ABSTRACT
M.C. Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell in Oakland, California’s subsidized housing district, was the first rapper to cross over to pop superstardom. An ingenious songwriter/arranger whose material featured liberal samples of soul-funk hitmakers such as James Brown and Parliament/Funkadelic, his considerable dance skills and expertly choreographed performances played a major role in his success. Burrell was nicknamed “Little Hammer” while working as a batboy for the Oakland Athletics as a result of his resemblance to home run king, “Hammerin’” Hank Aaron. Baseball player friends lent him the money to establish his own record company; his Bay Area success led to a contract with Capitol Records. His second major label album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em (Capitol #92857; 1990; #1 for 21 weeks)—featuring “U Can’t Touch This (Capitol #11571; 1990; #8), based on an unauthorized sample from the Rick James hit, “Super Freak (Part 1)” (Gordy #7205; 1981; #16); a rap update of the Chi-Lites’“Have You Seen Her” (Capitol #44573; 1990; #4) and “Pray” (Capitol #44609; 1990; #2), accompanied by a promotional video clip which melded religion, hip hop, and a West Side Story-influenced dance sequence-introduced him to the big-time. High profile tours, a children’s cartoon (Hammerman), and endorsement deals with Pepsi and Kentucky Fried Chicken followed. However, the rise of gangsta rap (which rendered his flashy, slick approach as dated), bad investments (e.g., horse breeding, real estate), and uneven follow-up LPs-Too Legit to Quit (Capitol #98151; 1991; #2) and The Funky Headhunter (Giant #24545; 1994)—caused his career to stall. In 1996, he had to declare bankruptcy with $13.7 million in debts. Since then, Hammer has attempted to resurrect his career, while dividing time raising funds for his ministry.
