MC Hammer
Photo: Getty Images

Remember when MC Hammer used to brag about how "U Can't Touch This?" Well, times change. Now, not only can you actually touch this (whatever it is), you can own it.

The balloon-pantsed MC, who turned the world on with his fancy footwork and a Rick James-sampling hip-pop hit 15 years ago, is selling one of the last remnants of the good old days. No, it's not the huge fleet of cars (that's gone) or the $12 million gilded castle in Fremont, California (that went for $5 mil a while ago). It's his songs, or more accurately, the music publishing and copyrights to his whole catalog.

The move comes almost a decade after Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) filed for bankruptcy and after a number of lawsuits concerning the songs have finally been settled. "He filed for bankruptcy to protect himself from creditors and at some point it became involuntary bankruptcy, which means they not only seized his assets, but a trustee was appointed to guard them," said Randall Wixen of Wixen Music Publishing, the court-appointed administrator for Hammer's five publishing companies.

At various points, Hammer has tried to buy the songs back, but Wixen said the rapper hasn't been able to raise enough cash to close the deal.

The songs could not be sold until Hammer settled the suits, but now that they are available Wixen expects the whole lot to bring in something in the "upper seven figures" when the auction on them closes in early 2006. Starting on Tuesday (November 1), interested bidders can request the more than 300 pages of spreadsheet information on the rapper's catalog and a chance to "own whatever share of the songs that he used to own."

Here's what you can get for your money:

• A 30 percent share of "Break 'Em Off Somethin' Proper" (with the lion's share going to the late Troutman brothers, Roger and Larry, of the funk group Zapp, for the big chunk of their hit "More Bounce to the Ounce")
• A 50 percent stake in Hammer's 1990 smash "U Can't Touch This" (the estate of late funketeer Rick James gets the other half thanks to the "Super Freak" sample)
• A 62.5 percent share of "Turn This Mutha Out" (with the rest going to George Clinton for the sample of Parliament's "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)")
• A 75 percent share of "Addams Groove" and "Pray" (with Prince getting 25 percent of the latter for its "When Doves Cry" sample)
• A healthy 90 percent of "2 Legit 2 Quit" and the full 100 percent of "Let's Get It Started"

• Hammer

Ashanti arrives at the 47th annual Grammy Awards
Photo: Getty Images

The Grammy might be a place where big dreams come true, but the celebrities on the carpet at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards kept their feet planted firmly on the ground — at least when it came to their earth-toned fashion choices.

Yet after witnessing the design shaved into the side of Kanye West's head, it was hard to focus on anything else: He sported mazelike squiggles resembling an exposed brain. (He was otherwise dressed top-to-tail in white.)

(Check out photos of all the hottest looks from the Grammy red carpet.)

For others, however, browns, tans and beiges ruled the day. Usher wore a white vest, brown tie and brown-and-white wing tips; Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am rocked a chocolate-brown pinstriped suit and a Willy Wonka-style top hat; Ashanti sported a short khaki dress with a plunging neckline and gold-sequined trim; and the Neptunes kept it laid-back in whites and beiges. Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri came as an earthy couple, with Janet in a tawny halter dress and Dupri in a brown fedora and suit; all of Modest Mouse wore beige-and-brown pinstripes; Maroon 5's Adam Levine sported a dark-brown suit and burnt-orange tie;

	Grammy Photos
	"Whose Outfit Fell Apart? Who Did Kanye Get Advice From? Grammy Moments You Didn't See.". On the big night, February 8, be sure to tune in to MTV at 7 p.m. for our "All up in the Grammys" preshow. Plus check out videos of the nominees and more right here on mtv.com. Related Artists Kanye West Ashanti Usher Black Eyed Peas Janet Jackson ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1496913/20050213/west_kanye.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1496913/20050213/west_kanye.jhtml 13 Feb 2005 10:01:00 EST Coldplay's Chris Martin Photo: Wire Image Coldplay's Chris Martin and actress Gwyneth Paltrow are more than expectant parents — they're also newlyweds. After applying for a marriage license in Santa Barbara County in California on Friday, the couple also tied the knot, according to the Santa Barbara County clerk-recorder's office. The official who confirmed this fact, however, would not provide any other details. The couple have yet to announce the marriage. ... In their first televised appearance since his arrest, Michael Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joseph, defend their pop star son and pledge to adopt his children should he lose custody of them. "We're not going to let nobody take those kids," Joe Jackson said in an interview that airs Friday at 10 p.m. on ABC's "20/20." "They're Michael's kids. They [have] no right to try to take those kids." Michael's parents also insist in the interview that the current molestation allegations — as well as those from 1993 — are false and motivated by money. However, his mother had a few regrets, and said that she wished that she'd made sure all of her children went to college and to religious services more often as adults. ... Ja Rule went to Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, New York, on