MC Hammer discography
The discography of American rapper MC Hammer includes the hit records "U Can't Touch This", "Pray" and "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hammer is known for his flashy dance movements, choreography and Hammer pants. His superstar-status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip hop icon. Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, breaking down numerous doors for rap music and demonstrating that hip-hop had the potential for blockbuster success. A multi-award winner, M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather/pioneer" and innovator of pop rap, and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album.
Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business and created independent record labels such as Bust It Records, Oaktown Records, [|Full Blast Digital Music Group and World Hit Records]. He has introduced, signed and produced new talent including: Oaktown's 3.5.7, Common Unity, DRS, the vocal quintet Special Generation, Analise, James Greer, One Cause One Effect, DASIT , Teabag, Dom Kimberley, Geeman, Pleasure Ellis, B Angie B, The Stooge Playaz, Ho Frat Hoo! and Wee Wee, among others. A part of additional record labels, he has associated/collaborated/recorded with: VMF, Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, Whole 9, Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Jon Gibson, among others.
Before Hammer's [|successful career], Burrell formed a Christian rap group known as the Holy Ghost Boy(s) with Gibson, [|producing songs] such as "Word", "B-Boy Chill" and "Stupid Def Yal". Additionally, "The Wall" featured Hammer, which was later released on Gibson's album Change of Heart. This was CCM's first rap hit by a blue-eyed soul singer and/or duo. "Son of the King" showed up on Hammer's debut album Feel My Power, as well as the re-released version Let's Get It Started. Burrell and Tramaine Hawkins previously performed with Gibson's band in several concerts at various venues, such as the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills.
At about the age of 12, Oakland native Keyshia Cole recorded with Hammer and sought career advice from him. In 1992, Doug E. Fresh was signed to Hammer's Bust It Records label. Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records in 1995.
In late 2012, Hammer appeared with Psy at the 40th American Music Awards and during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' performing a mashup of "Gangnam Style" and "2 Legit 2 Quit" together, which was released on iTunes. Hammer released "Raider Nation " along with a video in late 2013 and "All in My Mind" in early 2014, with his newly formed group Oakland Fight Club.
Albums
Studio albums
Note: While with Death Row Records, an unreleased album called Too Tight was produced in 1996. A digital release was produced between 2008 and 2009 called DanceJamtheMusic.Compilation albums
Note: Back 2 Back Hits was originally released in 1998 for CEMA and was re-released in 2006 for Capitol Records.Singles
Note: Music videos were produced for "Let's Get It Started", "Pump It Up ", "Turn This Mutha Out", " They Put Me in the Mix", "You've Got Me Dancing", "U Can't Touch This", "Have You Seen Her", "Pray", "Help the Children", "Too Legit to Quit", "Addams Groove", "Do Not Pass Me By", "This Is the Way We Roll", "Pumps and a Bump", "It's All Good", "Too Late Playa", "Sultry Funk", "Keep On", "Going Up Yonder", "No Stoppin' Us ", "Pop Yo Collar" and "Full Blast", among others.Additional releases and credits
Songs with or without music videos released were:- "Word", "B-Boy Chill", "Son of the King", "Stupid Def Yal" and CCM's hit song "The Wall" with Jon Gibson as the Holy Ghost Boy(s).
- Hammer was featured on "Wanna Be the Man" and "For the Love of You" from Earth, Wind & Fire's 1990 Heritage album.
- Hammer released the tracks "This is What We Do" on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie soundtrack, and "That's What I Said" on the Rocky V soundtrack.
- After Hammer signed One Cause One Effect, "Up with Hope, Down with Dope" reached No. 77 on the Hot R&B Singles chart and "Midnite Lover" peaked at No. 58 on the Hot R&B Singles chart from their album Drop the Axxe, which peaked at No. 51 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
- "We're All in the Same Gang" by West Coast Rap All-Stars featuring Hammer charted and was nominated at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1991.
- "The Blood" from the BeBe & CeCe Winans album Different Lifestyles featuring Hammer peaked at No. 8 on the Christian charts in 1992, without music video.
- "This Is the Way We Roll " and "Rollin' on Oaktown Style" were B-side tracks in 1992, with music video.
- "Unconditional Love" from Family Affair without music video.
- "I Got It from the Town" with music video, and "What Happened to Our Hood?" without music video.
- "Hyphy, Dumb, Buck, Krump" and "YAY" from Look Look Look, with music videos originally via Myspace.
- "Bring Our Brothers Home" with music video.
- "I Got Gigs", "I Go", "Keep It in Vegas", "Lookin' Out the Window", "Dem Jeans", "Stooge Karma Sutra" and "Tried to Luv U" from DanceJamtheMusic, with some music videos.
- "Better Run Run" with music video.
- "See Her Face" without music video.
- In late 2012, Hammer appeared with PSY at the 40th American Music Awards and during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve performing a mashup of "Gangnam Style" and "2 Legit 2 Quit" together, which was released on iTunes.
- Among other songs, Hammer released "Raider Nation " along with a music video in late 2013 and "All in My Mind" in early 2014, with his newly formed group Oakland Fight Club.
- Hammer released a visualizer music video for his song "We Gotta Do Better" featuring Gentry Kozia on April 22, 2015. It was posted on his personal blogspot via Vimeo.
