#1988 San Francisco Giants

[thenewdemocratus]

NBC Sports: MLB 1988-GOW-7/23-San Francisco Giants @ St. Louis Cardinals: Full Game

Source:The Daily Press What a difference a year or a season makes for both the Giants and Cardinals. Who were both clearly the two best teams in the National League in 1987 and in the Cardinals case in 1988 were fighting to stay out of last place in the NL East in 1988. A division they played in until MLB realigned in 1994 and went to three divisions in both leagues. And in the Giants case, never…

View On WordPress

#1988 #1988 MLB Season #1988 San Francisco Giants #1988 St. Louis Cardinals #America #Busch Memorial Stadium #Joe Garagiola #Major League Baseball #Missouri #MLB #National Baseball League #National League #NBC Sports #NBC&039;s MLB Game of The Week #NL Central #NL West #San Francisco Giants #St. Louis #St. Louis Cardinals #The 1980s #United States #Vin Scully

[tomboyjessie13]

Bar, DIO's Mansion Spring, 1988

Kenny G: *Comes in from the crawl space carrying a box full of cocktail ingredients* That's the last of it, D'Arby.

T. D'Arby: Thank you, Kenny. *Starts stocking*

Medea: *On the phone nearby* Yeah, thanks man, *goes back, disappointed* I know I just found out today, ugh! I really wanted to go so badly, Boingo, I've been looking forward to it all month.

T. D'Arby and Kenny G: *Getting the bar ready as they eavesdrop*

Boingo: *On the phone* I knew you say that big sis, it happened to me and big bro two hours ago.

Medea: Huh? You guys knew two hours ago?

Boingo: [Thoth] had a prediction regarding the game.

Medea: Oh right, your Stand ability.

Boingo: I understand your disappointment, but really it can't be helped.

Medea: You're telling me... anyway, I'll talk to ya later kid, tell Oingo I said hi.

Boingo: Okay, and I'm really sorry about the game, maybe next time, bye. *Hangs up*

Medea: *Slams the phone down, frustrated* UGH! *Throws her baseball cap on the ground* It's not fair! How could the Government do this!?

T. D'Arby: What happened? Did they re-elect Nixon? *Kenny G pinches his arm* Ow! Don't pinch me. >_> *Pinches his earlobe*

Kenny G: Ow!

Medea: *Picks up hat* No it's not the American government, it's Egypt's.* They just went and canceled a baseball game that me and the Oingo Boingo bros. are supposed to go to! *Shows him the newspaper*

Kenny G: *Reads the newspaper* "~Historical Baseball Game Cancelled~ written by Arthur Jagger of BBC. The San Francisco Giants were originally set to be the first sports team in history to play baseball in the Pro-Football nation of Egypt, taking place in its capital city of Cairo. But was canceled by its President just shortly before the game could take place due to mass pressuring by the USSR, enraging citizens and foreigners alike. US Senator Wilson Phillips is scheduled to make peace with Egypt over the debacle while the Cairo sports committee owes the fans an apology and refunds for the tickets." *Pained hiss* Yikes. >_<

Medea: And the worst part is that it's not just ANY baseball team they barred from entering the country, it's the San Francisco Giants! They're like THE best group of athletes in America, even bigger than the Brooklyn Dodgers!

T. D'Arby: *Whispers to Kenny G* Huge fan since '83.

Kenny G: *Nods* Ooohh.

Medea: I was finally able to book a day off on the day of the game, hoping to use this time to see them play while also getting away from this god forsaken mansion for a while, but now I'm stuck here with nothing to do except getting picked on by Ice Cream. (Vanilla Ice: *In the Wine cellar* Achoo!) It's just not fair. *Stomps foot once*

T. D'Arby: *Holding "Oh! That's a Baseball!"* May I provide a solution? :-)

Medea: *Gets upset* Video games don't count! *Stomping more* I want the real thing! D'X

T. D'Arby: *Walks away, irritated* Geez, I was trying to be nice, no need to be a pill! >_<*

Kenny G: D'Arby's right, shit like this happens all the time, deal with it. *Pats back* Besides, look on the bright side: Now you got free time on your hands.

Medea: *Whining* But I haven't seen the Giants play since I got exiled, I even got tickets and everything, now what am I supposed to dooooo? TToTT

T. D'Arby: *In the dining hall* I don't know, you're the smart one, you figure it out. *Walks out* I got better things to do than cater to your pity party. *Closes door, but then opens the door* I'll be in the basement playing "Final Fantasy" when you're ready to apologize. *Closes door*

Kenny G: Sorry, Meds, but whining isn't going to do anything except make you look like a brat... no offense. *Closes the bar before taking his leave to* Why don't you go and have a "me-day" or something, whatever you women do. *Closes door*

Medea: *Pouting* But today was my me-day... :-(

END SCENE

*Any governments mentioned in JJBA is different from the governments IRL, any similarities between the two is highly coincidental and I do apologize if I offend someone

*Some of the beginning lines are based on "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends"

*Arthur Jagger - Made up person named after Mick Jagger of "The Rolling Stones"

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo oc #oc #telence t. d'arby #kenny g #kenny g jojo #vanilla ice #vanilla ice jojo #boingo #incorrect quotes #foster's home for imaginary friends #san francisco giants #baseball

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

I've decided to combine the previous fashion charts together so I wouldn't have to go back and forth between charts just to look for outfits to draw, I also took the opportunity to add new outfits and edit some of the original outfits on the chart because I felt that the original felt..."lacking" to put it bluntly.

I did however kept the original versions for documation purposes and because I felt that some of you guys may like the old outfits better.

Originals: Link Link

Outfits:

~Stardust Crusaders 1988 - 89~

- Main outfit: This is what she wears most of the time throughout Part 3, you'd think she look harmless but looks can be deceiving when you're a servant of DIO. The outfit consists of a black and orange baseball cap worn backwards (possibly a San Francisco Giants hat), a light and dark purple hoodie that exposes her shoulders, a black crop-top with white lining, a red belt, bluish-lilac jeans with rolled up legs, light purple socks, and almond colored high-top sneakers.

- Pajamas: This is what she wears to bed during 1987, just a simple baggy t-shirt and sport shorts similar to Asuka Langley's, except for the color changes to blueish gray and white and has a Morro Bay, California logo, she does however mostly forgo it for the next outfit of course for reasons. 

- DIO's servant: While serving DIO during her stay in Egypt, she wears more conservative Egyptian clothing during night time hours whenever he's active at night, even when she goes to bed. This is mostly to avoid DIO "noticing her" like he does with his women but makes up the excuse that Cairo gets cold at night. This is comprised of a long grayish-purple button up gown and dark grayish-purple pants, a gray shawl, and white slip ons, I also added colorful beads and golden bracelets to spice it up and match DIO's other servants.

- First arrival to Egypt: This is what she wore during her first arrival to Egypt after agreeing to join DIO's side, taking place a year before "Stardust Crusaders". I know it looked a little too touristy, but it would make sense since this her first time in Egypt, with the only thing she knew about the country are ancient civilizations, historical monuments, and very hot weather.

- DIO's World: She wears this shortly before and during "DIO's World", the last arc in "Stardust Crusaders", right after she befriended a hospitalized Kakyoin, showing that she's slowly shedding her DIO's slave persona and becoming an unofficial Crusader, the star accessories she wears pretty much shows this. She also wear's Joseph's breathing mask rigged with Hamon to gain the Crusaders' trust, being warned that it will go off if she removes it.

- End of Part 3: This is the same outfit as the previous one, except it's all dirtied up, torn, and bloodied from her last fight with DIO, furious with him for using her and murdering Kakyoin in cold blood. It was during that fight that she lost her arm to him and got as badly injured as Polnareff, putting her out of commission. She would later get a prosthetic arm from the SPW Foundation before taking the plane to Japan with Jotaro and Joseph.

