Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
Encyclopedia
Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em is the third and most popular album (and second major-label release) by MC Hammer
, released between January 1, 1990 - February 12, 1990 by Capitol Records
. There were different release dates for this album, some sources also claiming February 20, 1990.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002UVD The album was produced, recorded, and mixed
by Felton Pilate
and James Earley.
MC Hammer was good friends with Arsenio Hall
and was invited to first perform the song "U Can't Touch This
", prior to its release, on The Arsenio Hall Show
in late 1989. He also performed "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", a song that didn't make it on this album, but did appear in the same-titled movie.
The album ranked number one for 21 weeks on the Billboard 200
, due primarily to the success of the single
, "U Can't Touch This
". The song has been and continues to be used in many movies and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack
/compilation albums as well. Likewise, the album saw longevity on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart at number-one due to the fact it peaked there for 28 weeks. It was criticized for its sampling
of other artists' songs. The album sampled high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fanbase. "U Can't Touch This" sampled "Super Freak
" by Rick James
; "Dancin' Machine
" sampled the Jackson 5; "Have You Seen Her
" is a semi-cover of The Chi-Lites
song; "Help the Children" interpolates Marvin Gaye
's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
"; "Pray
" and "She's Soft and Wet" sample the Prince songs "When Doves Cry
" and "Soft and Wet
" respectively.
These album songs all proved to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This", "Pray", "Have You Seen Her", "Here Comes the Hammer" and "Yo!! Sweetness" (UK
only) all charting. The album raised rap music
to a new level of popularity. It was the first hip-hop album certified
diamond by the RIAA for sales of over ten million. It remains one of the genre's all-time best-selling albums. To date, the album has sold as many as 18 million units.
The album's liner notes contain a "Special dedication to the victims of the California Earthquake of 1989 and the victims of Hurricane Hugo
".
rappers in his previous recordings, Hammer appropriately titled his third album (and second major-label release) Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, which was released January 1, 1990. It included the successful single "U Can't Touch This
" (which sampled
Rick James
' 1981 "Super Freak
"). It was produced, recorded, and mixed
by Felton Pilate
and James Earley on a modified tour bus
(while on tour) in 1989. Despite heavy airplay and a #27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart because it was released only as a twelve-inch single. However, the album was a #1 success for 21 weeks, due primarily to this single, the first time ever for a rap recording on the pop charts
. The song has been and continues to be used in many movies and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack
/compilation albums as well.
Follow-up successes included "Have You Seen Her
" (a cover
of the Chi-Lites
) and "Pray
" (a beat sampled from Prince's
"When Doves Cry
" and Faith No More
's "We Care a Lot
"), which was his biggest hit in the US, peaking at #2. "Pray" was also a major UK success, peaking at #8. The album went on to become the first hip-hop album to earn diamond status
, selling more than 18 million units to date.[]http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/08-06-2001/0001548803http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101940328-164065,00.htmlhttp://www.newyorker.com/archive/1996/08/26/1996_08_26_062_TNY_CARDS_000376033 During 1990, Hammer toured extensively in Europe
which included a sold-out concert at the National Exhibition Centre
in Birmingham
. With the sponsorship of PepsiCo
, PepsiCo
International CEO Christopher A. Sinclair
went on tour with him during 1991.
The album was notable for sampling other high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fanbase. "Dancin' Machine" sampled The Jackson 5
, "Help the Children" (also the name of an outreach foundation Hammer started) interpolates Marvin Gaye
's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
", and "She's Soft and Wet" also sampled Prince's "Soft and Wet
". All of these songs proved to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This," "Pray" (most successful), "Have You Seen Her," "Here Comes the Hammer," and "Yo!! Sweetness" (UK
only) all charting. The album increased the popularity of hip-hop music. It remains the genre's all-time best-selling album.
A critical
backlash began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling
others' entire hooks
for the basis of his singles—criticism
s also directed to his contemporary, Vanilla Ice
. He was mocked in music video
s by 3rd Bass
, The D.O.C.
, DJ Debranz, and Ice Cube
. Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground
mocked him in the CD insert of its Sex Packets
album when placing his picture in with the other members and referring to him as an unknown derelict
. In fact, LL Cool J
mocked him in "To tha Break of Dawn," a track on his Mama Said Knock You Out album, calling Hammer an "amateur
, swinging a Hammer from a bodybag [his pants]," and saying, "My old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap." (LL Cool J would later compliment and commend Hammer's abilities/talents on VH-1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop, which aired in 2008). However, Ice-T
came to his defense on his 1991 album O.G. Original Gangster: "A special shout out to my man M.C. Hammer: a lot of people dis you, man, but they just jealous." Ice-T later explained that he had nothing against people who were pop-rap
from the start, as Hammer had been, but only against emcees
who switch from being hardcore
or dirty to being pop-rap so that they can sell more records.
