Editing MC Hammer (section)

===''Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em'' (1990)===
{{Main|Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em}}

Hammer's third album (and second major-label release), ''[[Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_pleasehammerdont.html |title=M.C. Hammer: Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em :: Capitol Records |website=Rapreviews.com |date=June 24, 2008 |access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> was released on February 12, 1990 (with an original release date of January 1, 1990).<ref>{{cite web|url = http://music.msn.com/album/?album=10027416|title = Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em|publisher = music.msn.com|access-date = January 18, 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120606141546/http://music.msn.com/album/?album=10027416|archive-date = June 6, 2012|url-status = dead}}</ref> It included the successful single "[[U Can't Touch This]]" (which [[Sampling (music)#1990s|sampled]] [[Rick James]]' "[[Super Freak]]"). It was produced, recorded, and [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixed]] by [[Felton Pilate]] and James Earley on a [[Customised buses|modified tour bus]] while on tour in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/m.c.%20hammer |title=MC Hammer: Biography from |website=Answers.cwom |access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> Despite heavy airplay and a No. 27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at No. 8 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart. However, the album was a No. 1 success for 21 weeks primarily due to this single, the first time ever for a recording on the pop charts. "U Can't Touch This" has been and continues to be used in [[#Television and film career|many films and television shows]] and also appears on [[soundtrack]] and [[compilation album]]s (such as ''[[Man of the House (2005 film)#Soundtrack|Man of the House]]'' and ''[[Back 2 Back Hits]]'').<ref name="imdb.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358479/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102013021/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358479/|url-status=dead|title=M.C. Hammer|archive-date=November 2, 2016|website=IMDb}}</ref>

Follow-up successes included a cover of [[the Chi-Lites]]' "[[Have You Seen Her#MC Hammer version|Have You Seen Her]]" and "[[Pray (MC Hammer song)|Pray]]" (a beat sampled from [[Prince (musician)|Prince's]] "[[When Doves Cry]]" and [[Faith No More]]'s "[[We Care a Lot]]"),<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/mchammer/albums/album/214027/review/5943181/please_hammer_dont_hurt_em |title=MC Hammer: Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em : Music Reviews|magazine=Rolling Stone|first=Michael|last=Corcoran|date=May 17, 1990 |access-date=March 31, 2010|archive-date=April 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428010112/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/mchammer/albums/album/214027/review/5943181/please_hammer_dont_hurt_em}}ead</ref> which was his biggest hit in the US, peaking at No. 2. "Pray" was also a major UK success, peaking at No. 8. The album went on to become the first hip-hop album to earn [[Music recording certification#Certification thresholds|diamond status]], selling more than 18 million units to date.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="prnewswire"/><ref name="newyorker"/><ref name="time"/> During 1990, Hammer toured extensively in Europe which included a sold-out concert at the [[National Exhibition Centre]] in [[Birmingham]]. With the sponsorship of [[PepsiCo]] International, [[Pepsi]] CEO [[Christopher A. Sinclair]] went on tour with him during 1991.

The album was notable for sampling other high-profile artists and gave some of these artists a new fan base. "[[Dancing Machine#Samples and cover versions|Dancin' Machine]]" sampled [[The Jackson 5]], "Help the Children" (also the name of an [[outreach]] [[foundation (nonprofit)|foundation]] Hammer started)<ref name="macysinc">{{Cite web|url=http://www.macysinc.com/pressroom/macys/macyseast/media_kits.asp?strAction=ShowItem&itemid=8131|title=Macy's Pressroom|accessdate=March 30, 2025}}</ref> interpolates [[Marvin Gaye]]'s "[[Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)]]", and "She's Soft and Wet" also sampled Prince's "[[Soft and Wet]]". All of the songs were complimented by the background vocals of his singing group, [[Special Generation (band)|Special Generation]]: this combination of sound made this album to be successful on radio and video television, with "U Can't Touch This," "Pray" (most successful), "Have You Seen Her", "Here Comes the Hammer" and "Yo!! Sweetness" ([[UK Singles Chart|UK]] only) all charting. The album increased the popularity of hip hop music. It remains the genre's all-time best-selling album.<ref name="sing365">{{cite web|url=http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/MC-Hammer-Biography/4E0F2063AA089C6748256E0700170A6C |website=Sing365.com |title=MC Hammer Biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715115902/http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/MC-Hammer-Biography/4E0F2063AA089C6748256E0700170A6C |archive-date=July 15, 2012 }}</ref>

Music videos from this and previous albums began to receive much airplay on [[MTV]] and [[VH1]]. A movie also accompanied the album, and was produced in 1990, entitled ''[[Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em#Film|Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie]]'' (with portions of his [[music video]]s included within the movie).<ref name="imdb0390374">{{IMDb title|0390374|Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie}}</ref> During this same time, Hammer also appeared in The West Coast Rap All-Stars [[posse cut]] "[[We're All in the Same Gang]]". Additionally, Hammer released the tracks "This is What We Do" on the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|movie soundtrack]] (1990), and "That's What I Said" on the ''[[Rocky V]]'' [[Rocky V: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture|soundtrack]] (1990).

A [[criticism|critical backlash]] began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling entire hooks by others for the basis of his singles (criticisms also directed to his contemporary [[Vanilla Ice]]). He was mocked in music videos by [[3rd Bass]] (including a [[rap battle]] with [[MC Serch]]), [[The D.O.C.]], DJ Debranz and [[Ice Cube]]. [[Oakland]] hip-hop group [[Digital Underground]] criticized him in the CD insert of their ''[[Sex Packets]]'' album, by placing Hammer's picture in it and referring to him as an unknown [[homelessness|derelict]]. [[Q-Tip (musician)|Q-Tip]] criticized him in "[[Check the Rhime]]", saying: "What you say Hammer? Proper. Rap is not pop, if you call it that then stop." [[LL Cool J]] [[diss (music)|dissed]] him in "[[To da Break of Dawn]]" (from his ''[[Mama Said Knock You Out]]'' album), calling Hammer an "amateur, swinging a Hammer from a body bag [his pants]" and stated: "my old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap." However, it could have been a response to Hammer calling him out in "Let's Get it Started", when he was mentioned along with [[Run-DMC]] and [[Doug E. Fresh]] as rappers that Hammer claimed to be better than. LL Cool J would later compliment and commend Hammer's abilities/talents on [[VH-1]]'s'' 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop'', which aired in 2008. [[Ice-T]] came to Hammer's defense on his 1991 album ''[[O.G. Original Gangster]]'': "A special shout out to my man MC Hammer. A lot of people diss you man, but they just jealous." Ice-T later explained that he had nothing against people who were [[pop rap]] from the start, but rather [[Master of ceremonies|emcees]] who switch from being hardcore or "dirty" to pop rap, in order to sell more records. Despite the criticisms, Hammer's career continued to be highly successful, including tours in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Russia. Soon after, M.C. Hammer [[Mattel]] dolls, lunchboxes and other merchandise were marketed. He was also given his own [[Saturday-morning cartoon]], called ''[[Hammerman]]'', which he hosted and voiced.<ref name="AWL">{{cite web|archive-date=August 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818065927/http://www.sbnation.com/2010/6/25/1537472/mc-hammer-cincinnati-reds-game-1990-world-series-celebration|date=June 25, 2010|title=MC Hammer To Perform At Reds Game|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2010/6/25/1537472/mc-hammer-cincinnati-reds-game-1990-world-series-celebration|url-status=live}} SB-Nation</ref>