitled The Funky Headhunter. The accompanying video to the album's first single, "Pumps and a Bump", was banned from heavy rotation on MTV with censors claiming that the depiction of Hammer in Speedos was too graphic. This led to an alternative video being filmed with Hammer fully clothed. "It's All Good" was the second single released, which would become a pop culture phrase as a result of its success. It was also the most successful song by this title. This album peaked at number two on the R&B charts and remained in the Top 30 midway through the year.

In 1995, Hammer released the album V Inside Out, which critics claimed was unfocused, as it was unclear if the genre was pop or rap.

In 1996, a compilation of Hammer's chart topping songs, Greatest Hits, was released in October. Since then, several compilation album versions of his "greatest hits" have been produced. Hammer's empire began to collapse when his last few albums failed to match the sales of its predecessors. Since he unsuccessfully attempted to recast himself in the streetwise "gangsta rap" mold of the day, Hammer turned to a gospel-friendly audience.

In 1998, M.C. Hammer released his first album in his new deal with EMI, titled Family Affair. Technically his seventh album since his debut EP, this record was highly promoted on Trinity Broadcasting Network, but featured no charting singles.] Nonetheless, it did include a song originally by 2Pac that was given to Hammer which he did as a remake on this album called "Unconditional Love".

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, M.C. Hammer released his 8th studio album, Active Duty, on his own label to pay homage to the ones lost in the terrorist attacks. The album followed that theme, and featured two singles, "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" and "Pop Yo Collar". The album, like its predecessor, failed to chart and would not sell as many copies as previous projects. Hammer did however promote it on such shows as The View and produced a video for both singles.] This patriotic album, originally planned to be titled The Autobiography Of M.C. Hammer, donated portions of the proceeds to 9/11 charities. Hammer shot a video for the anthem "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" in Washington, D.C., with several members of the United States Congress, who sang in the song and danced in the video.

M.C. Hammer decided to move his Oaktown imprint to an independent distributor and released his ninth studio album, Full Blast. The album would feature no charting singles and was not certified by the RIAA. A video was produced for "Full Blast", a song that attacks Eminem and Busta Rhymes for previous disrespect towards him.

After going independent, he decided to create a digital label to release his tenth studio album, Look Look Look in February 2006. The album featured the title-track single and a music video. It would sell much better than his previous release.

Between 2006 and 2007, Hammer released a military-inspired rap song with a political message to President George W. Bush about sending American troops back home from war, called "Bring Our Brothers Home". The video was filmed at the Santa Monica Pier.

Since his 2006 album, Hammer continued to produce music and released several other raps that appeared on his social websites or in commercials, with another album, Getting Back to Hetto released in 2008. Other tracks and videos from the album included: "I Go", "Keep It In Vegas", "Lookin' Out The Window", "Dem Jeans", "Stooge Karma Sutra" and "Tried to Luv U".

In 2010, on the "So Appalled" track, Jay-Z targets Hammer for his fall from grace in the 1990s, which left him in a financial disaster. About a month later, Hammer's new video "Better Run Run!" hit the web in retaliation to Jay-Z's diss towards him. M.C. Hammer decided to bury the hatchet with Jay-Z since the falling-out.

M.C. Hammer released a new track "See Her Face (She Got It)" in February 2011 via Flipboard and world premiered during an episode of Oprah in February 2011.