MC Hammer

The MC Hammer story mirrors that of a tragic protagonist in an Orson Welles film. MC Hammer is one of the most famous cautionary tales in pop music, possibly even show business history. He also is one of the savviest characters in Hip Hop, producing the bell-ringing rhythms that would cause the first major fracture in the towering precipice segregating pop and rap, culminating in a gusher upon which others would surf to fortune. MC Hammer took rap from the streets to the arena and beyond. Think of all the things fans now take for granted. Hammer perfected the branding of Hip Hop, paving the way for future rappers to lend their likeness to fragrances, liquor brands, clothing and footwear lines, and apps. Without Hammer, there'd be no Snoop Dogg, no Jay-Z, and certainly no Diddy, who seems to be the most famous benefactor of Hammer's business blueprint.