Despite the criticisms, MC Hammer's career continued to be highly successful including tours in Asia
, Europe
, Australia
, and Russia
. Soon after, MC Hammer Mattel
dolls, lunchboxes, and other merchandise were marketed. He was also given his own Saturday morning cartoon
, called Hammerman
, which he hosted and voiced.
According to Guinness World Records
of hit singles, the album cost just $10,000 to produce.http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/arts_and_media/music_feats_and_facts/default.aspxhttp://www.bookmarket.com/selfpublish-h.htm The video for "Here Comes the Hammer" proved to be the most expensive video on this album, Hammer's second most expensive behind "Too Legit to Quit
".
This album was accompanied by a movie called "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie" (1990) which included some of Hammer's videos. The album title was often used as a chant by the crowd during live performances. ("Please, Hammer, don't hurt 'em..."!) Additionally, "Hammer Time" (from the track "U Can't Touch This") became a major pop culture phrase and used in many television shows and movies, eventually becoming Hammer's nickname
and eventually the title of his own reality show
called Hammertime
.
"U Can't Touch This" has been used in many shows and movies, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
(1990), Hot Shots!
(1990), The Super
(1991), Doogie Howser, M.D.
(1992), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
(1996), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
(2003), Into the Wild
(2007), Tropic Thunder
(2008), Dancing with the Stars
(2009), Glee
(2010) and many more. Additionally, during this time, "This Is What We Do" was a 1990 track released by Hammer (featuring B Angie B
) for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
film and soundtrack. Some other songs used from this album in shows and film were "Pray
" (License to Wed
) and "Let's Go Deeper" (Beverly Hills, 90210
), among others.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358479/
sued Hammer for infringement of copyright
on the song "U Can't Touch This
", but the suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as co-composer, effectively cutting James in on the millions of dollars the record was earning. Hammer was also sued by Felton Pilate
(who had worked with the successful vocal group Con Funk Shun
) and by several of his former backers, and faced charges that performance troupe members endured an abusive, militaristic atmosphere.http://www.answers.com/topic/mc-hammer-1
In 1992, Hammer also admitted in depositions
and court documents to getting the idea for the song "Here Comes The Hammer" from a Christian recording artist
in Dallas, Texas
named Kevin Christian. Christian had filed a 16 million dollar lawsuit
against Hammer for copyright infringement
for his song entitled "Oh-Oh, You Got The Shing". This fact compounded with witness testimony from both Hammer's and Christian's entourages and other evidence including photos brought about a settlement with Capitol Records
in 1994. The terms of the settlement remain sealed. Hammer settled with Christian the following year.
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
, released between January 1, 1990 - February 12, 1990 by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. There were different release dates for this album, some sources also claiming February 20, 1990.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002UVD The album was produced, recorded, and mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Felton Pilate
Felton Pilate
Felton C. Pilate II is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer known as a member of the 1970s and 1980s funk/R&B band Con Funk Shun, and as a collaborator with rapper MC Hammer...
and James Earley.
MC Hammer was good friends with Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
and was invited to first perform the song "U Can't Touch This
U Can't Touch This
"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
", prior to its release, on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
in late 1989. He also performed "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", a song that didn't make it on this album, but did appear in the same-titled movie.
The album ranked number one for 21 weeks on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, due primarily to the success of the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "U Can't Touch This
U Can't Touch This
"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
". The song has been and continues to be used in many movies and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
/compilation albums as well. Likewise, the album saw longevity on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart at number-one due to the fact it peaked there for 28 weeks. It was criticized for its sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
of other artists' songs. The album sampled high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fanbase. "U Can't Touch This" sampled "Super Freak
Super Freak
"Super Freak" is a 1981 hit single produced and performed by Rick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' album Street Songs and became one of James' signature songs. It features background vocals from Motown labelmates The Temptations, in which the bass...
" by Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
; "Dancin' Machine
Dancing Machine
"Dancing Machine" is a 1973 song recorded by The Jackson 5, released as a single in 1974. The group's first US Top Ten hit since 1971's "Sugar Daddy", "Dancing Machine" reached number two on the Billboard pop music charts in May 1974, and number one on the R&B charts...
" sampled the Jackson 5; "Have You Seen Her
Have You Seen Her
"Have You Seen Her" is a song recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites, and released on Brunswick Records in 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album Give More Power to the People.-Song:The Chi-Lites recorded "Have...
