M.C. Hammer: Rap's First Pop Star

 

Two things sparked this article, first watching peacocks Run-DMC documentary King's From Queens. Another spark I was randomly YouTubing old Super Bowl commercials and revisited M.C. Hammer's Cheetos popcorn commercial for the 2020 Super Bowl. The ad used nostalgia to tap into folks trying out a new product, but it led me down a Hammer rabbit hole.

I came to the conclusion M.C. Hammer regardless of how people feel about his rapping skills, or whatever else that led to the rap industry turning against him. Was Hip-Hop's first real pop star. Sure Run-DMC were the first cross-over stars due to their collaboration with Aerosmith on Walk This Way. But Hammer took what they did and ran off with it. His album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em went diamond (10 million copies sold.)

He was an amazing showman with his high energy footwork that was James Brown inspired. To my knowledge, he was one of the first hip hop stars that truly believed in a full production for his concerts. Lights all over the stage, full band with backup singers and back up dancers. Along with his clean image we soon saw Hammer everywhere.

He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1991 to help promote the Addams Family movie, which he had the lead single on. Made guest appearances on sitcoms such as Amen and Out All Night. Not stopping with guest appearances, he was all on TV screens with endorsements.

Pepsi commercials , Taco Bell commercial , a sponsorship with British Knight sneakers complete with an ad. A few KFC commercials one of which Paul Mooney famously ripped on. It didn't stop there though with Hammer.

He had his own Saturday Morning cartoon Hammerman. Which ran for a season on ABC in 1991. And had lunchboxes released in conjunction with the show. There was even M.C. Hammer dolls made by Mattel, which are probably a fortune now if someone still has one in its original packaging. I'm honestly surprised he didn't have a video game similiar to Michael Jackson's  Moonwalker on Sega with his likeness.

We can't forget his trademark pants that were synonymous with him. That in itself was a marketing tool. From 1990 to probably 1992 Hammer was everywhere. While he may have mismanaged his money, and gotta ridiculed for it. He paved the way for other rappers to get money in various ways. 

Come on. Would artist like Snoop Dogg, Megan The Stallion or Drake have some of the endorsements they've had if not for Hammer? Following the Run DMC documentary, we need a true M.C. Hammer documentary.  It's time Hammer is properly given his flowers for his contributions to hip hop. Acknowledging him as the first real rock star of rap is a step in the right direction.

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Give Master P His Flowers Now

 

BET's recent 5 part docuseries No Limit Chronicles, reminded me of something I think most people have forgotten. Master P was and is Thee motherfuckin' man.

Watching this series made me remember just how much Master P and No Limit was everywhere in the late 90s.  Not a lyrical rapper by far, he found a style that worked for him, and knew how to play the game enough to stay in his lane and get paid. 

The guy is a shrewd O.G. who wanted to become not just rich, but wealthy and make sure he bought his people along with him. Negotiating with priority records to own his masters from the beginning, and keeping 85% of record sales. Buying his artists houses upon them signing with No Limit, paying over 350k to get Snoop Dogg out of his death row deal. Negotiating a $2 million deal with WCW to make two appearances. He knows the art of the hustle in the business world.

He aimed not only to take over music, but clothing, sports agency's, toys, hotlines, film actor, writer, and producer. A comedy tour promoter, real estate investor, and so much more. Since he and Diddy (then Puff Daddy) respective labels were hot at the same time, and they were both branching out at the same time. Diddy gets more kudos for his entrepreneurial hustle.

If I was a betting man and you asked me, Diddy always had the drive but he learned some hustling tips from Master P. Same goes for Jay-Z who followed in P's footsteps with his own shoe line, and later sports agency among other ventures. Same goes for 50 Cent and any other rap musicians who became entrepeneurs they looked at the blueprint Master P set. 

He may have had some missteps with some business ventures, but Master P just wants to sit back and make money. He's helping out the community in anyway he can. He's still making business moves such as investing in potto chip brand Rap Snacks, and ramen noodles brand Rap Icons.  Buying a indy wrestling promotion House of Glory (HOG) in October of 2019. Earlier this summer he announced his own brand of Rice "Uncle P's Louisana Seasoned Rice".  He has created a legacy  for himself and proved he is the last don. Let's give him his flowers while we can. 