Wednesday to holla at army reservists who are about to be shipped out to Iraq. The Incster signed autographs, shook hands and gave words of encouragement during his visit. ... "Hova, Hova, Hova!" Pretty soon the rest of the country will get to hear about 20,000 New Yorkers screaming for Jay-Z. According to Def Jam, Jay's next video is slated to be "Encore," and will incorporate footage from his historic Madison Square Garden concert on November 25. ... Courtney Love appeared in a Beverly Hills, California, courtroom Thursday (December 11) to face the two felony drug-possession charges against her, but the case was continued while the singer finishes her stint in rehab. Though Love also has a court date Friday for misdemeanor under-the-influence charges, she's not compelled to appear. Love is next due in court on the felony charges on January 27. ... Rapper Tray Deee of Tha Eastsidaz failed to appear in Long Beach Municipal Court last week for what a spokesperson for the court said was unspecified medical reasons. Tray Deee, whose real name is Tray Muhammad, is facing a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon after firing at a group of people outside a store in November. There is no new court date set at this time. Muhammad still has not posted bond and is being kept at the local jail. ... A 23-year-old man fell from a balcony during a Robbie Williams concert in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday and is currently in critical condition. The incident occurred during the first date of Williams' Australian tour. The man had climbed onto a hand railing and slipped, crashing onto a woman on the floor below. The woman was treated for shock, but was not seriously injured. ... Metallica are slated to drop The Unnamed Feeling EP in the U.K. on January 12. The six-track record includes live tracks recorded in Paris and the video for "The Unnamed Feeling," a cut off their latest album, St. Anger, which features appearances by surfer Rob Machado and actor Edward Furlong. ... Primetime TV might have another dose of Hammer Time in its future. MC Hammer has signed on for a WB comedy series loosely based on his life after he had hits with "U Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit to Quit" in the early 1990s. The deal is an extension of the pact he made with the WB after his last TV appearance, in the reality series "The Surreal Life." ... The X-ecutioners provide the original score for the video game "NFL Street," while cuts from Korn featuring Nas, Fuel, Lostprophets and Killer Mike pepper soundtrack. The game, a seven-on-seven match-up created by the makers of the "Madden NFL" series, is scheduled to hit stores in January. ... John Oates (of Hall & Oates fame) is releasing the video for his single "It Girl" a year after it was shot. The video stars none other than Paris Hilton, but the rocker and his producer Jed Leiber, who suggested Oates cast the hotel heiress, insist they are not capitalizing on her newfound celebrity. ... Not only does A.J. McLean's mom, Denise McLean, write about her pop star son in the book "Backstreet Mom," out this month, but she also got him to write about her. A.J. writes the introduction for the autobio, in which his mother describes taking her son to audition and her ensuing roles as the band's publicist, fan club coordinator and manager, through the band's success and her son's subsequent struggles with drugs and alcohol. The book also includes illustrations A.J. drew while in rehab. ... Australian punk-abilly trio the Living End are scheduled to drop their fourth album, Modern Artillery, on February 24. The 14-track effort will be preceded by the first single, "Who's Gonna Save Us," which goes to radio in mid-January but can be heard in the Farrelly brothers comedy "Stuck on You" now. ... Fans of the Mars Volta can get their hands on a live EP next week, if they know where to look. Only select indie record stores will stock the band's four-track, 40-plus-minute record on Tuesday. In mid-January, the band plans to hit the studio to record the follow-up to De-Loused in the Comatorium. ... Following Bruce Springsteen's Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. and Bon Jovi's New Jersey, the Garden State can add Pete Yorn's new live album to its list of albums bearing its name. The simply titled Live From New Jersey, which was recorded October 29 in Morristown and features a cover of the Boss' "Atlantic City," is due January 6. ... Symphonic pop troupe Polyphonic Spree are gearing up for the holidays. On December 19 and 20, the 23-piece outfit will perform in their hometown of Dallas as part of their fourth annual holiday celebration benefiting Toys for Tots. Six bands, including the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, will perform as well, and there will also be a Santa Clause, Mrs. Clause, elves, reindeer and Christmas mime to entertain the audience. On New Year's Eve, Polyphonic Spree will play in Los Angeles with Grandaddy. For that night, they've hired circus performers and an on-site taco truck. ... David Bowie's 1993 album, Black Tie White Noise, will be re-released by Virgin Records on January 13 as a 3-disc CD/DVD set. The largely under-the-radar original issue reunited Bowie with producer Nile Rodgers, with whom he collaborated on Let's Dance, and guitarist Mick Ronson (Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars). ... Screamo band A Static Lullaby's drummer, Ben Newsham, has been relieved of duty, but he will still tour with the group. "Ben is family to the band and although he won't be behind the kit, he will still be part of the family," the group said in a statement.  