# MC Hammer
**MC Hammer** (born Stanley Kirk Burrell, 1962, in [Oakland, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-california)) is an American rapper, dancer, record producer, and entrepreneur who became the first rapper to cross over to pop superstardom on the strength of his 1990 album *Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em*.[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91065682.html) • [2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) The Library of Congress authority record, AllMusic, the [Official Charts Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/official-charts-company), and the Recording Academy all give his birth date as 1962; the [Routledge](https://www.edgepedia.org/routledge) entry and the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia cited in the Library of Congress record give 1963.[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91065682.html) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/) • [2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Stanley Kirk Burrell, 1962, Oakland, California (Routledge gives 1963)[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91065682.html) • [2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) |
| Signature album | *Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em* (1990): 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, more than 10 million copies sold per the RIAA[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) |
| Biggest single | "U Can't Touch This," No. 8 on the Hot 100, built on Rick James' "Super Freak (Part 1)"; won the first Best Rap Solo Performance Grammy and Best R&B Song[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) • [5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) |
| Career sales | More than 50 million records worldwide; 12 studio albums[6](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/meet-real-mc-hammer-musician-businessman-friend-tupac/story?id=39261604) |
| Bankruptcy | Filed in 1996 with $13.7 million in debts[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) |
| Later work | Preacher and host of TBN's *Hammer & Friends*; gospel direction with the Holy Ghost Boys; album *Active Duty* (2001) on his own WorldHit label[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) |
## Early life and Oakland roots
Burrell grew up in Oakland's subsidized housing district.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) From 1973 to 1980 he was a bat boy for the [Oakland Athletics](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-athletics), hired by team owner Charles O. Finley as a clubhouse assistant; his resemblance to [Hank Aaron](https://www.edgepedia.org/hank-aaron), "Hammerin' Hank," earned him the nickname Hammer that became his stage name.[7](https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3944923/rapper-mc-hammer-was-also-a-sailor/) • [5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) He later tried out for the [San Francisco Giants](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-giants) without making the final cut, and after failing to catch on with a professional baseball organization he enlisted in the Navy for three years.[7](https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3944923/rapper-mc-hammer-was-also-a-sailor/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) He served in Patrol Squadron 47 at Naval Air Station Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, and deployed to Okinawa, Japan.[7](https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3944923/rapper-mc-hammer-was-also-a-sailor/)
## Career beginnings
With financial help from several Athletics players, Burrell founded his own label and recorded *Feel My Power* in 1987, produced by Felton Pilate, formerly of Con Funk Shun.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) The name of that label differs between reference works: AllMusic calls it Bustin' Records, while Britannica calls it Bust It Records; the discrepancy is unresolved.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) • [8](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Hammer/341200) The album impressed a [Capitol Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/capitol-records) executive, and his Capitol debut *Let's Get It Started* became the most commercially successful rap record up to that time.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) • [8](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Hammer/341200)
## Mainstream breakthrough (1989–1991)
*Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em*, released in 1990 on Capitol, spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and, according to the RIAA, has sold more than 10 million copies, but it is not the best-selling rap album in the United States, a record held by Eminem's *The Eminem Show*; AllMusic adds that it was the number one album of the year.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) • [12](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/709257-biggest-selling-rap-album-usa)
**"U Can't Touch This."** The single was built on a sample of [Rick James](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-james)' 1981 hit "Super Freak (Part 1)"; the Routledge entry describes the sample as unauthorized.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a smash at both radio and MTV.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) AllMusic notes it was available only as a 12-inch single, which cut its sales and likely kept it from becoming the first rap single to top the pop chart.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) At the 1990 [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) the song won the first award ever given in the newly established Best Rap Solo Performance category and also took Best Rhythm & Blues Song, giving co-writer Rick James the only Grammy win of his career.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) The follow-up singles also charted high: "Have You Seen Her" reached No. 4 and "Pray" No. 2 on the pop chart; AllMusic notes "Pray" set a record by repeating its title over 100 times.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) The long-form video *Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - The Movie* won the Grammy for Best Music Video, Long Form at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards.[9](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mc-hammer/11759/)
## Peak fame and branding
At his peak Hammer's image extended well beyond music. He landed endorsement deals with Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pepsi, a line of dolls, and a Saturday morning cartoon, *Hammerman*; his namesake baggy "Hammer pants" became a signature of the era.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) • [10](http://mchammer.com/) For the 1991 follow-up *Too Legit to Quit* he dropped the "MC" from his name and used more live instrumentation; the album sold over three million copies, but its lavish tour was too expensive and was canceled partway through.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia, cited in the Library of Congress record, notes he performed as "M.C. Hammer" until 1991, worked simply as Hammer, and resumed the "M.C." in 1995.[1](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91065682.html)
