MC Hammer
"Can't touch this"
MC Hammer is the stage name of Stanley Kirk Burrell, an American rapper and entertainer who dominated pop music around 1990 with hits like "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit." His flashy style—signature parachute pants, elaborate dance moves, and high-energy performances—made him briefly inescapable.
He became a cautionary tale of excess after squandering an estimated $30 million fortune, and his name now evokes both nostalgia for early hip-hop's mainstream breakthrough and the perils of overnight fame.
Hip-hop vocal artist
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- performerOne who entertains audiences
- emceeCeremony host
- producerOne who makes things
icon · celebrity · hitmaker · songwriter · showman · dancer · choreographer · superstar
Longing for the past
- throwbackReturn to ancestral type
- retroEvoking recent past
- MTVYouth-oriented video network
- VHSAnalog tape format
golden era · pop culture · childhood · memories · vintage · classic · old-school · era-defining
Designing performance movement sequences
- movesChanges in position
- shuffleRandomize by mixing
- footworkSkilled lower-limb movement
- slideSmooth continuous movement
spin · crew · backup dancers · energy · stage · performance · synchronized · athletic
Baggy synthetic tapered trousers
- baggyLoose and drooping
- gold chainsLinked yellow metal jewelry
- flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
- shinyReflecting light smoothly
sequins · jackets · sunglasses · bling · oversized · bold · extravagant · wardrobe
- sampleSubset for study
- beatsPulses or defeats
- hooksCurved catching devices
- anthemOfficial song of praise
chart-topper · Capitol Records · single · album · recording · platinum
rapper
Hip-hop vocal artist
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- performerOne who entertains audiences
- emceeCeremony host
producer · icon · celebrity · hitmaker · songwriter · showman · dancer · choreographer · superstar · pioneer
nostalgia
Longing for the past
VHS · golden era · pop culture · childhood · memories · vintage · classic · old-school · era-defining · zeitgeist
choreography
Designing performance movement sequences
slide · spin · crew · backup dancers · energy · stage · performance · synchronized · athletic · signature
parachute pants
Baggy synthetic tapered trousers
- baggyLoose and drooping
- gold chainsLinked yellow metal jewelry
- flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
shiny · sequins · jackets · sunglasses · bling · oversized · bold · extravagant · wardrobe · 90s fashion
Rick James
anthem · chart-topper · Capitol Records · single · album · recording · platinum
iconic
Widely recognized, enduring
- California MusicDr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, N.W.A., Ice Cube, Tupac
- 1990German reunification, Hubble telescope, East Germany, West Germany, Pretty Woman
- Christian ConvertsSaint Paul, Saint Augustine, Augustine, Constantine, Mary Magdalene
- One-Hit WondersVanilla Ice, Toni Basil, Chumbawamba, Gotye, EMF
- Rap PioneersDJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC
- Bay Area RapOakland, sideshows, Vallejo, ghost riding, turfing
MC HammerN.W.A
Influential gangsta rap collective
backpacker · Ice Cube · battle rapper · Ice-T · lyricist
MC HammerWu-Tang Clan
Martial-arts-themed rap collective