Newsham was hired in October, following the departure of the band's previous drummer, Brett Dinovo. ... 12.10.03 Norah Jones is putting the finishing touches on her second album with producer Arif Mardin. Expected to drop in February, the album features a track with country legend Dolly Parton. Jones, who already has five Grammys on her shelf, will be vying for her sixth in February with her collaboration with Willie Nelson, "Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Want to Get Over You)." ... According to police reports and search warrants unsealed on Tuesday, police found a bottle of tequila and a glass of brandy on a table inside Phil Spector's home the night he is accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson. The producer had said he was not drinking. Police, who said Clarkson's broken teeth were found scattered across the foyer, also discovered a man's white coat with a blood smear on the sleeve in a second-floor bedroom. Spector's attorney, Robert Shapiro, responded Wednesday (December 10) in a statement that said scientific evidence "clearly and unequivocally is consistent with a self-inflicted wound that was not the result of any action on the part of Phil Spector." ... Video clips of the Roots' recording sessions for their next album, The Tipping Point, have been put up on www.okayplayer.com. Studio sessions for the album, due in the spring, have been loose-knit jams with many local Philly musicians and other artists, like Common, Jill Scott and James Poyser. Fans of the group should beware, though: The candles and incense have been replaced by strippers and booze. ... Blink-182 have tapped Jonas Akerlund (Madonna, Metallica) to direct the video for "I Miss You," the follow-up to "Feeling This." The shoot is scheduled for December 17 in Los Angeles. ... If you thought the RIAA meant business in its crusade against music pirates before, the group just appointed a man with almost 30 years of experience in busting gunrunners and moonshiners to head up its Anti-Piracy Unit. Bradley Buckles, the director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the past four years, has been appointed to the position. The Anti-Piracy Unit works with local law enforcement to crack down on illegal CD-bootlegging operations. ... Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey will co-host and perform on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2004," which will air on ABC in three parts late December 31 and early January 1. Black Eyed Peas, 3 Doors Down, Bow Wow, Jagged Edge, Jason Mraz, Hall & Oates and Donna Summer will also take the stage, and previously recorded performances from Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Kiss, Avril Lavigne and Tim McGraw will be featured as well. ... Interviews with such hip-hop stars as Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Fat Joe, along with legends Rakim, Marley Marl and Jam Master Jay, are featured in the documentary "Hip Hop Immortals: We Got Your Kids," due February 10 on DVD. The film was made by Sock Bandits, the team behind the photography book "Hip Hop Immortals." A trailer is available for preview at www.wegotyourkids.com. ... Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has penned his autobiography, "White Line Fever," and you can bet the white line he's referring to isn't a lane divider on a highway. The book, written with the assistance of former Rip magazine associate editor Janiss Garza, tells the decadent, turbulent life story of one of heavy metal's greatest icons. "White Line Fever" will be published on January 4 by Citadel Press. ... Neil Young & Crazy Horse will launch a new tour leg in support of Greendale on February 19 in Vancouver. Exact dates will be announced soon. ... Simple Plan will tour with MXPX starting January 26 in Kansas City, Missouri. The last scheduled show is February 25. Sugarcult will open on all dates; Motion City Soundtrack will join the bill from January 25 to February 8, and Billy Talent will take their place from February 9 until February 25. ... Chris Isaak will play rock legend Roy Orbison and sing "Only the Lonely" in a February 22 episode of the NBC series "American Dreams." The program will be shot December 18 in Los Angeles. ... Arista Records President and CEO Antonio "LA" Reid will deliver the keynote address at the 2004 South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas. The five-day event kicks off March 18. ... Junior Senior, Meshell Ndegeocello and Rufus Wainwright are among the artists nominated for GLAAD's Outstanding Music Artist award at the organization's 15th annual Media Awards. Three ceremonies in as many cities, beginning March 27 in Los Angeles, honor the media's fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. ... Bob Pollard and his band Guided by Voices will hit the road for a month beginning on New Year's Eve in San Diego. The band will mostly play Midwest and Southern cities afterward, ending up in Columbus, Ohio, on January 24. The trek is in support of the band's recent greatest-hits album, The Best of Guided by Voices: Human Amusements at Hourly Rates, and box set, Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere. ... TV cameras showed Denver Broncos running back Clinton Portis strutting down the sidelines of Denver's Invesco Field on Sunday wearing a championship boxing belt after a record-setting day (218 yards, five rushing TDs). Portis said the large, customized belt was given to him before the game by rapper and optimistic friend Pastor Troy, who, like Portis, is from the Dirty South. ... Instruction, Quicksand guitarist Tom Capone's new band with members of Errortype:11, are recording in Los Angeles. Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Jane's Addiction) is producing. ... Avenged Sevenfold shot a video for "Unholy Confessions," the second single from Waking the Fallen, Tuesday in Los Angeles. Thomas Mignone (Slipknot, Superjoint Ritual) directed. ... Metal quartet Otep have handed guitarist Rob his walking papers without any explanation, according to his post on an Otep online forum. Drummer Moke was dismissed under similar circumstances, Rob also alleged. "Art is war, there will be casualties," read a post from the band's singer/namesake on the group's Web site. The band is working on its second album. ... Andrew W.K. has hired his former guitar tech Kendall to replace guitarist James Mecherle, who quit last month. Andrew W.K.'s next North American show is New Year's Eve in San Francisco. ... My Morning Jacket will hit the road early next year. The tour will launch January 3 in Nashville and will run through January 23. ... Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and former VH singer Sammy Hagar will perform at the Houston SuperBash, a five-day outdoor celebration the week of the Super Bowl. Other acts scheduled to perform include Eve 6, Better Than Ezra, Reverend Horton Heat and Asleep at the Wheel. Tickets are $20 a day or $38 for the week. ... Related Artists Coldplay Michael Jackson Ja Rule Jay-Z Korn ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1481068/20031211/coldplay.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1481068/20031211/coldplay.jhtml 11 Dec 2003 05:35:00 EST P. Diddy at the "Bad Boys II" premiere party Photo: Walik Goshorn "I ain't gon' front, this is the best party I been to in some years," P. Diddy said, gassing himself at his Supper Club "Bad Boys II" New York premiere party on Monday. Celebrities like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz and members of the Bad Boy family validated his words by grooving in the VIP section. Although the movie's stars, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, were absent, rapper Hammer made his presence felt by standing onstage and dusting off his typewriter dance for the crowd. Before the party, Ja Rule, Macy Gray and "Boys II" co-star Gabrielle Union were among those who hit the Times Square Loews Theater to watch the action-packed flick. ...   'Bad Boys II' soundtrack after party After scrapping a handful of European festival shows in the wake of frontman Jack White's recent car accident, the White Stripes have now canceled their slate of U.S. dates set for July and August. The group hopes to reschedule them soon. ... Coldplay have already completed the video for their next single, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face." Directed by Jamie Thraves (Radiohead, Travis), who helmed the band's previous clip "The Scientist," the black-and-white video intercuts performance footage with the story of a businessman who is humiliated and horrified to find that he's gradually disappearing after bumping into a mysterious stranger with no shoes. ... Not that "Sex and the City" needs any help getting spiced up, but Geri Halliwell is adding her name to the list of guest stars populating the last season of the HBO show. The former Ginger Spice shot a spot at New York's Soho House in which she plays Phoebe Kittenworth, a member of a hip New York club that Samantha (Kim Cattrall) tries to join. Halliwell's episode airs on August 24, according to an HBO spokesperson. ... Meadow's had a name change. Since Jamie-Lynn Sigler married her longtime manager AJ DiScala Friday night, she's chosen to now be known personally and professionally as Jamie-Lynn DiScala. The ceremony took place at New York's Brooklyn Botanic Garden, while the reception featured performances from the bride, her fellow "Sopranos" star Dominic Chianese and Carly Simon. ... The Matrix, the red-hot production team behind Avril Lavigne's biggest hits, are working with Shakira on her second English-language album. ... The Sprite Liquid Mix Tour just got sweeter with the additions of Aussie MC Jessy Moss, Slightly Stoopid, the Skillz, Spymob and Kelis, who will perform with N.E.R.D. The additions complete a lineup of previously announced artists that includes O.A.R., the Roots and Talib Kweli. The 20-city tour starts August 14 in Denver and wraps September 14 in Boston. ... The Deftones added 46 concerts to the collection of bootlegs available to download for free on their Web site (deftones.com). The bootlegs, which now total 49, date back to 1992. ... Carlos Santana will donate at least $2 million from his recently completed U.S. tour to the fight against AIDS in South Africa. The tour made stops in 23 cities before ending at the Hollywood Bowl. ... Statistics on the number of users of file-sharing networks seem to suggest that the RIAA's promise to slap big-time file pirates with multimillion-dollar copyright infringement lawsuits is working. According to figures by Nielsen/Net Ratings, in the week that began just days after the Recording Industry Association of America's late June announcement, the number of users of Kazaa and Morpheus were down 15 percent, which roughly translates to a million fewer Kazaa users and 41,000 fewer Morpheus users. The parent companies of the two networks, however, deny that their legions are waning. Streamcast, which owns Morpheus, denounced the stats, and Sharman Networks, Kazaa's parent company, attributed any dip to cyclical change. A clearer picture should come into view when numbers for the entire month of July are released. ... While the former Megadeth frontman doesn't