Born on March 30: MC Hammer, the forerunner of melodic Pop-Rap

MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, was born in 1962 in Oakland, California.

His father was a professional poker player and his mother, with whom he and his eight siblings grew up, was a secretary. He grew up in a small apartment in East, in an underprivileged environment.

Far from suspecting that it was in music he would build his career, the young Stanley was interested in becoming a professional baseball player. However, despite numerous attempts, he failed to prove himself with the San Francisco Giants.

After having to abandon his dream, Stanley formed the Christian hip-hop group, Holy Ghost, and it was a huge success. Not wanting to stop there, he then wished to embark on a solo career. He quickly gained international recognition and eventually sold 50 million albums. He was also the first rapper to be certified diamond status. He even signed with Death Row Records at the time when hip-hop royalty, 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg, were also signed there.

In 1990, he released an international hit, 'U Can’t Touch This'. The track officially propelled MC Hammer into the spotlight and is a sample of “Super Freak” by Rick James. His iconic style and dance moves left a lasting mark on the pop scene, notably thanks to his ultra-wide trousers known as 'Hammer Pants'.

MC Hammer isn't unanimously appreciated in the hip-hop world. Rappers such as Ice Cube and Eminem don't necessarily embrace the persona, deemed 'too commercial'. Conversely, 2pac always supported him, considering his success as the fruit of his labour and saw him as a 'very intelligent businessman'.

Despite the controversy and his financial downfall in 1996, MC Hammer remains a very influential artist for his generation, who inspired big names such as Will Smith and Flo Rida. He was among those who paved the way for hip-hop artists into the mainstream. Today, he has turned to tech and business, notably in Silicon Valley, while maintaining a constant presence on social media and making appearances in commercials.

(MH with Larisa Lungu - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: MC Hammer on stage at the Ahoy in Rotterdam (Netherlands) on April 5, 1991