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Why We Still Love House Party 30 Years Later

“I don’t give a damn if Marvin Gaye ‘Gonna be there, you Won’t!”- Pops

That line sums up the basis of 1990’s House Party which has become a classic in the 30 years since it’s release. Released March 9th, 1990 and starring tarring rap duo Kid N’ Play, Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J. Johnson, and Robin Harris the movie was a film the culture didn’t know it needed until it was released. High schooler Kid gets into a scuffle with school bullies (Full Force members B-Fine, Bowlegged Lou, and Paul George) during lunch That causes Kid’s dad (Robin Harris), to ground him and keep him from the biggest party of the year thrown by his best friend  Play.

What ensues is a night of dodging bullies and the cops, getting the girl, and having fun. In the early 90’s most Black films highlighted inner-city youth and issues, and the aggression that a lot of Black youths harbor. House Party on the other hand showcased an often under depicted demographic middle-class Black youths who just want to get laid and have fun.

House Party carries so many attributes of the culture that still resonate today. Kid N’ Play and all their friends care about how they dress and look. They just want to rap and dance and look good doing it. Throw in sneaking out while you’re grounded, worried parents who are also pissed. Dealing with overzealous cops, high school bullies that look too damn old, and playing the game to get the girl. The soundtrack is a time capsule of late 80’s hip hop and r&b, and the now legendary New Jack Swing sound. Everyone knows and loves the classic dance off in the middle of the film between Kid N’ Play and Tisha Campbell and A.J. Johnson. 

We can’t forget the quotable lines that make the movie enjoyable to watch time after time. “I smell Pussy”, “follow the drip”, “What the hell is a Public Enema?”, “I would put my shoe so far up your ass, you’ll be shitting sneaker for a month.” "I'll fight a girl", "I know you will, I seen your ass get beat by a couple." And so many other lines you can still quote today, and those in the know will instantly get it.

House Party also is one of those movies that has a lot of stars or actors with consistent work, that you did not realize. Martin Lawrence is a comedy legend who starred in the classic sitcom Martin a couple of years later, and inspired a generation of comedians. Stand up legends Robin Harris and John Witherspoon displayed why their two of the funniest comedians ever. Tisha Campbell has built a nice career displaying her comedy chops between Martin and My Wife and Kids.  A.J. Johnson has built a fitness empire for herself. Everyones favorite scumbag Clifton Powell has an appearance. Funk legend George Clinton steals his scene as a DJ at a party. Daryl Mitchell, Anthony Johnson, Kelly Jo Minter, and Joe Torry all faces you may know more than the name, all have small appearances in the film.

House Party is a movie that those under 18 who watch it enjoy it because of some of the adult content, and looking forward to being in those at times dangerous but relatively harmless situations. Adults on the other hand can watch and relate to the carefree teenage days when you just needed to get home before your parents realized you were gone.

House Party has left a legacy between two direct sequels starring Kid  N’ Play, and a sequel starring music group immature that is related to the original strictly by title. There was also a sequel released in 2013 in which Kid N' Play make a cameo appearance. There are plans to reboot the original with Lebron James producing it, which goes to show how influential the film is years later.

It has made legends out of Kid N’ Play and let several Black youths know dance moves can get you the ladies. House Party is a simple film with a  simple mission, enjoy life and have fun doing it which is why we still love it 30 years later.    

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Top 5 Hip Hop Movies

   This past weekend we celebrated 44 years since the birth of hip hop. A culture that wasn't given a chance when it was invented, is now a worldwide phenomenon that dominates the music landscape. While we all love hip hop I wanted to touch on a overlooked part of hip hop...Movies.

  We’ve all seen the biopics and the Musician focused B-movie level films (State Property, Baller Blockin, Cool as Ice, Tougher than leather, Get Rich or Die Tryin etc.) I want to give my opinion on the top 5 films that I feel embody hip hop.

  # 5 Brown Sugar starring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, and Mos Def. The movie is at it’s core a love letter to hip hop. It’s about two people meeting because of hip hop and falling in love throughout the years because of hip hop. If you’ve never seen it and can tolerate romantic comedies but love old school hip hop check it out.

  # 4 Krush Groove is one of the first mainstream films that bought hip hop to the world. Loosely based on the beginnings of Def Jam, it contains a who’s who at that time. Run Dmc, Sheila E, Kurtis Blow, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, The Fat Boys and more. It has the classic tropes of following your dreams and being hungry but connecting with the wrong people when things go wrong, pay for the consequences in the meantime. It also shows how new found fame and money can tear apart long lasting friendships and family.