entirely rule out the possibility of his band reuniting, Dave Mustaine has a solo project in the works. "I don't plan on forming a new band," he said in the August issue of Guitar World. "I just want to find some players that are great, that want to go out with me and do some dates. ... Obviously, I want to be very particular about the people I play with, because I have played with some of the greatest guitarists in the metal community." A legal representative for Mustaine confirmed that the solo album was completed, but a spokesperson for Sanctuary Records said the album isn't on the label's list of upcoming releases. ... Kevin Richardson, who made his Broadway debut earlier this year in "Chicago," is joining the touring company of the musical production. The Backstreet Boy will reprise his role as the smooth-talking, tap-dancing lawyer Billy Flynn next month in San Francisco for a three-week stop that begins at the Golden Gate Theatre August 5 and runs through August 24. ... Joe Strummer's final studio recordings, previously expected this past spring, now have a title and a firm release date. The album, called Streetcore, is in the final stages of mixing and includes material the late Clash singer/guitarist recorded with his band the Mescaleros, including covers of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (produced by Rick Rubin) and Johnny Cash's "The Road to Rock 'N' Roll." Streetcore is due out October 7, according to a spokesperson for Epitaph Records. ... Rob Zombie is getting inked. He's neither signing a new record deal nor getting a new tattoo, but launching his own, self-starring comic-book series. The six-issue horror-based mini-series "Rob Zombie's Spook Show International" is set to hit bookstores October 29. ... Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony is hitting the sauce. Anthony has joined forces with the company Ring of Fire to produce a tongue-sizzling brand of hot sauce. The fiery flavors will be available this fall on Anthony's official Web site, Mad Anthony's Cafe, as well as the Ring of Fire site. ... 311's video for "Creatures (For a While)," which premieres this week, finds the band working its audience into such a frenzied mosh pit that is breaks through the wall of the venue and runs rampant throughout Los Angeles, destroying a yoga studio, crashing a basketball game and getting hit by cars. The Malloys (Blink-182) directed the clip. ... He's No Stranger to Shame ... or the tour bus. Uncle Kracker will once again hit the highway for a four-month stretch to support his second solo LP. Aside from a few weeks here and there, Kracker, who scored massively with his cover of the Dobie Gray hit "Drift Away," has been on the road for almost an entire year. ... 98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons has placed clips from his upcoming solo album, Whisper That Way, on his Web site (jefftimmons.com). In a message, Timmons said to expect the CD soon. ... 07.14.2003 Alicia Keys has set a November 18 release date for her as-yet-untitled second album. "You will be hearing some new music by the beginning of September," she wrote on her Web site, referring to the first single. "The album is bangin'! And wait till we hit the road again!" ... Drag-On's second album, tentatively titled Hell and Back and featuring the first single "Put Your Drinks Down," is due September 16 via a new partnership between Ruff Ryders and Virgin Records. The labels' second release together, Jin's Almost Famous, is due October 7. ... Staind and Godsmack lead the pack with four nominations apiece for the 16th annual Boston Music Awards, while respective lead singers Aaron Lewis and Sully Erna pulled in additional nominations for Best Male Vocalist. Other nominees for the September 4 event include John Mayer, Aerosmith, American Hi-Fi and Powerman 5000. ... Metallica frontman James Hetfield has contributed the track "Don't You Think This Outlaw Bit's Done Got Out of Hand" to the Waylon Jennings tribute album I've Always Been Crazy, which comes out August 19. Other tracks were recorded by Kid Rock and Kenny Chesney ("Luckenbach, Texas"), Ben Harper ("Waymore's Blues") and John Mellencamp ("Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"). ... Josh Groban has recorded a version of the Linkin Park B-side "My December" for possible inclusion on his next album, according to the Los Angeles Times. The classical singer is also collaborating with ambient techno group Deep Forest and producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey). ... The All-American Rejects will drop a DVD, Live From Oklahoma ... The Too Bad for Hell, on September 30. Live footage for the disc was captured at a May 30 show in Tulsa, and bonus material includes the bandmembers showing off the sights of their hometown of Stillwater. ... Sevendust will showcase material from their upcoming album during a five-week tour that begins July 19 in Nashville, Tennessee. Dates run through August 28 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The tentative title for the group's new record is Seasons, and it's scheduled for release in October. ... Coal Chamber have finally thrown in the shovel. In a post on the Web site for his new band Pinata, guitarist Meegs Rascon wrote, "My time with Coal Chamber was one of the most fun and rewarding times in my life. However, it was time for everyone to move on." Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara has a new band called Devildriver, whose debut record is due later this year. ... Rare studio tracks and concert cuts, including a cover of Cole Porter's "Night and Day," can be found on Norwegian troubadour Sondre Lerche's Don't Be Shallow EP, due September 23. Lerche begins a North American tour with Liz Phair July 30 in Denver. ... If a band called the Finger, with members Warren Peace, Irving Plaza, Rick O'Shea and Jim Beahm, and with a debut album entitled We Are F--- You/Punk's Dead Let's F---, sounds too cool to be real, it is. The Finger is really the goofy, but SST-style punk side project of Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin. The album is set for release September 23. ... Related Artists Diddy Hammer Ja Rule The White Stripes Coldplay ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1473802/20030715/puff_daddy.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1473802/20030715/puff_daddy.jhtml 15 Jul 2003 04:45:00 EDT MC Hammer Photo: MTV News Rap star and spendthrift Hammer (remember "U Can't Touch This"?) led a whole herd of dancers out on the road this week in 1992. The flashy MC chatted about the spectacle at the launch of his Too Legit to Quit world tour in Virginia. "We'll be wearing a lot of, you know, double-breasted outfits," Hammer said. "Everything from street clothes to double-breasted suits to zoot suits, and there's a lot of costume changes on the set. "We have my 20 dancers and 15 background singers and about 14 band members, so you can expect a very, very exciting show," he continued. "The set is enormous. It takes all of my dancers to cover it. It's a stage for hard workers. While we do use some special effects, the bulk of what makes the stage come alive is the people." "I've never seen so many lights in my life. Lights were everywhere," one fan exclaimed. "I'm telling you, Hammer, he's slamming," another said. Wildlife-gnawing metal icon Ozzy Osbourne played a benefit concert near Los Angeles this week in 1992 to raise funds to build a memorial to his late guitarist, Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash in March 1982. Unfortunately, the show turned into something of a mini riot after Osbourne invited fans in the front row up onstage to join him in a rendition of the Black Sabbath classic "Paranoid." The fans got out of control, overwhelming security guards and trashing stage gear to the tune of $100,000. Osbourne himself was only able to escape the melee by crawling away on his hands and knees. A much less frantic time was had by all at a benefit concert in Sydney, Australia, headlined by INXS and Crowded House. The show drew more than 100,000 fans and raised 1.5 million dollars for AIDS and cardiac research. It was said to be the biggest concert in Australian musical history up to that point. For more "This Week In ...", check out the This Week In Archive Related Artists Hammer Ozzy Osbourne INXS ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453160/20020329/mc_hammer.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453160/20020329/mc_hammer.jhtml 1 Apr 2002 10:56:00 EST Rapper hopes new album, DVD and world tour will drive comeback. By Corey Moss MC Hammer Photo: Capitol With his eighth album due in November on his own label, MC Hammer is still too legit to quit. And the return of MC in his name is a sign of things to come for the artist otherwise known as Hammer. "This is classic MC Hammer hip-hop," promised a publicist at the artist's WorldHit Music Group label, a division of Hammertime Holdings Inc. The Autobiography of MC Hammer, the rapper's first album under that name since 1990's breakthrough Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, will feature a slew of guest performers from his label, including Pleasure, the Stooge Players, Analise, James Greer and Chuck Get Down. Each of those artists will put out an album on WorldHit this year or next. "I have been able to meet and work with artists who are not generally known in the music business," Hammer said in a statement. "I intend to put them on the charts." Diverging from commercial rap to a hard street style and later to a more spiritual approach, MC Hammer hasn't been on the charts since the early '90s, when he scored huge with singles such as "U Can't Touch This" and "Pray." He hopes this new project and a few others slated for fall will help him make a comeback. Among these efforts are an introspective DVD, to be released around the time of the album. It will include new videos, profiles of Hammer and other WorldHit artists, and dance instructions. It will also include a profile on Hammertime Holdings. The WorldHit publicist said Hammer will promote the record with a world tour in the fall. Related Artists Hammer ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445925/20010801/mc_hammer.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445925/20010801/mc_hammer.jhtml 1 Aug 2001 07:02:00 EDT Judy Garland's yearning classic edges 'White Christmas,' 'This Land Is Your Land,' 'Respect,' 'American Pie' on NEA, RIAA list. By Matty Karas Rolling Stones'<BR>Mick Jagger Photo: MTV News And you thought teen pop got no critical respect. The recording industry and the National Endowment for the Arts have put a yearning ballad by a 17-year-old pop sensation on top of a list of the 20th century's defining songs. The teen in question is Judy Garland, who sang the Harold Arlen-E.Y. "Yip" Harburg classic "Over the Rainbow" in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz." Coming up right behind on the "Songs of the Century" list are four American classics of different stripes — Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas" (written by Irving Berlin, Woody Guthrie's folk standard "This Land Is Your Land," Aretha Franklin's soul staple "Respect" (an Otis Redding composition) and Don McLean's rock epic "American Pie." The list is bound to incite arguments. Elvis Presley's best showing is #68 (the "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog" single), Frank Sinatra does no better than #144 ("My Way"), there's no punk, hardly any heavy metal and only a smattering of hip-hop: M.C. Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," Will Smith's "Men in Black" and Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" represent for rap's most recent decade, while Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, the Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan are nowhere to be found. And although the country explosion of the 1990s registers with seven selections, from Billy Ray Cyrus to Garth Brooks to Faith Hill, the teen pop explosion of recent years doesn't register at all. "The first thing I noticed is that there aren't any of the new teen [acts]," said Spin magazine editor-in-chief Alan Light, who participated in the industry poll and complimented the "broad swath" of the resulting list despite some curious exclusions. "There's no Backstreet [Boys], there's no Britney [Spears] or 'NSYNC," Light said. "If you're telling the story of popular music over the past couple years, that's the story." But there may be a good reason why teen pop from more than 60 years ago was ranked highly by the musicians, critics, record executives, politicians and educators who were polled for the project, while more recent examples were overlooked. "It's the same problem the Ken Burns jazz series came up against," Light said, referring to the recent PBS documentary series that won acclaim for its coverage of classic jazz music, while drawing criticism for ignoring much of modern jazz. "The older you go, the more obviously iconic stuff is. ... The more modern stuff, it's the place of the critics — not the historians — to talk about." The project, a year in the making and co-sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America, began with a list of 18,000 songs, according to Robert Oermann, a veteran music journalist who put that list together with the help of music experts, reference books and earlier lists. He was asked to whittle the list down to a ballot of 1,100 songs, which was divided by decade and sent to 1,200 voters, including all 50 U.S. governors, then-President Clinton and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. Two hundred ballots were returned. The voters were asked to pick songs from nine different eras. While "Over the Rainbow" got the most votes overall, Oermann stressed that voters were not asked to compare songs from one era with songs from another. "A lot of people may think 'Yesterday' by the Beatles is the greatest song of the century, but there was only one Judy Garland song to pick from, [while the Beatles] may have split the votes." The Beatles' British Invasion rivals the Rolling Stones placed only one song on the list, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but at #16, it beat out the top Beatles entry. Although Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" carried the grunge flag onto the list, where it was singled out as the most significant song of the '90s, no '90s metal and no hard-core rap made the list. That's at least partly by design, owing to the list's primary target — fifth graders across the country, who will hear a song a day throughout the 2001-2002 school year using streaming audio technology from AOL and lesson plans designed around each song by Scholastic Inc. "There's just no way we can send some stuff into a fifth-grade classroom," Oermann said, explaining why he left hard-core rap off the final ballot. He said metal was less of a problem, with "fewer questionable records ... than there are in hip-hop," although voters shied away from that genre, too. But Spin editor Light said, "There are an awful lot of fifth graders that are listening to hip-hop that is more hardcore than TLC and M.C. Hammer. ... I think M.C. Hammer should be on the list, but if you have to use a clean version of an N.W.A song, I think you should. That's hitting kids where they live." "It's always easy to throw stones," said Billboard magazine's director of charts, Geoff Mayfield, "but I think the merit [of the list] is it will get people to think about music, whether they liked the list or hated it." The top overall rap song? The Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" (#191). Top Motown song: Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (#21). Top country song: Jimmie Davis, "You Are My Sunshine" (#14). Top jazz song: Glenn Miller Orchestra, "In the Mood" (#10). Top blues song: W.C. Handy, "St. Louis Blues" (#69). Top Bob Dylan song: "Like a Rolling Stone" (#92). Only Madonna song: "Material Girl" (#161). "The biggest surprise," Oermann said," was the popularity of 'American Pie' by Don McLean. I just would never have guessed it. And I was surprised at Woody Guthrie from the other direction — it's a really classy choice, and I just never would have thought he was on the radar screen of the voters. It wasn't a hit." Related Artists The Rolling Stones Elvis Presley Aretha Franklin The Beatles Nirvana ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441426/20010308/rolling_stones.