- Hammer released additional hip-hop, R&B and soul tracks via his Full Blast Music label including: "Better Man" by Gentry Kozia of the Oakland Fight Club, "Say It Isn't So" featuring Gentry Kozia, "Perfect Night" featuring Gentry Kozia, "Don't Stop" featuring Pleasure Ellis, "Here We Go Again" featuring Gentry Kozia, "22 Pills" credited as BIG HAMM featuring Gentry Kozia, "Kalifornia Git Down" from the mixtape The Chronicles of Big Hamm, "Best Life" featuring Gentry Kozia, and "Lit Up" featuring Booby Hammer and Ace Kayo.
- Hammer released an updated version of his 1990 charting song "Help the Children" with a short film video in late 2017.
- Hammer released "U R Everything" with a music video in December 2024. The song samples "You Are Everything by The Stylistics.
Roll Wit It Entertainment
A sports fan, Hammer launched a new enterprise called Roll Wit It Entertainment & Sports Management, between albums Too Legit to Quit and The Funky Headhunter. Clients included Evander Holyfield, Deion Sanders and Reggie Brooks.In 1993, Hammer's production company released Gangsta Lean by DRS. The hit single from this album, "Gangsta Lean", spent six weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The single sold over 2.5 million copies.
Accolades
M.C. Hammer's chronological summary of accolades/awards and recognitions/nominations are as follows:- September 1989: The video for "Turn This Mutha Out" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video.
- January 1990: Won two American Music Awards for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album and was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.
- April 1990: Hit the Top 40 with "U Can't Touch This" from the LP Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.
- May 1990: Hit the Top 10 with "U Can't Touch This".
- July 1990: Hit the Top 40 with "Have You Seen Her".
- August 1990: Hit the Top 10 with "Have You Seen Her".
- September 1990: The video for "U Can't Touch This" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video and Best Dance Video and was nominated for Best Male Video, Best Editing, and Best Choreography.
- October 1990: Hit the Top 40 and Top 10 with "Pray".
- November 1990: Hit No. 1 for a week with "Pray".
- Hammer was a 1990 Top Singles Artist of the Year, a 1990 Billboard Hot Single Artist of the Year and was the 1990 Billboard Music Award Artist of the Decade. Another milestone was accomplished for Hammer when his album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em spent 21 weeks at No. 1, according to Billboard 200, eventually resulting in diamond certification.
- January 1991: Hit the Top 40 with "Here Comes The Hammer". Won five American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Single, Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album, and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album.
- February 1991: Won three Grammy Awards including Best Rap Solo Performance and Best R&B Song and Best Music Video: Long Form, and was nominated for Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
- September 1991: The video for "Pray" was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography and "Here Comes The Hammer" was nominated for Best Special Effects.
- November 1991: Hit the Top 40 with "2 Legit 2 Quit".
- December 1991: Hit the Top 10 with "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hit the Top 40 with "Addams Groove".
- According to ARC Weekly, Hammer ranked the No. 43 Singles Artist of 1991. He also received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song in 1991.
- January 1992: Won an American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist. Hit the Top 10 with "Addams Groove."
- February 1992: Nominated for another Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
- September 1992: Nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards including Best Video from a Film and Best Choreography.
- Hammer was a 1992 Billboard Hot Single Artist of the Year, and ranked the No. 34 Singles Artist of 1992 according to ARC Weekly.
- January 1993: Nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Music Video: Long Form.
- In 1994, Hammer ranked the No. 84 Singles Artist of the Year according to ARC Weekly.
- March 1994: Hit the Top 40 with "It's All Good".
- April 1994: Hit the Top 40 with "Pumps and a Bump".
- September 1994: Nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography.
- In 1999, MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at No. 71.
- In October 2000, VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at No. 88.
- In May 2001, VH1's 100 Greatest Videos included Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" at No. 59.
- In April 2003, VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists included MC Hammer at No. 44.
- In 2004, Hammer was ranked No. 167 on the Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years chart.
- In August 2005, the single "U Can't Touch This" was certified gold.
- In April 2007, BET ranked Hammer as the No. 7 "Best Dancer Of All Time".
- In December 2007, VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s included "U Can't Touch This" at No. 16.
- In August 2008, at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship, Hammer won a Living Legends of Hip Hop Award from Hip Hop International in Las Vegas.
- In October 2008, Vibes The Best Rapper Ever Tournament declared Hammer the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round.
- During 2008, "U Can't Touch This" ranked as No. 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
- In September 2009, Hammer made the "accomplishment appearance" in Zombie Apocalypse for the downloadable Smash TV/''Left 4 Dead hybrid for the Xbox 360.
- With over 2.6 million Twitter followers in 2010, his contribution to social media and as a co-founder of his own Internet businesses, Hammer was announced as the recipient of the first Gravity Summit Social Media Marketer of the Year Award. The award was presented to him at the 3rd Annual Gravity Summit on February 22, 2011, at the UCLA Covel Commons.
- In December 2011, MuchMoreMusic's Top 100 Big Tunes of the 90s'' included "U Can't Touch This" at No. 83.
- Hammer received the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, presented during the UCLA Spring Sing in Pauley Pavilion on May 17, 2013.