  # 3 is CB4, one of my personal favorites it’s a satire of gangsta rap of it’s time. Written and starring Chris Rock it displays his comedic genius at it’s best. Playing a aspiring rapper along with his two best friends, they live boring middle class lifes. Crafting a “gangsta” image and persona they find success, at the same time finding out how hard it is to maintain that image. Also how being yourself is usually your best bet, the parody of N.W.A.s “Straight Outta Compton”, “Straight outta Locash” is a hilarious catchy song that would have you wishing it was real.

  # 2 on my list is 8 Mile starring Eminem. Also loosely based on his life before he hit it big, Em plays Rabbit. All Rabbit wants to do is go to work, and hone his craft hoping to catch his big break. Along with his friends and fellow rappers 313rd they battle rival crews trying to make a name in the Detroit rap scene. Em’s acting is top notch here probably because he lived it. It has classic mid-90s hip hop songs, sick freestyles due to Em’s masterful delivery and lyricism and battle rapping.. Which  free styling and battle rapping are often overlooked as pillars of hip hop. The movie also contains an ambiguous ending. Definitely one of the better musician focused films, maybe even surpassing Purple Rain.

   #1 on my list is Beat Street, it gets this honor not because of it’s story, but because of it’s cultural influence. Along with Wild Style these two films helped bring hip hop to the masses nationally and internationally. Beat Street is about a group of friends in the bronx (Home of hip hop) who all are involved in hip hop, each taking a particular interest in one of the five elements of hip hop. Djing, graffiti, breakdancing, mcing, beatboxing all are shown love and appreciation in this film. Also featuring cameos by Afrika Bambaataa, Doug E fresh, Kool Herc, Treacherous Three, Grandmaster Melle and the Furious Five and more. If you love hip hop you can’t go wrong with this one. Check out this originator if you’ve never seen it.

   These are the top 5 films I feel convey hip hop and what it stands for.  There are honorable mentions such as Breakin', House Party, Fear of a Black Hat, and Hustle and Flow. Each of the films listed above show just how influential hip hop can be. Some more than others but they all do a great job. If you’ve never seen any of them I strongly encourage tracking them down and watching them. In the meantime I feel we are overdue on a new film in our current age that’s a ode to hip hop and its culture.

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The Get Down: Gone Too Soon

   Netflix has canceled the ambitious Baz Luhrman production “The Get Down”. While it’s rare for Netflix to cancel shows that receive good feedback the cost of “The Get Down” was just too much. Reports say the series cost $120 million which is by no means chump change.

   I’m not here to get into the behind the scene's cost and politics of the Get Down, I’m here to bring up the missed opportunity caused by the cancellation of the Get Down. Hip Hop and the exact origin of Hip Hop has never received its due in pop culture and the Get Down set out to change that.

  Incorporating all five elements of hip hop(djing, Mcing, break dancing, graffiti writing, and knowledge) and incorporating it into the main character's of the Get Down Brothers.  Zeek aka Books, Shaolin Fantastic,Dizzee, Boo-Boo, and Raa-Raa their adventures across 1970's NYC while learning a new genre bought them into hip hop legends such as Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool Herc, and Afrika Bambaataa.  That's where I think The Get Down had the most potential.
   

The last episode mentions Sugar Hill Gang “Rappers Delight” being released in September 1979 a year from the timeframe of the last episode. Had there been more certainty regarding another season who’s to say the Get Down brothers wouldn't have been in the room for the initial performance of rappers delight?

   Depending on how many season's the show could have had the crew could have been in the surroundings of pivotal moments in hip hop, they could have been our “eyes” and tour guide through the early year's of hip hop.

   Episodes started in the mid 90's during a Books concert and the story picks up in 1977 during Books teenage year's. That's a 20 year span the show could have covered jumping a few years between seasons. The crew trying to get signed to Sugar Hill record's, or other early hip hop labels, meeting a young Bronx rapper named Krs-One, being a catalyst for breakdancing taking off, hearing about a new record label Def Jam, seeing things change when Run Dmc and Aerosmith collaborate,  the crew being a pivotal part in the golden era of hip hop in 1988, disbanding by the 90's.

   To me having these characters growing as individuals and a team along with hip hop against the real backdrop of hip hop's rise was the most untapped potential of the show. The first half of the season was wayyy better than the second one but they had sooo much more to explore. We’ll never know what the creator5s had in store for future season's but while it would have been over the top I’m sure the stories would have improved and seeing hip hop's birth, the culture, and the seeds that would influence the world would have gave a new generation the history they need on this great culture.

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