M.C. HAMMER

born: stanley kirk burrell; oakland, california, 30 march 1962

genre: hip-hop

best-selling album since 1990: please hammer, don't hurt 'em (1990)

hit songs since 1990: "u can't touch this," "pray," "2 legit 2 quit"

M.C. Hammer is one of the most divisive figures in the history of hip-hop. The quantum leap the Oakland, California, native took from regional sensation to global superstar was a reflection of mainstream pop music's embrace of hip-hop. His major label debut, Let's Get It Started (1988), went double platinum thanks to his club-friendly funk samples, amicable raps, and sing-along choruses, but it was only the beginning of his career. Released two years later, the crossover hit Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (1990) sold 10 million copies, earned the singer two Grammy Awards (Best R&B Song, Best Solo Rap Performance), and charted three Top 10 singles. Unfortunately, it also won him the ire of his fellow rappers, many of whom accused Hammer of diluting hip-hop's hardcore aesthetic in favor of a softer, clownish style. Within two years, pop's changing winds—as well as the singer's financial mismanagement—had dethroned the once-ubiquitous rapper. Far from celebrated, Hammer's stint in the spotlight was as brief as his signature parachute pants were wide.

Stanley Kirk Burrell owes both his nickname and sense of enterprise to an after-school job as batboy for the Oakland Athletics. The team nicknamed the teen "Hammer" after his resemblance to all-time home-run leader "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron. More importantly, he won the affections of the team's flamboyant owner, Charles Finley, who taught the young Burrell the value of showmanship and hard work. Dedicating himself to hip-hop, the diligent Hammer recorded his debut, Feel My Power (Bust It) (1987), and spent the year driving throughout California promoting it himself. Hammer's diligence paid off. He signed with Capitol Records and his first release with the label, Let's Get It Started, went double platinum, thanks largely to its polished funk vibe and Parliament-sampling dance hit, "Turn This Mutha Out."

Hammer's second album for Capitol exceeded all possible expectations. Its lead single, "U Can't Touch This," may have borrowed wholesale from Rick James's funk hit "Super Freak" (1981), but its catchy chorus and a flashy video featuring Hammer's soon-famous parachute pants made him a national sensation. It would have been the first hip-hop single to top the charts but it was only released as a 12-inch single. His next two singles, "Pray" and "Have You Seen Her," also charted well and pushed his sales to heights previously unthinkable for a hip-hop album. Hammer capitalized on his icon status with endless commercial endorsements, a line of dolls, and a cartoon. Hip-hop purists like 3rd Bass attacked Hammer for his biteless raps, flashy costumes, and glossy excess.

Though Hammer's next album, Too Legit to Quit (1991), sold 3 million copies, his moment was over and the album's tour was cancelled halfway through when it failed to recoup the costs of its extravagant stage show. He had by this time dropped the "M.C." from his name, referring to himself as Hammer; he would reattach the "M.C." to his name with the release of V Inside Out (1995). His last notable hit was "Addams Groove" (1991) off the The Addams Family soundtrack, but poor accounting, lavish living, and Hammer's good-hearted attempt to hire many of his neighborhood friends as dancers had done him in. Financially struggling, Hammer retired for three years before reemerging with the harder-edged and surprisingly aggressive The Funky Headhunter (1994). The hardcore act was unsuccessful, though Hammer was courted out of novelty by gangsta rap label Death Row. In 1996 Hammer declared bankruptcy and renounced luxury in favor of the hyper-positive, spiritually driven approach found on later albums Family Affair (1998) and the patriotic Active Duty (2001).

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Feel My Power (Bust It) (Bustin', 1987); Let's Get It Started (Capitol, 1988); Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (Capitol, 1990); Too Legit to Quit (Capitol/EMI, 1991); The Funky Headhunter (Giant, 1994); V Inside Out (Giant, 1995); Family Affair (Oaktown 3.5.7., 1998); Active Duty (World Hit, 2001). Soundtrack: The Addams Family (Capitol, 1991).

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