MC Hammer

MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell on March 30, 1962, in Oakland, California, is a multi-Grammy-winning rapper, dancer, and entrepreneur who became a global pop culture icon in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After serving three years in the U.S. Navy, he rose to unprecedented superstardom with his 1990 album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, which featured the massive hit "U Can't Touch This" and became the first hip-hop album to achieve diamond certification. Known for his signature "Hammer pants," flashy choreography, and high-energy showmanship, he leveraged his fame into massive endorsement deals and even his own Saturday-morning cartoon, Hammerman. Despite his rapid ascent, a lavish lifestyle and an enormous payroll led to a highly publicized bankruptcy in 1996.