~Diamond Is Unbreakable 1999~

- Wedding dress: The dress that Medea wore for her and Keiji's wedding a few years before "Diamond is Unbreakable" took place. I mean come on, she becomes a wife and mother in Part 4, right? We might as well show off the dress for it... And yes, she wore her glove over her mechanical arm, gotta make your prosthetics look fabulous to. Sorry if it doesn't look fantastical though, that's the best I can come up with.

- School Teacher: This is what she wears during her stay in Morioh, Japan as a History Teacher in Josuke's High School. Medea had noticeably aged and takes on a more mature and feminine look while still maintaining some of her traits from her younger years, her hair also grew longer and straighter down to her lower back. She is seen wearing a orchid purple suit with a black turtle neck underneath, and grayish brown slip ons, she also has her hair tied up in a bun. I also added a white belt to spice it up a little, give it a stylish 90's look.

- Casual outfit: On her off days, she wore a white button up shirt and a pair of bluish-lilac jeans with cuffs rolled to the ankles, her hair is also let down, and wears the same slip ons from her School Teacher attire, you'll also notice that her right arm has been replaced by a mechanical prosthetic after her last fight with DIO, similar to Joseph's last fight with Kars.

- Pajamas (circa 1999): This is what she wears to bed during the 1990's, her pajamas comprised of a grassy green tank top and gray sweats. It's not much but it's a change up from the purple-colored clothing she normally wears.

- Summer time: This is what she would wear during the first few days of Summer, contains a pair of summer shorts and a baggy "Prince" T-shirt, the only downside is that she gets mistaken for a foreign tourist by the residence of Morioh before being recognized by her friends and coworkers. This is inspired by this outfit from Evangelion.

- "Great Days": This is the outfit she wore during the 2nd half of Part 4 after Kira goes into hiding as "Kosaku Kawajiri". It's based on the schoolteacher outfit she wore except she wears her hair's down and forgoes her jacket, revealing that her black sweater is actually a sleeveless turtleneck with removable sleeves. She also wears a star neckless and bracelet to go with it, symbolizing her snapping out of her depression to find and defeat Kira alongside Jotaro Kujo.

~Stone Ocean 2011 - 12~

- Main outfit: This is what she wore for the majority of "Stone Ocean", having grown a lot older and wiser since Part 4. She wears a stylized jacket with pumps and a turtleneck dress underneath instead of flats and trousers, she also wears a band on her arm with a SPW Foundation logo on it, showing that she is now affiliated with the group to bust her daughter Noriko out of prison, save Jotaro's life, and kick Pucci's ass. Her hair has also been cut short into a pixie cut, symbolizing her growth and wisdom. 

~Non-Canon stories~

- "A Date with a Vampire" It's an evening dress that DIO gifts her for her 19th birthday as a way to "express gratitude" for her services, Medea of course doesn't want it because she knows DIO's just finding any excuse to objectify her or flaunt her around like a purebred puppy. The outfit mostly consists of a plum purple dress with long sleeves, short bottoms, and exposed shoulders, light purple footwear, silver braceletes, a fake wedding ring, and a silver necklace with three garnets, she also wears heavy makeup(curtosy of Mariah and Midler). This attire is mostly for RPs and dribbles, not Jojo OC canon, but I'm drawing it anyways because she looks fantastic in it.

OC belongs to me Base belongs to Rainfall-Bases Blank base here: BASE 272 - girl with no boots by Rainfall-Bases on DeviantArt

#artwork #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo oc #oc #concept art #anime base #fashion #egyptian fashion #1980's fashion #1990's fashion #2010's fashion #wedding dress #evening wear #summer wear #update #final

[joshbarneyca]

The Best Baseball Players from California

The state of California has produced some of the most accomplished professional baseball players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of, if not the, greatest hitters of all time, Ted Williams was born in San Diego in 1918. He played 19 seasons in the MLB, all with the Boston Red Sox. Williams led the league in runs scored six times.

Williams regularly ranked among the season leaders in runs batted in (RBI) and walks. That said, he is best known for his impressive batting average and on-base percentage (OBP). He led the league in batting average six times and finished his career with a .344 average, sixth-best in league history. He had a career OBP of .481, a league record. He received countless individual accolades during his career, highlighted by 16 All Star team selections.

While Williams excelled as an individual player, the Red Sox failed to win a World Series title during his more than two decades with the franchise, which included multiple missed seasons due to military service. Other California-born players have enjoyed greater postseason success.

Lefty pitcher Randy Johnson was born in Walnut Creek in 1963. He was initially drafted in the fourth round by the Atlanta Braves, but made his professional debut for the Montreal Expos in 1988. Johnson established himself as an ace pitcher, leading the league in win-loss percentage and earned run average (ERA) in 1995, but experienced multiple trades during the first phase of his career.

Johnson signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1999 and soon became regarded as one of the league’s top pitchers. He led the league in ERA during three of his first four years in Arizona, and recorded more strikeouts than any other pitcher each of those seasons. In 2001, Johnson and Curt Schilling led the Diamondbacks against the New York Yankees in the World Series. Johnson won all three games he pitched and was named co-MVP with Schilling. He finished his career as one of the league’s most decorated pitchers, with multiple Cy Young Awards and strikeout records.

Barry Bonds is another California native who enjoyed considerable individual success but finished his career without a World Series victory. A left-handed outfielder and designated hitter, he was born in Riverside in 1964. Bonds started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but played his final 15 seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

Bonds earned seven MVP awards during his career, along with eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers, and many additional plaudits. He took part in six Home Run Derby competitions, winning in 1996. He concluded his career with an OBP of .444, No. 7 all-time, and is the MLB career home run leader at 762.

Other notable baseball players to come out of the Sunshine State include Duke Snider of Los Angeles, Fresno’s Tom Seaver, and Mark McGwire, a Pomona native. Center fielder Joe DiMaggio was born in Martinez in 1914. He played his entire career for the New York Yankees, winning nine out of the 10 World Series he played in.

#Josh Barney

[yoursongs4]

[diarioelpepazo]