" is a semi-cover of The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...
song; "Help the Children" interpolates Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
"Mercy Mercy Me " was the second single from Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On. Following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by Gaye, became one of his most poignant anthems of sorrow regarding the environment...
"; "Pray
Pray (MC Hammer song)
"Pray" was the third single released from MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. Produced by MC Hammer himself, the song heavily sampled Prince's hit song, "When Doves Cry", the first and one of the few songs legally sanctioned by Prince to incorporate samples of one of his...
" and "She's Soft and Wet" sample the Prince songs "When Doves Cry
When Doves Cry
A hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:...
" and "Soft and Wet
Soft and Wet
"Soft and Wet" is a song written by Prince. It was his first single, released in 1978 from his debut album, For You. The track is in the funk-disco vein, comprising drums, bass guitar and synthesizers....
" respectively.
These album songs all proved to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This", "Pray", "Have You Seen Her", "Here Comes the Hammer" and "Yo!! Sweetness" (UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
only) all charting. The album raised rap music
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
to a new level of popularity. It was the first hip-hop album certified
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
diamond by the RIAA for sales of over ten million. It remains one of the genre's all-time best-selling albums. To date, the album has sold as many as 18 million units.
The album's liner notes contain a "Special dedication to the victims of the California Earthquake of 1989 and the victims of Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a classical, destructive and rare Cape Verde-type hurricane which struck the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, St. Croix, Puerto Rico and the USA mainland in South Carolina as a Category 4 hurricane during September of the 1989 Atlantic hurricane season...
".
Album details and pop culture fame
Notorious for dissingDiss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
rappers in his previous recordings, Hammer appropriately titled his third album (and second major-label release) Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, which was released January 1, 1990. It included the successful single "U Can't Touch This
U Can't Touch This
"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
" (which sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
' 1981 "Super Freak
Super Freak
"Super Freak" is a 1981 hit single produced and performed by Rick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' album Street Songs and became one of James' signature songs. It features background vocals from Motown labelmates The Temptations, in which the bass...
"). It was produced, recorded, and mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Felton Pilate
Felton Pilate
Felton C. Pilate II is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer known as a member of the 1970s and 1980s funk/R&B band Con Funk Shun, and as a collaborator with rapper MC Hammer...
and James Earley on a modified tour bus
Customised buses
Customised buses are buses that have been modified for decorative purposes. The customisation is unrelated to performing their job or work, usually as public transport buses...
(while on tour) in 1989. Despite heavy airplay and a #27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart because it was released only as a twelve-inch single. However, the album was a #1 success for 21 weeks, due primarily to this single, the first time ever for a rap recording on the pop charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. The song has been and continues to be used in many movies and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
/compilation albums as well.
Follow-up successes included "Have You Seen Her
Have You Seen Her
"Have You Seen Her" is a song recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites, and released on Brunswick Records in 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album Give More Power to the People.-Song:The Chi-Lites recorded "Have...
" (a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...
) and "Pray
Pray (MC Hammer song)
"Pray" was the third single released from MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. Produced by MC Hammer himself, the song heavily sampled Prince's hit song, "When Doves Cry", the first and one of the few songs legally sanctioned by Prince to incorporate samples of one of his...
" (a beat sampled from Prince's
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
"When Doves Cry
When Doves Cry
A hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:...
" and Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
's "We Care a Lot
We Care a Lot
We Care a Lot is the debut studio album by American rock band Faith No More, originally released in 1985 and distributed through San Francisco-based label Mordam Records. On the original vinyl release, the band is credited as "Faith...
"), which was his biggest hit in the US, peaking at #2. "Pray" was also a major UK success, peaking at #8. The album went on to become the first hip-hop album to earn diamond status
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, selling more than 18 million units to date.[]http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/08-06-2001/0001548803http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101940328-164065,00.htmlhttp://www.newyorker.com/archive/1996/08/26/1996_08_26_062_TNY_CARDS_000376033 During 1990, Hammer toured extensively in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
which included a sold-out concert at the National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. With the sponsorship of PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
, PepsiCo
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
International CEO Christopher A. Sinclair
Christopher A. Sinclair
Christopher A. Sinclair is an American businessman. He is the current Chairman of the Executive Committee of Mattel, Inc., the world's largest toy company. He is the former Chariman and CEO of Pepsi-Cola and the former executive chairman and CEO of Cambridge Solutions Ltd. the second largest...
went on tour with him during 1991.