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1441426/20010308/rolling_stones.jhtml 8 Mar 2001 10:30:00 EST Hammer On Super Tuesday, MC Hammer emerged from "prison," according to sources at the popular West Coast hip-hop station KMEL-FM. Hammer served a term of three days, from March 5 to March 7, in a makeshift jail cell to raise awareness of the issues surrounding California's Proposition 21. A slew of propositions came up for vote on Tuesday, and Prop 21, also known as the "juvenile crime bill," permits prosecutors to try juveniles as young as 14 as adults if they are charged with murder or certain sex crimes. KMEL helped organize MC Hammer's protest, which took place outside San Jose's Jubilee Christian Center, where the performer serves as a pastor. (His weekly sermon, "Hammer Time," takes place every Sunday at 6 p.m.) KMEL placed its banners at Hammer's protest site and encouraged voters to vote "no" on Proposition 21, which also seeks to classify assemblies of three or more persons as a "gang." Larry Jackson, assistant music director at Bay Area station KMEL, told MTV News, "Our street teams could be construed as gangs if they're out doing promotion and marketing. The people of KMEL and in the community are very against Proposition 21." Besides MC Hammer, many other hip-hop notables have tried to educate voters on the hidden clauses of Prop 21, such as potential life sentences without parole for juvenile murderers, with the hopes of preventing the proposition from passing. Mos Def, Me'Shell N'degeocello and Ozomatli performed at a "Schools Not Jail, No On Prop 21" concert in Santa Cruz on March 3 (see "Ozomatli, Black Star Unite For School Not Jails Show"). And on February 21, local Bay Area musicians held a "Hip-Hop Will Prevail" concert outside Oakland's City Hall which was attended by hundreds of school children who had the day off for President's Day. Unfortunately for its opponents, Proposition 21 passed in California on Super Tuesday by a wide margin. Says KMEL's Jackson, "once something is passed, it's hard to do anything about it. But if need be, we'll be the voice of the community." Related Artists Hammer ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429906/20000308/mc_hammer.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429906/20000308/mc_hammer.jhtml 8 Mar 2000 06:00:00 EST M.C. Hammer Former rap superstar MC Hammer is close to signing a deal with a radio station to do interview segments during San Francisco 49ers' pre-game shows. The "San Francisco Chronicle" reports that local station KGO Radio is in negotiations with Hammer, a.k.a. Stanley Burrell, to do "man-on-the-street" style segments interviewing football players and fans, and that he's expected to be on the air when the NFL season starts this fall. Hammer, 36, has been a well-known figure on the sports scene over the years. He was once a batboy for baseball's Oakland A's and was a familiar sight on the sidelines at 49ers games, hanging with buddies including top players Jerry Rice and Steve Young. He was equally close to Deion Sanders, at one point proclaiming himself the football star's agent, and also promoted boxer Evander Holyfield. The high-living Hammer, who earned an estimated $33 million in 1991, was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1996 in a hail of lawsuits (see "Hammer Time On House Sale"). There's still no word on when (or if) "War Chest: Turn of the Century," the album Hammer discussed with the MTV Radio Network last April which features collaborations with the late Tupac Shakur, will be issued (see "New MC Hammer Album To Feature Unreleased Tupac Collaborations"). Related Artists Hammer ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml 5 Aug 1999 04:00:00 EDT MC Hammer The rapper formerly known as Hammer has reverted back to his "U Can't Touch This" handle of MC Hammer and completed material for a new album entitled "War Chest: Turn of the Century." Last year MC Hammer was forced to shelve plans for another record, "Family Affair," that he was set to release via his own label, Oaktown 3.5.7. But Hammer, whose 1990 album, "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em," remains the best selling rap album of all time, says he's finishing up a deal with another label to issue "War Chest" this summer. For the new record, Hammer tells the MTV Radio Network that he's included tracks that he cut with the late rapper Tupac Shakur, and he's also remade a version of Shakur's "Unconditional Love," a track that appeared on Tupac's "Greatest Hits" collection. Aside from the Tupac connection, Hammer says that fans can expect the new record to feature the same mix of booty-shaking and spiritually reverent themes he utilized on "Please Hammer" and 1991's "Too Legit to Quit." "I'm real excited about it," MC Hammer said, "it's something to make you bob your head, pop your collar, get out on the dance floor and have a good time. At the same time, it'll help you get better as a person. You know, it's fun." MC Hammer hopes to release a track called "That's How I Feel" as the first single from the new album at the end of this month. Related Artists Hammer Tupac ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml 21 Apr 1999 10:00:00 EDT Hammer - Bring Our Brothers Home Bring Our Brothers Home Artist: Hammer Label: Full Blast Music Group Director: Diamond Williams ]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=151333 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=151333 25 May 2007 12:00:00 EDT Hammer - U Can't Touch This U Can't Touch This Artist: Hammer Label: Capitol/EMI Records Album: Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em ]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=11945 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=11945 28 Feb 2005 12:00:00 EST Hammer - Hard Times Hard Times Artist: Hammer Label: Full Blast Music Group Director: Samm Styles ]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=311740 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=19652&vid=311740 6 Sep 2004 12:00:00 EDT