MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known by his stage name M.C. Hammer, is an American hip hop recording artist, dancer, record producer, entrepreneur, spokesman and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. Remembered for his rapid rise to fame, Hammer is known for hit records, flashy dance movements, choreography and eponymous Hammer pants. Hammer's superstar-status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip hop icon. He has sold more...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth30 March 1962
CountryUnited States of America
If you watch the award shows, you'll see variations of the hammer pants. It's always cool to see that and then every now and then, you'll see an artist who's pushing the envelope and it may not be all the way there but you can see where it's coming from. I'm always appreciative of seeing my influence.
I like Beyoncé because of her tenacity and strength and for giving 1000 percent to her performances, which is a lost art these days. She's cut from the cloth of some of us that really like to perform are cut from. I'm a big Beyoncé fan.
The great thing is anytime you see an artist that has a piece of what I've already done, you can see it from afar. 'He's doing that lil' hammer right there' - whether it's the energy, the swag or the look - it's a blessing.
I actually went on lectures at Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and all the business schools eight years ago, explaining what the implications were and how the platforms could be powerful in creating the narrative of your brand and mobilizing your life so that you become humanized as well. I understood that and thought that was really empowering, not only to artists, but to brands as well and in general.
I started with the Oakland A's back in 1971 and there was press at every game and there were cameras on me when I was that young. So with 20 years being MC Hammer, I'm comfortable with cameras so when the camera goes on, I continue doing what I'm doing.
Psy is fantastic. He's shifted the planet. He's got the whole world dancing. And it's a rarity in this world. Only four people made that happen in history - James Brown, Michael Jackson, yours truly and Psy.
The approach that the music industry took to fight piracy was the wrong strategy.
Money has never been an issue with me. I will make and continue to make plenty of money.
I think it is a shock to people to find out that MC Hammer is a super geek.
Some people call God, some people call Allah; I want to see the fruit of the love, I want to see the love, the love to help the brothers who may not be as fortunate as us.
I plan on continuing to explore all the possibilities of technology, and then finally film and television and movies. Embrace it.
The CD is now the wax album and so it is a collector's item for people who collect music and love to look at the liner notes and feel paper. I don't know what would turn them on about having to go through that terrible exercise of trying to open the packaging - it's unbelievable when you're trying to open a CD, right? You need a box cutter .
If kids say I'm just a gospel rapper, I won't be able to get in their cars.
Hollywood is in the perception business where you create layers to create mystery. In Silicon Valley it's about taking away the layers to get to the substance.