El criollo se llevó el premio Willie Mac GERARDO JAVIER ROMERO El jugador de cuadro de los Gigantes de San Francisco, Thairo Estrada, fue seleccionado como el ganador del Premio Willie Mac 2023, anunció hoy el club. El premio Willie McCovey se otorga anualmente al jugador más inspirador del equipo, según la votación de los jugadores, entrenadores, personal de entrenamiento, personal de la casa club y fanáticos de los Giants. Esta temporada marca el 43 aniversario del premio, que se estableció en 1980, en honor a la leyenda y miembro del Salón de la Fama Willie McCovey . “Espíritu competitivo, capacidad y liderazgo” están grabados en la placa que ahora honra tanto a Estrada como a McCovey. Estrada, en su tercera temporada con los Gigantes, actualmente lidera al equipo en hits (133), dobles (26), bases robadas (23) y está empatado en el liderato con 63 carreras. Ha igualado su mejor marca personal con 14 jonrones y su fWAR (4.1) es superado únicamente por el lanzador derecho Logan Webb (4.9). Las 23 bases robadas son la mayor cantidad de su carrera y la mayor cantidad para un Gigante desde 2012. Estrada ha jugado la mayoría de sus partidos esta temporada en la segunda base (99), pero también ha jugado 24 partidos como campocorto y tres partidos en el jardín izquierdo. Su juego defensivo vale +18 Outs Above Average (Statcast), el tercero mejor en toda la MLB. A continuación se enumeran los ganadores del premio Willie Mac: 1980 Jack Clark 1981 Larry Herndon 1982 Joe Morgan 1983 Darrell Evans 1984 Bob Brenly 1985 Mike Krukow 1986 Mike Krukow 1987 Chris Speier 1988 José Uribe 1989 Dave Dravecky 1990 Steve Bedrosian 1991 Robby Thompson 1992 Mike Felder 1993 Kirt Manwaring 1994 Ninguno 1995 Mark Leiter y Mark Carreón 1996 Shawon Dunston 1997 JT nieve 1998Jeff Kent 1999 Marvin Benard 2000 Ellis Burks 2001 Mark Gardner y Benito Santiago 2002 David Bell 2003 Marqués Grissom 2004 JT nieve 2005 Mike Matheny 2006 Omar Vizquel 2007 Bengie Molina 2008 Bengie Molina 2009 Matt Caín 2010 Andrés Torres 2011 Ryan Vogelsong 2012 Buster Posey 2013 Pence cazador 2014 Madison Bumgarner 2015 Matt Duffy 2016 Brandon Crawford y Javier López 2017 Nick Hundley 2018 Will Smith 2019 Kevin Pillar 2020 Mike Yastrzemski 2021 La Monte Wade Jr. 2022 Wilmer Flores 2023 Thairo Estrada Para recibir en tu celular esta y otras informaciones, únete a nuestras redes sociales, síguenos en Instagram, Twitter y Facebook como @DiarioElPepazo El Pepazo/Líder/MLB.com

[lboogie1906]

William De Kova White (born January 28, 1934) is a former baseball first baseman who played for the New York / San Francisco Giants (1956, 1958), St. Louis Cardinals (1959–65, 1969), and Philadelphia Phillies (1966–68). He was an eight-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner, who earned a championship as a top contributor to the 1964 World Series Champions. In 1989 he was elected President of the National League. He served as NL president until he retired in 1994. He became a full-time sportscaster after his playing career ended in 1969, and was the play-by-play man and color analyst for New York Yankees television and radio broadcasts for 18 years. He graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio in 1952, and was both president and salutatorian of his class. He then stayed in-state to attend Hiram College from 1953 to 1955. In both high school and college, he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. He earned a sports program on KMOX radio in St. Louis while he was still playing for the Cardinals. Following a trade to the Phillies, he did a program there. He became a sportscaster for WFIL-TV in Philadelphia. He became the first African-American to broadcast NHL games when he called several games of the Philadelphia Flyers. In 1971, he joined the New York Yankees' broadcast team. He called Yankee games from 1971 to 1988, most often teamed with Phil Rizzuto and Frank Messer. White did the team's broadcasts on both radio and television during most of that stretch. He was the first regular African American play-by-play announcer for a major-league sports team. Outside of baseball, he was part of the coverage of the Winter Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. The Yankee organization showed their appreciation following his years in the broadcast booth when they selected him to receive their Pride of the Yankees Award in 1990. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CoAPsHqL9An/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[superman86to99]

Superman #85 (January 1994)

Cat Grant in... "DARK RETRIBUTION"! Which is like normal retribution, but somehow darker. On the receiving end of Cat's darktribution is Winslow Schott, the Toyman, who suddenly changed his MO from "pestering Superman with wacky robots" to "murdering children" back on Superman #84, with one of his victims being Cat's young son Adam. Now Cat has a gun and intends to sneak it into prison to use it on Toyman. She's also pretty pissed at Superman for taking so long to find Toyman after Adam’s death (to be fair, Superman did lose several days being frozen in time by an S&M demon, as seen in Man of Steel #29).

So how did Superman find Toyman anyway? Basically, by spying on like 25% of Metropolis. After finding out from Inspector Turpin that the kids were killed near the docks, Superman goes there and focuses all of his super-senses to get "a quick glimpse of every person" until he sees a bald, robed man sitting on a giant crib, and goes "hmmm, yeah, that looks like someone who murders children." At first, Superman doesn't understand why Toyman would do such a horrible thing, but then Schott starts talking to his mommy in his head and the answer becomes clear: he watched Psycho too many times (or Dan Jurgens did, anyway).

Immediately after wondering why no one buys his toys, Toyman makes some machine guns spring out of his giant crib. I don't know, man, maybe it's because they're all full of explosives and stuff? Anyway, Toyman throws a bunch of exploding toys at Superman, including a robot duplicate of himself, but of course they do nothing. Superman takes him to jail so he can get the help he needs -- which, according to Cat, is a bullet to the face. Or so it seems, until she gets in front of him, pulls the trigger, and...

PSYCHE! It was one of those classic joke guns I’ve only ever seen in comics! Cat says she DID plan to bring a real gun, but then she saw one of these at a toy store and just couldn't resist. Superman, who was watching the whole thing, tells Cat she could get in trouble for this stunt, but he won't tell anyone because she's already been through enough. Then he asks her if she needs help getting home and she says no, because she wants to be more self-sufficient.

I think that's supposed to be an inspiring ending, but I don't know... Adam's eerie face floating in the background there makes me think she's gonna shave her head and climb into a giant crib any day, too. THE END!

Character-Watch:

Cat did become more self-sufficient after this, though. Up to now, all of her storylines seemed to revolve around other people: her ex-husband, Morgan Edge, José Delgado, Vinnie Edge, and finally Toyman. After this, I feel like there was a clear effort to turn her into a character that works by herself. I actually like what they did with Cat in the coming years, though I still don’t think they had to kill her poor kid to do that -- they could have sent him off to boarding school, or maybe to live with his dad. Or with José Delgado, over at Power of Shazam! I bet Jerry Ordway would have taken good care of him.

Plotline-Watch:

Wait, so can Superman just find anyone in Metropolis any time he wants? Not really: this is part of the ongoing storyline about his powers getting boosted after he came back from the dead, which sounds pretty useful now but is about to get very inconvenient.

Don Sparrow points out: "It is interesting that as Superman tries to capture Schott, he at one point instead captures a robot decoy, particularly knowing what Geoff Johns will retroactively do to this storyline in years to come, in Action Comics #865, as we mentioned in our review of Superman #84." Johns also explained that the robot thought he was hearing his mother's voice due to the real Toyman trying to contact him via radio, which I prefer to the "psycho talks to his dead mom" cliche.

Superman says "I never thought he'd get to the point where he'd KILL anyone -- especially children!" Agreed about the children part but, uh, did Superman already forget that Toyman murdered a whole bunch people on his very first appearance, in Superman #13? Or does Superman not count greedy toy company owners as people? Understandable, I guess.

There's a sequence about Cat starting a fire in a paper basket at the prison to sneak past the metal detector, but why do that if she had a toy gun all long? Other than to prevent smartass readers like us from saying "How did she get the gun into the prison?!" before the plot twist, that is.

Patreon-Watch:

Shout out to our patient Patreon patrons, Aaron, Murray Qualie, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, Bheki Latha, Mark Syp, Ryan Bush, Raphael Fischer, Dave Shevlin, and Kit! The latest Patreon-only article was about another episode of the 1988 Superman cartoon written by Marv Wolfman, this one co-starring Wonder Woman (to Lois' frustration).

Another Patreon perk is getting to read Don Sparrow's section early, because he usually finishes his side of these posts long before I do (he ALREADY finished the next one, for instance). But now this one can be posted in public! Take it away, Don:

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow​):

We begin with the cover, and it’s a good one— an ultra tight close up for Cat Grant firing a .38 calibre gun, with the titular Superman soaring in, perhaps too late.  An interesting thing to notice in this issue (and especially on the cover) is that the paper stock that DC used for their comics changed, so slightly more realistic shading was possible.  While it’s nowhere near the sophistication or gloss of the Image Comics stock of the time, there is an attempt at more realistic, airbrushy type shading in the colour.  It works well in places, like the muzzle flash, on on Cat Grant’s cheeks and knuckles, but less so in her hair, where the shadow looks a browny green on my copy.

