MC Hammer
First hip-hop artist to achieve diamond status.
Philip Nelson from San Antonio, TX, USA · via Wikipedia: MC Hammer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), known professionally as MC Hammer or simply Hammer, was an American rapper, dancer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s with a string of hit songs, flashy dance moves, and his signature Hammer pants, becoming one of the most prominent media celebrities of the early 1990s. He is considered a pioneering innovator of pop rap and a forefather of the genre.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1962-03-30
- Birth Name
- Stanley Kirk Burrell
- Birth Place
- Oakland, California, U.S.
- Alias
- Hammerman / Hammer
- Genre
- Hip-hop / pop rap
- Occupation
- Rapper / songwriter / record producer / dancer / entrepreneur
- Years Active
- 1985–present
- Label
- Capitol / EMI / Death Row / Giant / Reprise / World Hit / Full Blast / Warner Bros.
- Spouse
- Stephanie Burrell · December 21, 1985
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Born and raised in Oakland, California, Burrell served three years in the United States Navy before independently releasing his debut album Feel My Power in 1986. After signing with Capitol Records, his second album Let's Get It Started (1988) became his first multi-platinum hit. He achieved diamond status with Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (1990), becoming the first hip-hop artist to do so. His popularity waned by the mid-1990s due to commercial overexposure, leading to a highly publicized bankruptcy beginning in 1996. He has since released seven more albums and multiple songs after 2010.
As a child, Burrell worked for the Oakland Athletics as a clubhouse assistant and bat boy, earning the nickname 'Hammer' from Reggie Jackson due to his resemblance to Hank Aaron. He later formed a Christian rap group with Jon Gibson and managed his own recording business as a record label CEO, creating and producing acts including Oaktown's 3.5.7 and Ho Frat Hoo!. He also starred in the Saturday-morning cartoon Hammerman (1991) and became an ordained preacher in the late 1990s.
Reader's Guide
MC Hammer's significance lies in his role as a pioneering innovator of pop rap, blending hip-hop with freestyle music and achieving unprecedented commercial success. He was the first hip-hop artist to earn diamond certification, a milestone that helped bring rap music into the mainstream. His flashy dance moves, elaborate choreography, and distinctive Hammer pants made him a cultural icon of the early 1990s. However, his rapid rise was followed by a sharp decline due to changing musical tastes and commercial overexposure, culminating in bankruptcy. Despite this, Hammer continued to release music, perform, and engage in ministry and community activities. His legacy includes influencing later pop-rap artists and being recognized by BET as the No. 7 'Best Dancer of All Time' and by Vibe as the 17th favorite rapper in a tournament. He also ventured into television, including a reality show and a Christian ministry program.
Did You Know?
- MC Hammer served three years in the United States Navy as a petty officer third class aviation storekeeper.
- He was nicknamed 'Hammer' by Reggie Jackson because he looked like Hank Aaron.
- Hammer became the first hip-hop artist to achieve diamond status with his 1990 album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.
- He starred in a Saturday-morning cartoon titled Hammerman in 1991.
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