MC Hammer (later Hammer), real name
Stanley Kirk Burrell, was an mainstream American rapper during the 1980s and early 1990s, known for his "Hammer pants" and catchy hooks on songs like "U Can't Touch This".
His debut album was Feel My Power (1987), The album sold over 60,000 copies, which led to several offers from major labels. Burrell initially refused to sign a contract from Capitol Records, but he eventually did after a substantial signing bonus was added to his contract. His debut album was then re-released as Let's Get It Started. The album eventually went triple-platinum (more than 3 million units sold). The title song, "Turn This Mutha Out", and "Feel My Power" saw heavy rotation on R&B/Hip-Hop radio stations.
His second album, 1990's Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em included the highly successful single "U Can't Touch This", which sampled "Superfreak" (Rick James), "Have You Seen Her" (cover of the Chi-Lites) and "Pray" (sampled from "When Doves Cry" by Prince). The album eventually went on to become the first hip-hop album to reach diamond status (more than 10 million units sold).
After dropping the MC from his stage name, Burrell released Too Legit to Quit in 1991. Burrell took the opportunity to answer his critics on certain songs on the album. In a first for rap music, it was performed using live instruments, instead of sampling. Though the album was, by and large, no more critically accepted than his first, sales were strong and the title track was yet another hit. Another hit came soon after, with "Addams Groove" (which appeared on both The Addams Family motion picture soundtrack and the vinyl version of Too Legit to Quit).
Most of these songs that I've mentioned are on this compilation and it shows what his fame was like when he first started his boosting career as a hip-hop artist. The range of years on this CD is 1988 - 1991 and the CD has 17 tracks in a total of 78:10 which is amazingly long.
--- The Review ---
"U Can't Touch This" is Hammer's most successful single and probably the best as well. This is a great way to open the compilation with some great catchy music and great lyrics. Hammer's rapping skills on this song is excellent as it is really direct but being plain stupid as well but it works really well. The song is so catchy, this is true old skool hip-hop at it's best. I think everybody in the world knows this song as it is played everywhere on TV and Radio (Family Guy, Simpsons etc.) as it is such a classic song. Excellent song and a great opener to his fame.
"Addams Groove" is obviously the soundtrack to the film "The Addams Family". Starts with some fast rapping that is actally catchy to sing and the verses reflect on what individual in the Addams Family is like. It has some great lyrics that is flawless and the music accompaining it is very good which some live instruments instead of sampling. The song is a bit corny to appreciate but it has some moments. Another great song to listen to.
"Too Legit Too Quit" is another successful Hammer hit. It starts with some perfect beat boxing and then some adrenealine rush rapping and some great usage of guitaring in the verses. The chorus is really catchy as it some great soul in the verse to make your feet move. It has some amazing beat to it and it makes you appreciate what is in the song so you go further into the song. It is a shame that the song is too repetitive though as at one point the chorus is at least 1:30 long which gets on your nerves, but the rest is flawless. This song is very engrossing and is another great listen.
"This Is The Way We Roll" is taken off the "Too Legit To Quit" album. The song has hooky chanting on the song with saying the title song all the time. It gives the rhythm to another notch giving a extra beat to the song. The rapping technique on this song is great in Hammer's potential and the music really shines on this song with some great usage of wind instruments and a catchy bass line. Excellent beat and catchy chanting and rapping makes it a excellent song. Starngely the verses on this song remind me of Red Hot Chili Peppers "Apache Rose Peacock" on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik which was released at the same time.
"Pray" as I said was sampled from Prince's "When Doves Cry". The song has some amazing rapping on it with some great singing at the background. The lyrics are very well-thought through with some catchy parts:
"We got to pray/just to make it today/I say we pray!"
The usage of Prince's song is magnificent as it really conjures up the song really well and it adds that extra hip-hop feel to the song. The ending verse is the best when Hammer speaks about why we pray and it is so emotional, a great ending verse with impact. I would say that this is the first serious song and one of the emotional songs on the compilation, it is also one of the best on the album.
"Turn This Mutha Out" has sampling on it with some women keeping chanting out "Turn This Mutha Out" which is really addictive. The verses are very direct when Hammer really powers the lyrics out in a serious way. Also the lyrics are actually very serious but it is totally random. This song is not really that great as it is really repetitive showing nothing special unlike "Pray". The first average song on the album.