The interior pages open with a pretty good bit of near-silent storytelling.  We are deftly shown, and not told the story—there are condolence cards and headlines, and the looming presence of a liquor bottle, until we are shown on the next page splash the real heart of the story, a revolver held aloft by Catherine Grant, bereaved mother, with her targeting in her mind the grim visage of the Toyman.

While their first few issues together meshed pretty well, it’s around  this issue that the pencil/inks team of Jurgens and Rubinstein starts to look a little rushed in places.  A few inkers who worked with Jurgens that I’ve spoken to have hinted that his pencils can vary in their level of detail, from very finished  to pretty loose, and in the latter case, it’s up to the inker to embellish where there’s a lack of detail.  Some inkers, like Brett Breeding, really lay down a heavier hand, where there’s quite a bit of actual drawing work in addition to adding value and weight to the lines.  I suspect some of the looseness in the figures, as well as empty  backgrounds reveals that these pencils were less detailed than we often  see from Jurgens.

There’s some weird body language in the tense exchange between Superman and Cat as she angrily confronts him about his lack of progress in capturing her son’s killer—Superman  looks a little too dynamic and pleased with himself for someone ostensibly apologizing. Superman taking flight to hunt down Toyman is classic Jurgens, though.

Another example of art weirdness comes on page 7, where Superman gets filled in on the progress of the Adam Morgan investigation.  Apparently Suicide Slum has some San Francisco-like hills, as that is one very steep sidewalk separating Superman and Turpin from some central-casting looking punks.

The  sequence of Superman concentrating his sight and hearing on the  waterfront area is well-drawn, and it’s always nice to see novel uses of his powers.  Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman does a similar trick quite often on the excellent first season of Superman & Lois.  The full-bleed splash of Superman breaking through the wall to capture Toyman is definitely panel-of-the-week material, as we really feel Superman’s rage and desperation to catch this child-killer.

Pretty much all the pages with Cat Grant confronting Winslow Schott are  well-done and tensely paced.  While sometimes I think the pupil-less  flare of the eye-glasses is a cop-out, it does lend an opaqueness and mystery to what Toyman is thinking.  Speaking of cop-outs, the gag gun twist ending really didn’t work for me.  I was glad that Cat didn’t lower herself to Schott’s level and become a killer, even for revenge, but the prank gun just felt too silly of a tonal shift for a storyline with this much gravitas.  The breakneck denouement that Cat is now depending only on herself didn’t get quite enough breathing room either.

While I appreciated that the ending of this issue avoided an overly simplistic, Death Wish style of justice, this issue extends this troubling but brief era of Superman comics. The casual chalk outlines of  yet two more dead children continues the high body count of the  previous handful of issues, and the tone remains jarring to me.  The issue is also self-aware enough to point out, again, that Schott is  generally an ally of children, and not someone who historically wishes  them harm, but that doesn’t stop the story from going there, in the most  violent of terms. In addition to being a radical change to the Toyman  character, it’s handled in a fashion more glib than we’re used to seeing  in these pages.  The mental health cliché of a matriarchal obsession, a la Norman Bates doesn’t elevate it either.  So, another rare misstep  from Jurgens the writer, in my opinion.   STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

I  had thought for sure that Romanove Vodka was a sly reference to a certain Russian Spy turned Marvel superhero, but it turns out there  actually is a Russian Vodka called that, minus the “E”, produced not in Russia, as one might think from the Czarist name, but rather, India.

While it made for an awkward exchange, I was glad that Cat pointed out how  her tragedy more or less sat on the shelf while Superman dealt with the "Spilled Blood" storyline.  A lesser book might not have acknowledged any  time had passed. Though I did find it odd for Superman to opine that he  wanted to find her son’s murderer even more than she wanted him to.  Huh?  How so?

I love the detail that Toyman hears the noise of Superman soaring to capture him, likening it to a train coming.

I  quibble, but there’s so much I don’t understand about the “new” Toyman.  If he’s truly regressing mentally, to an infant-like state, why does he wear this phantom of the opera style long cloak while he sits in his baby crib?  Why not go all the way, and wear footie pajamas, like the lost souls on TLC specials about “adult babies”?

I get that Cat Grant is in steely determination mode, but it seemed a little out of place that she had almost no reaction to the taunting she faced from her child’s killer.  She doesn’t shed a single tear in the entire issue, and no matter how focused she is on vengeance, that doesn’t seem realistic to me. [Max: That's because this is not just retribution, Don. It's dark retribution. We’ve been over this!]

#superman #dan jurgens #joe rubinstein #cat grant #adam morgan #toyman #dan turpin #joke guns that only exist in comics #cat grant the dark retributor #coming soon to image comics

[masquerade-at-home]

2021 Masquerade Awards and Judges

San Diego Comic-Con Category Awards

Graciously awarded by:

Our 2021 Masquerade Judges

Will be selecting a winner for each of the following categories: Best in Show, Judges’ Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Most Beautiful, Most Humorous, and Best Group.

All winners receive 2021 Masquerade Winners Medallions and complimentary tickets to San Diego Comic-Con 2022

Frank and Son Award for Most Outstanding Costume

$1,000 Cash Prize

Graciously awarded by:

The Frank & Son Collectible Show, of the City of Industry, California.  Frank and Sons is a giant one-stop show for all things collectible at their bi-weekly mini-cons and has supported fan costuming at our conventions with generous cash prizes for many years.

The David C. Copley Award for Most Innovative Costume

$500 in Amazon Gift Cards

Graciously awarded by:

The UCLA David C. Copley Center for The Study of Costume Design, judged and awarded by Copley Center Director Deborah Nadoolman Landis.

The David C. Copley Center serves UCLA TFT students, the university, the international community of historians, filmmakers and professional costume designers. The Center provides a home for the study of costume design history, genre research, costume illustration as an art form, and the influence of costume design on fashion and popular culture.

Costume Designers Guild Spotlight Award

Costume Design Book, a copy of  CDG Magazine, and a $100 gift card to Mood Fabrics, the largest online fabric store for designers and anyone who sews.

Graciously awarded by:

The Costume Designers Guild IATSE Local 892, representing Hollywood costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators working at the highest levels of expertise in motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos, and new media.

The CDG is part of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.)

Meet Our 2021 Masquerade Judges

Jennifer May Nickel

Is a Costume Designer for Television and Film.  Classically trained in theatre, Jennifer holds an MFA in Costume Design from Carnegie Mellon University and also studied in England at Oxford University (St. Edmund’s College: Myth and Ritual in Theatre). A proud member of the Costume Designers’ Guild Jennifer has won the Elizabeth Schrader Kimberly Costume Design Award, The Cecilia Cohen Award for Excellence in Theatre and The WCDAC Achievement Award

Her Television Costume Design credits include Neflix’s Cabin with Bert Kreischer and Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis, the CW’s Containment, Fox’s What Just Happened??! with Fred Savage, Syfy’s TV movie Miami Magma, the History Channel’s Legend of the Superstition Mountains, TLC’s TV movie The Secret Santa and Nickelodeon’s The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery.   Jennifer has Costume Designed various CollegeHumor Originals, SMBC Theater’s hit web series Starpocalypse and pilots for E!, Nickelodeon, Relativity TV and CrisisLab.