## Financial decline and bankruptcy
The commercial slide came quickly. *The Funky Headhunter* (1994) went gold; *Inside Out* (1995) flopped and Hammer was let out of his contract; and *Family Affair* on his own Oaktown Records label had only 1,000 copies pressed and was never distributed nationally.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) In 1996 he declared bankruptcy with $13.7 million in debts; AllMusic attributes the collapse to a taste for luxury outrunning dwindling income, and his mansion was sold at a fraction of its cost.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) The Routledge entry also points to the rise of gangsta rap and bad investments, including horse breeding and real estate, as contributors to his career stalling.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93)
## Later career and ventures
After the bankruptcy filing, Hammer turned to the church and became a preacher, starring in the ministry television program *Hammer & Friends* on the [Trinity Broadcasting Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/trinity-broadcasting-network).[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) He started a Christian rap group called the Holy Ghost Boys, creating [Contemporary Christian music](https://www.edgepedia.org/contemporary-christian-music)'s first rap hit, and became a minister in the late 1990s.[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/) His patriotic-themed album *Active Duty* was released in late 2001 through his own WorldHit label.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) Alongside music, ABC News reports, he has built parallel careers in tech and business.[6](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/meet-real-mc-hammer-musician-businessman-friend-tupac/story?id=39261604)
## By the numbers
The consolidated record: 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for *Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em*; more than 10 million copies of that album sold per the RIAA; Hot 100 peaks of No. 8 ("U Can't Touch This"), No. 4 ("Have You Seen Her"), and No. 2 ("Pray"); two Grammy wins in 1990 plus the long-form video Grammy in 1991; $13.7 million in bankruptcy debts in 1996; and more than 50 million records sold worldwide across 12 studio albums.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/) • [2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) • [9](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mc-hammer/11759/) • [6](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/meet-real-mc-hammer-musician-businessman-friend-tupac/story?id=39261604) Two figures carry caveats. A claim that he was the first hip-hop artist to achieve diamond album status comes from a local Oakland arts project, though the RIAA's own more-than-10-million figure matches the diamond threshold.[11](https://artsinoakland.org/uncategorized/stanley-kirk-burrell-m-c-hammer/) • [5](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/) His chart peaks (No. 8, No. 4, No. 2) indicate no Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93)
## Legacy and influence
The Routledge encyclopedia describes Hammer as the first rapper to cross over to pop superstardom.[2](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93) His official site calls him a pioneering innovator of pop rap incorporating elements of freestyle music.[10](http://mchammer.com/) AllMusic credits him with truly bringing rap to a mass pop audience while recording the other side of the ledger: a critical backlash against his frequent borrowing, which some called theft, of classic hooks, and purist complaints about his often simplistic, repetitive lyrics.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460) Taken together, these accounts frame him as a commercial pioneer, even as artistic critics within hip-hop disputed the means.
## References
1. [Hammer, M. C., 1962- — LC Linked Data Service, Library of Congress](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n91065682.html)
2. [M.C. Hammer (30 Mar 1963–), Routledge encyclopedia chapter](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203484272-505/hammer-30-mar-1963%E2%80%93)
3. [MC Hammer — Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mc-hammer-mn0000181460)
4. [MC Hammer songs and albums — Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26261/mc-hammer/)
5. [It's Hammer Time — Grammy.com](https://www.grammy.com/news/its-hammer-time/)
6. [Meet the Real MC Hammer — ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Entertainment/meet-real-mc-hammer-musician-businessman-friend-tupac/story?id=39261604)
7. [Rapper MC Hammer Was Also a Sailor — U.S. Department of Defense](https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3944923/rapper-mc-hammer-was-also-a-sailor/)
8. [Hammer — Britannica Kids (Students)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Hammer/341200)
9. [M.C. Hammer Grammy Awards and Nominations — Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/mc-hammer/11759/)
10. [MC Hammer — official site](http://mchammer.com/)
11. [Stanley Kirk Burrell (MC Hammer) — The Oakland Artists Project](https://artsinoakland.org/uncategorized/stanley-kirk-burrell-m-c-hammer/)
12. [Biggest-selling rap album (USA)](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/709257-biggest-selling-rap-album-usa)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › West Coast rap (Bay Area and Los Angeles) › Bay Area and Northern California rappers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license