The album was notable for sampling other high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fanbase. "Dancin' Machine" sampled The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, "Help the Children" (also the name of an outreach foundation Hammer started) interpolates Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
"Mercy Mercy Me " was the second single from Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On. Following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by Gaye, became one of his most poignant anthems of sorrow regarding the environment...
", and "She's Soft and Wet" also sampled Prince's "Soft and Wet
Soft and Wet
"Soft and Wet" is a song written by Prince. It was his first single, released in 1978 from his debut album, For You. The track is in the funk-disco vein, comprising drums, bass guitar and synthesizers....
". All of these songs proved to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This," "Pray" (most successful), "Have You Seen Her," "Here Comes the Hammer," and "Yo!! Sweetness" (UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
only) all charting. The album increased the popularity of hip-hop music. It remains the genre's all-time best-selling album.
A critical
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
backlash began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
others' entire hooks
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
for the basis of his singles—criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
s also directed to his contemporary, Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
. He was mocked in music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s by 3rd Bass
3rd Bass
3rd Bass was an American hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip-hop groups.-Career:...
, The D.O.C.
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry , primarily known by his stage name The D.O.C., is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and a creative force behind the gangsta rap group N.W.A, where he co-wrote many of their releases. He has...
, DJ Debranz, and Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
. Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground
Digital Underground
Digital Underground was an alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. It could have been considered a music "family" rather than a group, as its personnel changed and rotated with each album and tour....
mocked him in the CD insert of its Sex Packets
Sex Packets
- LP :-Cassette:The cassette version of the album has 3 extra tracks, plus an extended version of "Gutfest '89"...
album when placing his picture in with the other members and referring to him as an unknown derelict
Derelict
Derelict or dereliction commonly refers to:* Abandonment of property, then referred to as a 'derelict'* Derelict , property which has been abandoned and deserted at sea by those who were in charge without any hope of recovering it...
. In fact, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
mocked him in "To tha Break of Dawn," a track on his Mama Said Knock You Out album, calling Hammer an "amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, swinging a Hammer from a bodybag [his pants]," and saying, "My old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap." (LL Cool J would later compliment and commend Hammer's abilities/talents on VH-1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop, which aired in 2008). However, Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
came to his defense on his 1991 album O.G. Original Gangster: "A special shout out to my man M.C. Hammer: a lot of people dis you, man, but they just jealous." Ice-T later explained that he had nothing against people who were pop-rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
from the start, as Hammer had been, but only against emcees
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
who switch from being hardcore
Hardcore hip hop
Hardcore hip hop, also referred to as hardcore rap, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by anger, aggression and...
or dirty to being pop-rap so that they can sell more records.
Despite the criticisms, MC Hammer's career continued to be highly successful including tours in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Soon after, MC Hammer Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
dolls, lunchboxes, and other merchandise were marketed. He was also given his own Saturday morning cartoon
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
, called Hammerman
Hammerman
Hammerman is a Saturday morning cartoon, produced by DIC Entertainment and starring pop rapper MC Hammer, which aired for thirteen episodes on ABC.-Synopsis:...
, which he hosted and voiced.
According to Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
of hit singles, the album cost just $10,000 to produce.http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/arts_and_media/music_feats_and_facts/default.aspxhttp://www.bookmarket.com/selfpublish-h.htm The video for "Here Comes the Hammer" proved to be the most expensive video on this album, Hammer's second most expensive behind "Too Legit to Quit
Too Legit to Quit (song)
"Too Legit to Quit" is a song by rap artist MC Hammer released in 1991 as the title track and first single of his third album of the same name. It proved to be successful in the U.S., peaking at the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, at #5. The single also peaked at #60 on the UK Singles Chart...
".
This album was accompanied by a movie called "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie" (1990) which included some of Hammer's videos. The album title was often used as a chant by the crowd during live performances. ("Please, Hammer, don't hurt 'em..."!) Additionally, "Hammer Time" (from the track "U Can't Touch This") became a major pop culture phrase and used in many television shows and movies, eventually becoming Hammer's nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
and eventually the title of his own reality show
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
called Hammertime
Hammertime
Hammertime is a reality TV show on the A&E Network about M.C. Hammer and his family, produced by 3Ball Productions Inc. The title comes from the lyrics of Hammer's song "U Can't Touch This" , as well as his nickname...
.
"U Can't Touch This" has been used in many shows and movies, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
(1990), Hot Shots!
Hot Shots!
Hot Shots! is a 1991 comedy spoof film starring Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Kevin Dunn, Jon Cryer and Ryan Stiles . It was directed by Jim Abrahams, co-director of Airplane! , and was written by Abrahams and Pat Proft...