——————————–

Deborah Nadoolman Landis, PhD

Costume designer, historian and endowed chair at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television Landis is the Founding Director of the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design. Landis received an M.F.A. in costume design from UCLA and a Ph.D. in the history of design from the Royal College of Art, London. Her distinguished career includes Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Trading Places (1983), The Three Amigos (1987), Coming to America (1988), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, and the groundbreaking music video Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983). Now considered ‘classic,’ characters she has designed, like Indiana Jones, have become international cultural icons. Her costume designs are found in the collections of museums including the Smithsonian Museum of American History (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones), the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame (Michael Jackson’s Thriller) and most recently, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Coming to America).

A two-term past president of the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892, and a past-Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (2013-2018), Landis sits on the Board of the National Film Preservation Foundation. She is the author of six books including Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design, FilmCraft: Costume Design, Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration and the catalogue for her landmark exhibition, Hollywood Costume, which she curated at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2012. The exhibition, a celebration of one hundred years of costume design history while showcasing the designers’ contribution and process, open just three months, with an attendance of more than 265,000 visitors, became the most successful exhibition in the long history of that museum. The show then traveled to Melbourne, Australia, Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles. Landis is the editor-in-chief of the upcoming three-volume Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Film and Television Costume Design (2021).

—————————————

Garnet Filo

Is a Costume Designer with more than 40 projects under her belt. Recently she’s Costume Design assisted on several sci-fi series including The Orville and The Mandalorian; further developing her skills by working closely with their Costume Designers. Garnet has always been fascinated by the futuristic and the fantastic and her passion to bring these to life only continues to grow. She is the chairperson for the Costume Designers Guild I.A.T.S.E. local 892 Comic-Con committee.

- - - - - - - - - -

Allan Lavigne

Is a self-taught costumer, make-up special effects artist, sculptor, and [MJ1] painter with 40 years’ experience in costume fabrication Formerly a top costume winner for many years at fan conventions around the USA, including many San Diego Comic-Cons, he brings with him great insight from having honed his costume skills as an on-stage contestant himself. Since then, he has gone on to do work for Disney, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures, and more. In his Bronze Armory studio, in the San Francisco Bay Area, he creates, lectures, and teaches.

His costume work has been exhibited in museums, at film premieres and at numerous conventions.   His current exhibit of screen-accurate motion picture and television costume reproductions “The Batman Armory” is featured at the San Francisco Cartoon Museum, requested by Warner Brothers to promote the new Batman encyclopedia: Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Films and Beyond which Allan was technical advisor for. In a second gallery of the museum, his Wonder Woman costume re-creations accompany the featured exhibit about that character.

- - - - - - - - - -

Gigi “Fast Elk” Bannister (formerly Porter)

has been in the film industry for over 35 years as a SFX Artist, Director, Producer, and actor. Better known for her practical special effects and production work, Gigi is experienced on both sides of the camera. She has appeared in over a dozen films and television shows, and is a popular guest at horror conventions, film festivals, workshops, and seminars. For several years she has donated time at San Diego Comic-Cons to assist Masquerade contestants with their special effects make-up needs.

Gigi is credited as a Producer on Don Coscarelli and David Hartman’s “Phantasm V: Ravager” (2016) and Steve King’s “One For the Road” (2011) (Night Shift Anthology). As a character actor, she appeared in “Bloody Bloody Bible Camp” (2011), “Carnies” (2009), in “Small Town Saturday Night” (2009) (with Chris Pine, and John Hawkes), and again in Don Coscarelli’s “Bubba Ho-Tep” (2002) (Bruce Campbell, Reggie Bannister and Ozzie Davis). She has produced and directed on numerous projects including dozens of live events, fundraisers and seminars, six independent feature films, and six shows for television. More information on Gigi can be found on IMDb.

#comic con@home #Comic-ConAtHome #Comic-ConAtHome2021 #Comic-ConAtHomeMasquerade #SDCC

[1962dude420-blog]

Today we remember the passing of Dennis Hopper who Died: May 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California

Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, and visual artist. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in Giant (1956). In the next ten years he made a name in television, and by the end of the 1960s had appeared in several films, notably Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Hang 'Em High (1968). Hopper also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s.

Hopper made his directorial film debut with Easy Rider (1969), which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern. The film earned Hopper a Cannes Film Festival Award for "Best First Work" and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (shared with Fonda and Southern). Journalist Ann Hornaday wrote: "With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies, Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s, a celluloid anthem to freedom, macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion". Film critic Matthew Hays wrote "no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper".

Following the critical and commercial failure of his second film as director, The Last Movie (1971), he worked on various independent and foreign projects – in which he was frequently typecast as mentally disturbed outsiders in such films as Mad Dog Morgan (1976) and The American Friend (1977) – until he found new fame for his role as an American photojournalist in Apocalypse Now (1979). He went on to helm his third directorial work Out of the Blue (1980), for which he was again honored at Cannes, and appeared in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983). He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers, the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His fourth directorial outing came about through Colors (1988), followed by an Emmy-nominated lead performance in Paris Trout (1991). In 1990, Dennis Hopper directed The Hot Spot, which was not a box-office hit. Hopper found greater fame for portraying the villains of the films Super Mario Bros. (1993), Speed (1994) and Waterworld (1995).

Hopper's later work included a leading role in the short-lived television series Crash (2008–2009), inspired by the film of the same name. He appeared in three films released posthumously: Alpha and Omega (2010), The Last Film Festival (2016) and the long-delayed The Other Side of the Wind (2018), which had been filmed in the early 1970s.

On September 28, 2009, Hopper, then 73, was reportedly brought by ambulance to an unidentified Manhattan hospital wearing an oxygen mask and "with numerous tubes visible". On October 2, he was discharged, after receiving treatment for dehydration.

On October 29, Hopper's manager Sam Maydew reported that he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. In January 2010, it was reported that Hopper's cancer had metastasized to his bones.

On March 18, 2010, he was honored with the 2,403rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Surrounded by friends including Jack Nicholson, Viggo Mortensen, David Lynch, Michael Madsen, family and fans, he attended its addition to the sidewalk six days later.

By March 2010, Hopper reportedly weighed only 100 pounds (45 kg) and was unable to carry on long conversations. According to papers filed in his divorce court case, Hopper was terminally ill and was unable to undergo chemotherapy to treat his prostate cancer.

Hopper died at his home in the coastal Venice district of Los Angeles, aged 74, on the morning of May 29, 2010. His funeral took place on June 3, 2010, at San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. His body was buried at the Jesus Nazareno Cemetery in Ranchos de Taos.

#May 29 #2010 #R.I.P. #Dennis Hopper #Legend #actor #director #photographer

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

I made a fashion chart for my new OC Medea, there isn't a lot of outfits for her to wear throughout Jojo, but it still took me days to finish due to my crappy sleep schedule and distractions. Outfits:

~Stardust Crusaders 1988 - 89~

- Main outfit: This is what she wears most of the time throughout Part 3, you'd think she look harmless but looks can be deceiving when you're a servant of DIO. The outfit consists of a black and orange baseball cap worn backwards (possibly a San Francisco Giants hat), a light and dark purple hoodie that exposes her shoulders, a black crop-top with white lining, a red belt, bluish-lilac jeans with rolled up legs, light purple socks, and almond colored high-top sneakers. - Pajamas(circa 1987): This is what she wears to bed during 1987, just a simple baggy t-shirt and sport shorts similar to Asuka Langley's, except for the color changes to blueish gray and white and has a Morro Bay, California logo, she does however later forgo it for the next outfit of course. - DIO's servant: While serving DIO during her stay in Egypt, she wears more conservative Egyptian clothing during night time hours whenever he's active at night, even when she goes to bed. This is mostly to avoid DIO "noticing her" like he does with his women, but makes up the excuse that Cairo gets cold at night. This is comprised of a long grayish-purple button up gown and dark grayish-purple pants, a gray shawl, and white slip ons, I also added colorful beads and golden bracelets to spice it up and match DIO's other servants. ~Diamond Is Unbreakable 1999~ - School Teacher: This is what she wears during her stay in Morioh, Japan as a History Teacher in Josuke's High School. Medea had noticeably aged and takes on a more mature and feminine look while still maintaining some of her traits from her younger years, her hair also grew longer and straighter down to her lower back. She is seen wearing a orchid purple suit with a black turtle neck underneath, and grayish brown slip ons, she also has her hair tied up in a bun. I also added a white belt to spice it up a little, give it a stylish 90's look. - Casual outfit: On her off days, she wore a white button up shirt and a pair of bluish-lilac jeans with cuffs rolled to the ankles, her hair is also let down, and wears the same slip ons from her School Teacher attire, you'll also notice that her right arm has been replaced by a mechanical prosthetic after her last fight with DIO, similar to Joseph's last fight with Kars. - Pajamas (circa 1999): This is what she wears to bed during the 1990's, her pajamas comprised of a grassy green tank top and gray sweats. It's not much but it's a change up from the purple colored clothing she normally wears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OC belongs to me Base belongs to Rainfall-Bases Blank base here: https://www.deviantart.com/rainfall-bases/art/BASE-272-girl-with-no-boots-498423974

#artwork #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo oc #oc #concept art #anime base #fashion #egyptian fashion #1980's fashion #1990's fashion

[blackkudos]

M. C. Hammer

Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. Remembered for his rapid rise to fame, Hammer is known for hit records (such as "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit"), flashy dance movements, choreography and eponymous Hammer pants.

A multi-award winner, M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather/pioneer" and innovator of pop-rap (incorporating elements of freestyle music), and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album. BET ranked Hammer as the No. 7 "Best Dancer Of All Time". Vibe's "The Best Rapper Ever Tournament" declared him the 17th favorite of all-time during the first round.

Burrell became a preacher during the late 1990s with a Christian ministry program on TBN called M.C. Hammer and Friends. Additionally, he starred in a Saturday-morning cartoon called Hammerman in 1991, and was executive producer of his own reality show called Hammertime, which aired on the A&E Network during the summer of 2009. Hammer was also a television show host and dance judge on Dance Fever in 2003, was co-creator of a dance website called DanceJam.com, and is a record label CEO while still performing concerts at music venues and assisting with other social media, ministry and outreach functions. Prior to becoming ordained, Hammer signed with Suge Knight's Death Row Records by 1995.

Throughout his career, Hammer has managed his own recording business. As a result, he has created and produced his own acts including Ho Frat Hoo!, Oaktown's 3.5.7, Special Generation, Analise, DRS, B Angie B, and Gentry Kozia. A part of additional record labels, he has associated, collaborated and recorded with Psy, VMF, Tupac Shakur, Teddy Riley, Felton Pilate, Tha Dogg Pound, The Whole 9, The Hines Brother, Deion Sanders, Big Daddy Kane, BeBe & CeCe Winans and Jon Gibson.

Early life and education

Stanley Kirk Burrell was born on March 30, 1962 in Oakland, California. His father was a professional poker player and gambling casino manager (at Oaks Card Club's cardroom), as well as warehouse supervisor. He grew up poor with his mother (a secretary) and eight siblings in a small apartment in East Oakland. He recalled that six children were crammed into a three-bedroom housing project apartment. The Burrells would also frequent thoroughbred horse races, eventually becoming owners and winners of several graded stakes.

In the Oakland Coliseum parking lot the young Burrell would sell stray baseballs and dance accompanied by a beatboxer. Oakland A's team owner Charles O. Finley saw the 11-year-old doing splits and hired him as a clubhouse assistant and batboy as a result of his energy and flair. Burrell served as a "batboy" with the team from 1973 to 1980. In 2010, Hammer discussed his lifelong involvement with athletes on ESPN's First Take as well as explained that his brother Louis Burrell Jr. (who would later become Hammer's business manager) was actually the batboy while his job was to take calls and do "play-by-plays" for the A's absentee owner during every summer game. The colorful Finley, who lived in Chicago, used the child as his "eyes and ears." Reggie Jackson, in describing Burrell's role for Finley, took credit for his nickname:

Hell, our chief executive, the guy that ran our team, uh, that communicated [with] Charlie Finley, the top man there, was a 13-year old kid. I nicknamed him "Hammer," because he looked like Hank Aaron [whose nickname was "The Hammer"].

Team players, including Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Pedro Garcia, also dubbed Burrell "Little Hammer" due to his resemblance to Aaron. Ron Bergman, at the time an Oakland Tribune writer who covered the A's, recalled that:

He was an informant in the clubhouse, an informant for Charlie, and he got the nickname "Pipeline."

According to Hammer:

Charlie said, "I'm getting you a new hat. I don't want you to have a hat that says "A's" on it. I'm getting you a hat that says 'Ex VP,' that says 'Executive Vice President.' You're running the joint around here." ... Every time I come down to the clubhouse, you know, Rollie would yell out "Oh, everybody be quiet! Here comes Pipeline!"

He acquired the nickname "M.C." for being a "Master of Ceremonies" which he used when he began performing at various clubs while on the road with the A's, and eventually in the military. Hammer, who played second base in high school, dreamed of being a professional baseball player but did not make the final cut at a San Francisco Giants tryout. However, he has been a participant/player in the annual Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game wearing an A's cap to represent Oakland (American League).

Burrell went on to graduate from McClymonds High School in Oakland and took undergraduate classes in communications. Discouraged by his studies at a local college and failing to win a place in a professional baseball organization. He joined the United States Navy for three years, serving with PATRON (Patrol Squadron) FOUR SEVEN (VP-47) of NAS Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA as a Petty Officer Third Class Aviation Store Keeper (AK3) until his honorable discharge.

Music and entertainment career

Before Hammer's successful music career (with his mainstream popularity lasting approximately between 1988 and 1998) and his "rags-to-riches-to-rags-and-back saga", Burrell formed a Christian rap music group with CCM's Jon Gibson (or "J.G.") called Holy Ghost Boys. Some songs produced were called "Word" and "B-Boy Chill". "The Wall", featuring Burrell (it was originally within the lyrics of this song he first identified himself as K.B. and then eventually M.C. Hammer once it was produced), was later released on Gibson's album Change of Heart (1988). This was Contemporary Christian music's first rap hit ever. Burrell also produced "Son of the King" at that time, releasing it on his debut album. "Son of the King" showed up on Hammer's debut album Feel My Power (1987), as well as the re-released version Let's Get It Started (1988).

With exception to later remixes of early releases, Hammer produced and recorded many rap songs that were never made public, yet are now available on the Internet. Via his record labels such as Bust It Records, Oaktown Records and Full Blast, Hammer has introduced, signed and produced new talent including Oaktown's 3.5.7, Ho Frat Hoo!, the vocal quintet Special Generation, Analise, James Greer, One Cause One Effect, B Angie B, The Stooge Playaz, DASIT (as seen on ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show), Teabag, Common Unity, Geeman and Pleasure Ellis; both collaborating with him and producing music of their own during his career.

At about the age of 12, Oakland native Keyshia Cole recorded with Hammer and sought career advice from him.

Feel My Power (1986)

In the mid-1980s while rapping in small venues and after a record deal went sour, Hammer borrowed US$20,000 each from former Oakland A's players Mike Davis and Dwayne Murphy to start a record label business called Bust It Productions. He kept the company going by selling records from his basement and car. Bust It spawned Bustin' Records, the independent label of which Hammer was CEO. Together, the companies had more than 100 employees. Recording singles and selling them out of the trunk of his car, he marketed himself relentlessly. Coupled with his dance abilities, Hammer's style was unique at the time.

