MC Hammer

MC Hammer (later Hammer), real name Stanley Kirk Burrell, (born March 30, 1962) was a mainstream American rapper during the 1980s and early 1990s, known for his baggy pants and catchy hooks on songs like "U Can't Touch This".

MC Hammer's legacy

After his rapid fall from fame and subsequent bankruptcy, MC Hammer spent most of the latter half of the 1990s as a punchline in the music business. In 2002, Nelly, in his breakthrough hit "Country Grammar", announced his intention to "blow 30 mill like I'm Hammer". Hammer is often used as an icon for the concept of "one-hit wonder" or "15 minutes of fame,".

Related Topics:
1990s - Punchline - 2002 - Nelly - 15 minutes of fame

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Hammer's sampling of large portions of well-known pop oldies (as opposed to short James Brown or George Clinton funk riffs) has shown increasing popularity among mainstream rappers (particularly P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records).

Related Topics:
Pop - James Brown - George Clinton - Funk - P. Diddy - Bad Boy Records

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Hammer's image as a clean living "nice guy" became increasingly rare in mainstream rap music with the rise of gangsta rap, but has occasionally resurfaced in the likes of Will Smith and Skee Lo.

Related Topics:
Gangsta rap - Will Smith - Skee Lo

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