"Gaining Momentum" has Snoop Dogg at the start of the song chanting "Gaining Momentum". The verses are actually strange the way he raps it, it is a different style, he sounds a bit foriegn at parts. This song has some great bass lines but the song doesn't really appeal to me with its mellow style of beat and rapping. Not my type of hip-hop so this is another average song.
"Do Not Pass Me By" starts with some uplifting church music and choir singing and it brings out the rhythm and beat as it outbreaks into a rapping style song and it is rapid. The rapping skills in this song shine as it seems really sounds hard to do. This is another pure old hip-hop style song. This is again another repetitive song which is beginning to be a problem now as we go further into the compliation. Even though, this has a good beat to it and rapping skills are high here.
"Let's Get It Started" is one of the first Hammer recordings on his debut album (the same name as this one). The rapping is different class as it is more slower but it sounds more serious and it sounds more of a old hip-hop class then "Gaining Momentum". There are numerous usages of sampling here that creates an impact of variety in the song. This song has a beat and we are back onto the good songs again.
"They Put Me In The Mix" is all sampling with no rapping in it whatsoever. All it is is old hip-hop sampling of different beats and scratching of different ways of saying the title song. The usage of this song is very clever of how they do this stuff but the song seems to have a lack of meaning in it. The beat is really catchy though so I say that this is an over average song by a little.
"Black Is Black" has some catchy chanting and some great sampling in it. The lyrics are direct to the listener so that is great and also the rapping in the song is excellent. It seems that the song is not repetitive in a way that the sampling is giving the song variety and there is some rapping skills that change the song's style at some points so this song is very well-thought and this song is great to listen to.
"Help The Children" is the most emotional and graceful song on the compilation with its depressing lyrics on how the generation of the youth is being torn down by hunger, disease and other world problems that effect mankind. The music reflects the emotion created in the singing and rapping in the song by giving some soft sounds in the background. The rapping in this song is so heartful and the singing in the background is very depressing and it makes you feel sad everytime you hear it. The lyrics are really depressing as it talks about children can't see the world as it is and drugs ruin their generation. This song has a massive impact on you and it sounds magnificent. The best I've heard from Hammer in his potential.
"Pump It Up (Here's The News)" has some hooky rapping and beat to it. The skill in the song shows that Hammer is improving as it is on his debut album. The music has some more sampling in it and their are accompaining rappers in this song to give some craziness in the song. This song isn't that great as it has the same feel all the way through and it doesn't make you listen further so this is an average song.
"Have You Seen Her" has a sample of the Chi-Lites original. This is the same style music and the chanting of the title song is the same timing but this has that rapping infront of the singing that covers the original. This song has more soul then the original and the original is actually in the Soul genre. In my opinion, this is better than the original so this is definitely an excellent song.
"U Can't Touch This {Club Version}" is utterly pointless it is nearly the same as the original but it hasn't got the bass line but the bass line gives that extra boost of beat to the song so this is a down grade to the original. As I said, this shouldn't be on here so this is just pointless filler.
"Feel My Power" is Hammer's firsts and it sounds at the start very dated so it really doesn't appeal much. This song has so much power with its screaming of rapping all the time and the lyrics are really dominent but the musicis so bland which really pulls down the attraction of the song.
"Yo!! Sweetness" has a catchy sample on the song with some great rapping at all times. The music on this song has more of a uplifting hook to it and it has a momentum with its moving beat and the chanting in the chorus is very good as it give impact and Hammer's skill on this song is fine so this song is great to listen to.
--- Overview ---
Here are the individual ratings of the songs:
1. U Can't Touch This -5/5
2. Addams Groove - 4/5
3. Too Legit To Quit - 4/5
4. This Is The Way We Roll - 4.5/5
5. Pray - 5/5
6. Turn This Mutha Out - 3/5
7. Gaining Momentum - 2.5/5
8. Do Not Pass Me By - 3.5/5
9. Let's Get It Started - 3.75/5
10. They Put Me In The Mix - 3.5/5
11. Black Is Black - 4/5
12. Help The Children - 5/5
13. Pump It Up (Here's The News) - 2.75/5
14. Have You Seen Her - 4.5/5
15. U Can't Touch This {Club Version} - 2/5 (Lacks the feel)
16. Feel My Power - 3/5
17. Yo!! Sweetness - 4/5
Overall, the compilation has great moments on it but it has terrible moments as well. I am not much of a hip-hop fanatic, but this is a strong recommendation to listen to if you like old hip-hop style and also today's hip-hop as well. This compilation gets:
Overall: 3.5/5