Now billing himself as "M.C. Hammer", he recorded his debut album, Feel My Power, which was produced between 1986 and 1987 and released independently in 1987 on his Oaktown Records label (Bustin'). It was produced by Felton Pilate (of Con Funk Shun). It sold over 60,000 copies and was distributed by City Hall Records. In the spring of 1988, Tony Valera, a 107.7 KSOL Radio DJ, played the track "Let's Get It Started" in his mix-shows—a song in which Hammer declared he was "second to none, from Doug E. Fresh, LL Cool J, or DJ Run"—after which the track began to gain popularity in clubs. (He would continue to call out other East Coast rappers in future projects as well.)

Hammer also released a single called "Ring 'Em", and largely on the strength of tireless street marketing by Hammer and his wife, plus continued radio mix-show play, it achieved considerable popularity at dance clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Heartened by his rising prospects, Hammer launched into seven-day-a-week rehearsals with the growing troupe of dancers, musicians, and backup vocalists he had hired. It was Hammer's stage show, and his infectious stage presence, that led to his big break in 1988 while performing in an Oakland club. There he impressed a record executive who "didn't know who he was, but knew he was somebody", according to the New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll.

M.C.Hammer had received several offers from major record labels before (which he initially declined due to his personal success), but after the successful release of this independent album and elaborate live dance show amazed the Capitol Records executive, Hammer agreed to sign a record deal soon after. Hammer took home a US$1,750,000 advance and a multi-album contract. It didn't take long for Capitol to recoup its investment.

Let's Get It Started (1988)

Once signed to Capitol Records, Hammer re-issued his first record (a revised version of Feel My Power) with additional tracks added and sold over 2 million copies. "Pump It Up" (also performed during Showtime at the Apollo on September 16, 1989), "Turn This Mutha Out", "Let's Get It Started" and "They Put Me in the Mix" were the most popular singles from this album, all of which charted. Not entirely satisfied with this first multi-platinum success, Hammer's music underwent a metamorphosis, shifting from the standard rap format in his upcoming album. "I decided the next album would be more musical," he says. Purists chastised him for being more dancer than rapper. Sitting in a leopard-print bodysuit before a concert, he defended his style: "People were ready for something different from the traditional rap style. The fact that the record has reached this level indicates the genre is growing."

M.C. Hammer was very good friends with Arsenio Hall (as well as a then-unknown teen named Robert Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, despite later rumors that there was a "beef" between the two rappers which was addressed during the height of both their careers on Hall's show, and who he would later reunite with in a 2009 concert in Salt Lake City, Utah), and as such, Hammer was first invited to perform the song "U Can't Touch This", prior to its release, on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1989. He also performed "Dancing Machine" in a version that appeared in the same-titled movie.

Hammer used some of the proceeds from this album to install a rolling recording studio in the back of his tour bus, where he recorded much of his second album.

In 1989, Hammer was featured on "You've Got Me Dancing" (with Glen Goldsmith), which appeared on the Glen Goldsmith album Don't Turn This Groove Around (RCA Records). The track was Hammer's first release in the UK. Hammer also appeared in Glen Goldsmith's music video for this song. The single failed to chart.

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (1990)

Notorious for dissing rappers in his previous recordings, Hammer appropriately titled his third album (and second major-label release) Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, which was released February 12, 1990 (with an original release date of January 1, 1990). It included the successful single "U Can't Touch This" (which sampled Rick James' "Super Freak"). It was produced, recorded, and mixed by Felton Pilate and James Earley on a modified tour bus while on tour in 1989. Despite heavy airplay and a No. 27 chart debut, "U Can't Touch This" stopped at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart because it was released only as a twelve-inch single. However, the album was a No. 1 success for 21 weeks, due primarily to this single, the first time ever for a recording on the pop charts. The song has been and continues to be used in many filmmaking and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack/compilation albums as well.

Follow-up successes included a cover of the Chi-Lites' "Have You Seen Her" and "Pray" (a beat sampled from Prince's "When Doves Cry" and Faith No More's "We Care a Lot"), 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 diamond status, selling more than 18 million units to date. 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 fanbase. "Dancin' Machine" sampled The Jackson 5, "Help the Children" (also the name of an outreach foundation Hammer started) interpolates Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "She's Soft and Wet" also sampled Prince's "Soft and Wet". All of these songs proved 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 only) all charting. The album increased the popularity of hip-hop music. It remains the genre's all-time best-selling album.

A movie also accompanied the album and was produced in 1990, called Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie (with portions of his music videos included within the movie). At the same time, he also appeared in The West Coast Rap All-Stars posse cut "We're All in the Same Gang." Music videos from this album and the previous albums began to receive much airplay on MTV and VH1.

M.C. Hammer also contributed a track, "This is What We Do", on the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie soundtrack on SBK Records.

A critical backlash began over the repetitive nature of his lyrics, his clean-cut image, and his perceived over-reliance on sampling others' entire hooks 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 derelict. Q Tip criticized him in "Check the Rhyme," asking, "What you say Hammer? Proper. Rap is not pop, if you call it that then stop." LL Cool J dissed him in "To tha Break of Dawn" (from the Mama Said Knock You Out album), calling Hammer an "amateur, swinging a Hammer from a bodybag [his pants]," and saying, "My old gym teacher ain't supposed to rap.", though this could have been seen as 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). However, Ice-T came to his defense on his 1991 album O.G. Original Gangster: "A special shout out to my man M.C. Hammer: a lot of people dis you, man, but they just jealous." Ice-T later explained that he had nothing against people who were pop-rap from the start, as Hammer had been, but only against emcees who switch from being hardcore or dirty to being pop-rap so that they can 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.

Too Legit to Quit (1991)

After publicly dropping the "M.C." from his stage name, Hammer released Too Legit to Quit (also produced by Felton Pilate) in 1991. Hammer answered his critics within certain songs from the album. Sales were strong (over five million copies), with the title track being the biggest hit single from this record. The album peaked in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Another hit came soon after, with "Addams Groove" (which appeared on both The Addams Family motion picture soundtrack and the vinyl and cassette versions of 2 Legit 2 Quit), reaching No. 7 in the U.S. and No. 4 in the UK. His video for the song appeared after the movie.

Hammer set out on a tour for this album, with a stage show which had become as grandiose and lavish as his lifestyle ⁠— ⁠loaded with singers, dancers, and backup musicians, the supporting concert tour was too expensive for the album's sales to finance, and it was canceled partway through. In 1992, Boyz II Men joined Hammer's high-profile 2 Legit 2 Quit tour as an opening act. While traveling the country, their tour manager Khalil Roundtree was murdered in Chicago, and the group's future performances of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" were dedicated to him. As a result of this unfortunate experience, the song would help advance their success.

Music videos were produced for all four singles released from this album (including "Do Not Pass Me By" and "This Is The Way We Roll"), all which charted.The "2 Legit 2 Quit" video featured many celebrity appearances. It's been ranked as one of the most expensive videos ever made. The hand motions used within the song and video also became very popular. The song proved to be successful in the U.S., peaking in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, at #5. Despite the album's multi-platinum certification, the sales were one-third of Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em.

