MC Hammer began his career in the music business as young as eleven years old. To make money, he would dance outside the Coliseum during A’s games. Movement and music are just a couple of his many talents. MC Hammer is considered an innovator of pop rap and is the first hip-hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album.
Since MC Hammer was born and raised in Oakland, his arrival story is a bit different. His arrival to mainstream rap and hip hop happened through the recording and selling of his first hit album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, in 1990. Prior to this, Hammer would perform in front of the A’s game at the Coliseum. His time there led him to networking opportunities that set his rapping career into full speed.
During his teens, Hammer attended McClymonds High School and dropped out of college around the time he didn’t make it into the major leagues. He enlisted in the Navy and served for three years before pursuing his music career.
In his early life, MC Hammer engaged in music. By the age of eleven, he was doing dance performances outside of the Oakland Coliseum when the A’s were playing. For a while he focused on becoming a professional baseball player, and he even tried out for the San Francisco Giants. Unfortunately, he did not make the team, ending his dream of going into the major leagues.
Music has always been a part of MC Hammer’s life. He got recognized for his dancing by the A’s owner, Chuck Finley. He traveled for a while with the A’s team during his time as a batboy, and while traveling, he would perform at clubs. Mike Davis and Dwayne Murphy provided MC Hammer with the funds to start his own record label, Bustin’ Records. Through it, he released an album of his own, Feel My Power (1987), and the musician earned a deal with Capitol Records. Capitol rereleased Feel My Power (1987) as Let’s Get It Started (1988).
Haunts:
- The Oakland Coliseum (7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA 94621), a multi-purpose stadium in Alameda County, was a pivotal haunt for MC Hammer. It is where he started building a profile for himself as an amateur rapper and dancer. It is also the site where his career started to transition into professional settings. This haunt proves to be a spot that brings the Oakland community and other communities together. Floods of people, from locals to tourists, come to the Coliseum to watch their favorite artists or catch a Raiders game. This attraction is what catapulted Hammer’s career into overdrive.
- His time at McClymonds High located at 2607 Myrtle Street put Hammer at a crossroads. Before he wanted to pursue music professionally, he was training to be a professional baseball player. He played on his school’s baseball team and even got a tryout with a Major League Baseball team.
~ by Michelle Rodriguez ~
External Links:
Blog
http://mchammer.blogspot.com/
Instagram
@mchammer
Twitter
@MCHammer
