MC Hammer

Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit" and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, extravagant choreography and his eponymous Hammer pants. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame, Hammer has also been an entrepreneur and celebrity spokesperson.

A multi-award winner, Hammer is considered a "forefather" and pioneering innovator of pop rap (incorporating elements of freestyle music), and was the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status with his album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em. After being labeled a sellout, and with the changing landscape of hip hop music, Hammer attempted to appeal to the rise of gangsta rap. However, due to overexposure and critical backlash, his popularity waned by the mid-1990s (which led to a highly publicized bankruptcy beginning in 1996).

Along with a Mattel doll and other merchandise, Hammer starred in a Saturday-morning cartoon called Hammerman in 1991. He became an ordained preacher during the late 1990s and hosted MC Hammer and Friends, a Christian ministry program on TBN. Hammer was also a dance judge on Dance Fever in 2003, was the co-creator of the dance website DanceJam.com, and was executive producer of his own reality show titled Hammertime (which aired on the A&E Network during the summer of 2009).

Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business as a record label CEO. As a result, Hammer has created and produced his own acts/music including Ho Frat Hoo!, Oaktown's 3.5.7, Special Generation, Analise, DRS, B Angie B, Gentry Kozia and Oakland Fight Club. A part of additional record labels, he has associated, collaborated and recorded with Psy, VMF, Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, The Whole 9, The Hines Brother, Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Jon Gibson. Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records in 1995.

BET ranked Hammer as the No. 7 "Best Dancer of All Time". Vibe's "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared him the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round. He continues to perform concerts at music venues and appears in television advertisements, along with participating in social media and ministry/outreach functions. Hammer is also active in community and sports activities, being interviewed locally and nationally.