Stop, it’s still hammer time! MC Hammer is still riding the wave of success thanks to “U Can’t Touch This,” nearly three decades after it was released.
“To have songs consumed 30 years later, it’s just a real dream come true,” the rapper, 56, told Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, January 28, while promoting his Cheeto’s Popcorn Super Bowl commercial.
The California native released the hit song in February 1990 and fans are still singing along to the track today — and some are discovering it for the first time.
“[It’s] a real blessing to see sometimes kids hear ‘Too Legit to Quit,’ ‘U Can’t Touch This,’ or [any] Hammer song for the first time and watch them dance organically, authentically [and] respond to the melodies and the music,” he told Us. “That’s a real blessing.”
Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, has become a staple in the music industry. Throughout his career, the father of five has seen the industry change, but he likes that “it’s still creativity and music” at the core of what’s being produced.
“Every artist has a different and unique approach to music,” he explained. “So I’m cool with it. I’m cool with allowing each generation to approach music from their own lens.”
The “Turn This Mutha Out” artist, who is known for his iconic parachute pants and dance moves, revealed the key to prolonged success is knowing that it’s not easy.
“I’m just saying it’s tough. It’s tough, because I focused on making sure that from the beginning that the live show exceeds the music,” Hammer told Us on Tuesday. “The music can be memorable, and now, of course, I want to make the best music possible, but I also trained religiously so that when you come to an MC Hammer show, you have been thoroughly entertained.”
He added: “It’s a ride and it takes you away from everything. I don’t know if the time is available today for an artist [to do the same thing].”
The musician continues to keep his legacy alive through new music — he plans to release three albums in 2020 — and by honoring the hits that got him recognition in the first place. Most recently, that included a Super Bowl 2020 commercial that features the “Pray” singer in his iconic pants.
With reporting by Joe Drake