(1990), The Super
The Super
The Super is a 1991 American comedy film starring Joe Pesci as a New York slum landlord sentenced to live in one of his own buildings until it is brought up to code...
(1991), Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedy-drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor who also faces the problems of being a normal teenager. Created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley, ABC aired the show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totaling 97 episodes.-Plot:Dr....
(1992), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood is a 1996 parody film by Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Similarly to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, the film spoofs a number of black, coming-of-age, 'hood films' such as Juice, Jungle Fever, South Central, Higher Learning, Do the Right...
(1996), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
(2003), Into the Wild
Into the Wild (film)
Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical drama film directed by Sean Penn. It is an adaptation of 1996 non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer based on the travels of Christopher McCandless across North America in the early 1990s. The film stars Emile Hirsch as McCandless with...
(2007), Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder is a 2008 American action satire comedy film written, produced, and directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black. The main plot revolves around a group of prima donna actors who are making a Vietnam War film...
(2008), Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
(2009), Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
(2010) and many more. Additionally, during this time, "This Is What We Do" was a 1990 track released by Hammer (featuring B Angie B
B Angie B
B Angie B is an African American female R&B vocalist and dancer who came onto the music scene in the early 1990s.-Career and personal life:B Angie B known by many as The Queen Of Dance, was born Angela R. Boyd in 1968 in the small rural town of Morton, Mississippi. She grew up singing and honing...
) for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and...
film and soundtrack. Some other songs used from this album in shows and film were "Pray
Pray (MC Hammer song)
"Pray" was the third single released from MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. Produced by MC Hammer himself, the song heavily sampled Prince's hit song, "When Doves Cry", the first and one of the few songs legally sanctioned by Prince to incorporate samples of one of his...
" (License to Wed
License to Wed
License to Wed is a 2007 romantic comedy film starring Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski and directed by Ken Kwapis. The film was released in theaters on July 3, 2007.-Plot:...
) and "Let's Go Deeper" (Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
), among others.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358479/
Legal issues
Rick JamesRick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
sued Hammer for infringement of copyright
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
on the song "U Can't Touch This
U Can't Touch This
"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer...
", but the suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as co-composer, effectively cutting James in on the millions of dollars the record was earning. Hammer was also sued by Felton Pilate
Felton Pilate
Felton C. Pilate II is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer known as a member of the 1970s and 1980s funk/R&B band Con Funk Shun, and as a collaborator with rapper MC Hammer...
(who had worked with the successful vocal group Con Funk Shun
Con Funk Shun
Con Funk Shun is an American R&B and funk band popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Influences include James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone.-History:...
) and by several of his former backers, and faced charges that performance troupe members endured an abusive, militaristic atmosphere.http://www.answers.com/topic/mc-hammer-1
In 1992, Hammer also admitted in depositions
Deposition (law)
In the law of the United States, a deposition is the out-of-court oral testimony of a witness that is reduced to writing for later use in court or for discovery purposes. It is commonly used in litigation in the United States and Canada and is almost always conducted outside of court by the...
and court documents to getting the idea for the song "Here Comes The Hammer" from a Christian recording artist
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
named Kevin Christian. Christian had filed a 16 million dollar lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Hammer for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
for his song entitled "Oh-Oh, You Got The Shing". This fact compounded with witness testimony from both Hammer's and Christian's entourages and other evidence including photos brought about a settlement with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in 1994. The terms of the settlement remain sealed. Hammer settled with Christian the following year.
Track listing
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart | 8 | |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 9 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Billboard Chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | R&B/Hip-Hop | Rap | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1990 1990 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze... |
"U Can't Touch This U Can't Touch This "U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 super hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies, due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries.Rick James sued Hammer... " |
8 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| "Have You Seen Her Have You Seen Her "Have You Seen Her" is a song recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites, and released on Brunswick Records in 1971. Composed by the lead singer Eugene Record and Barbara Acklin, the song was included on the group's 1971 album Give More Power to the People.-Song:The Chi-Lites recorded "Have... " |
4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | |
| "Pray Pray (MC Hammer song) "Pray" was the third single released from MC Hammer's third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. Produced by MC Hammer himself, the song heavily sampled Prince's hit song, "When Doves Cry", the first and one of the few songs legally sanctioned by Prince to incorporate samples of one of his... " |
2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1991 1991 in music See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year... |
"Here Comes The Hammer" | 54 | 15 | 17 | 15 |
| "Yo!! Sweetness" | - | - | - | 16 | |
See also
- List of best-selling albums in the United States
- List of number-one albums of 1990 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1990 (U.S.)