At the end of the "2 Legit 2 Quit" video, after James Brown enlists Hammer to get the famous glove of Michael Jackson, a silver-white sequined glove is shown on the hand of a Michael Jackson look-alike doing the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture. In a related story, M.C. Hammer appeared on The Wendy Williams Show (July 27, 2009) and talked about his hit reality show Hammertime on A&E, his marriage, his role as a dad and the reasons he eventually went bankrupt. He told an amusing story about a phone call he received from "M.J.", regarding the portion of the "2 Legit 2 Quit" video that included a fake Michael Jackson, giving his approval and inclusion of it. He explained how Michael had seen the video and liked it, and both expressed they were fans of one another. Hammer and Jackson would later appear, speak and/or perform at the funeral service for James Brown in 2006.

The artwork featured in the album was created by James B. Young and accompanying studios.

During 1991, Hammer was featured on the single "The Blood" from the BeBe & CeCe Winans album, Different Lifestyles. In 1992, the song peaked at No. 8 on the Christian charts.

New venture with Oaktown/Giant Records (1992–1993)

In 1992, after a four-year hiatus, Doug E. Fresh signed with Hammer's label, Bust It Records and issued one album, Doin' What I Gotta Do, which (despite some minor acclaim for his single "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" which sampled the Rick James 1979 single "Bustin' Out") was a commercial failure.

Prior to Hammer's next album, The Funky Headhunter, rumors from critics and fans began claiming Hammer had quit the music/entertainment business or had suffered a financial downfall (since a couple of years were passing between his two records), which Hammer denied. Hammer claimed rumors falsely heralded his downfall were most likely a result of the fact he turned over his "trimmed-down" Bust It Records to his brother and manager Louis Burrell Jr., and his horse racing interests to his brother Chris and their father, Louis Burrell Sr.

During his hiatus between albums, Hammer consequently signed a multimillion-dollar deal with a new record company. He said there were a lot of bidders, but "not too many of them could afford Hammer". Therefore, Hammer parted ways with Felton Pilate (who had previously worked with the successful vocal group Con Funk Shun) and switched record labels to Giant Records, taking his Oaktown label with him. Hammer was eventually sued by Pilate. Additionally, Hammer launched a new enterprise, called Roll Wit It Entertainment & Sports Management, with clients such as Evander Holyfield, Deion Sanders and Reggie Brooks. In 1993, his production company released a hit rap song by DRS.

By this time, he also parted ways with his only female executive, music business administration consultant and songwriter, Linda Lou McCall (who previously worked with The Delfonics and her husband Louis A. McCall, Sr.'s band Con Funk Shun). She went on to work with artists such as Puff Daddy, Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G., Mýa, Black Eyed Peas and Eminem. A music industry vet who attended Howard University's College of Fine Arts and the University of California-Davis School of Law, McCall was hired by Hammer's brother and manager, Louis K. Burrell, in 1990 to help set up his corporate operations and administration at Bust It Management and Productions Inc. in Oakland, California. She later became Vice President of Hammer's talent management company, overseeing artists like Heavy D, B Angie B and Ralph Tresvant. While at Bust It, she and her husband Louis A. McCall, Sr. brought their artist Keith Martin to Felton's attention who hired him as a backup musician and vocalist for Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em and Too Legit to Quit world tours. In 1993 and 1994, Linda Lou was also involved in several lawsuits against Hammer which were eventually settled out of court.

With a new home and daughter, a new record soon to be released, and his new business, Hammer claimed he was happy and far from being broke during a tour of his mansion for Ebony. "Today there is a more aggressive Hammer, because the '90s require you to be more aggressive", Hammer said of his music style. "There is a harder edge, but I'm no gang member. Hammer in the '90s is on the offense, on the move, on the attack. And it's all good".

The Funky Headhunter and Prime Time (1994)

In 1993, Hammer began recording his fifth official album. To adapt to the changing landscape of hip-hop, this album was a more aggressive sounding album entitled The Funky Headhunter. He co-produced this record with funky rapper and producer, Stefan Adamek. While Hammer's appearance changed to keep up with the gangsta rap audience, his lyrics still remained honest and somewhat clean with minor profanity. Yet, as with previous records, Hammer would continue to call out and disrespect other rappers on this album. As with some earlier songs such as "Crime Story" (from the album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em), the content and reality about "street life" remained somewhat the same, but the sound was different, resulting in Hammer losing favor with fans. Nonetheless, this harder-edged, more aggressive record went gold, but failed to win him a new audience among hardcore hip-hop fans.

In another appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show during the mid-1990s, Hammer debuted the video for "Pumps and a Bump". Talk show host Arsenio Hall said to M.C. Hammer, "Women in the audience want to know, what's in your speedos in the 'Pumps and a Bump' video?" A clip from the video was then shown, to much approval from the audience. Hammer didn't give a direct answer, but instead laughed. Arsenio then said, "I guess that's why they call you 'Hammer.' It ain't got nothin' to do with Hank Aaron."

The accompanying video to the album's first single, "Pumps and a Bump", was banned from heavy rotation on MTV with censors claiming that the depiction of Hammer in Speedos (and with what appeared to be an erection) was too graphic. This led to an alternative video being filmed (with Hammer fully clothed) that was directed by Bay Area native Craig S. Brooks.

"It's All Good" was the second single released, which would become a pop culture phrase as a result of its success. It was also the most successful song by this title.Within this album, Hammer disses rappers such as A Tribe Called Quest (Q-Tip), Redman and Run DMC for previous attacks they made against him on wax. This quite possibly led to a decrease in his popularity after this record responded to his critics.

On December 20, 1994, Deion Sanders released Prime Time, a rap album on Hammer's Bust It Records label which featured the minor hit "Must Be The Money". "Prime Time Keeps on Tickin'" was also released as a single. Sanders, a friend of Hammer's, had previously appeared in his "Too Legit to Quit" music video, and his alter-ego "Prime Time" is also used in Hammer's "Pumps and a Bump" video.

The song "Help Lord (Won't You Come)" appeared in Kingdom Come.This album peaked at number two on the R&B charts and remained in the Top 30 midway through the year. To date, it has managed to become certified platinum.

Inside Out, Death Row Records and Too Tight (1995–1996)

In 1995, Hammer released the album Inside Out V (or inside out V). The album sold poorly compared to previous records (peaking at 119 on the Billboard Charts) and Giant Records dropped him and Oaktown Records from their roster. Songs "Going Up Yonder" and "Sultry Funk" managed to get moderate radio play (even charting on national radio station countdowns).

Along with a fickle public, Hammer would go on to explain in this album that he felt many of his so-called friends he helped staff, used and betrayed him which contributed to a majority of his financial loss (best explained in the song "Keep On" and the bio from this album). He would also hint about this again in interviews, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2009.

In 1995, Hammer released "Straight to My Feet" (with Deion Sanders) from the Street Fighter soundtrack (released in December 1994). The song charted No. 57 in the UK.

Hammer's relationship with Suge Knight dates back to 1988. Hammer signed with Death Row Records by 1995, then home to Snoop Dogg and his close friend, Tupac Shakur. The label did not release the album of Hammer's music (titled Too Tight) while he had a career with them, although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album. However, Burrell did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "Too Late Playa" (along with Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy). After the death of Shakur in 1996, Burrell left the record company. He later explained his concern about this circumstance in an interview on Trinity Broadcasting Network since he was in Las Vegas with Tupac the night of his death.

Return to EMI and Family Affair (1996–1998)

In October 1996, Burrell and Oaktown signed with EMI, which saw the release of a compilation album of Hammer's chart topping songs prior to The Funky Headhunter. The album, titled Greatest Hits, featured 12 former hits. In 1998, another "greatest hits" album, called Back 2 Back Hits, was produced and released by CEMA. (Another compilation version of Back 2 Back was later released by Capitol Records in 2006.) As Hammer's empire began to collapse when his last album failed to match the sales of its predecessors, and since he unsuccessfully attempted to recast himself in the "streetwise/hardcore rap" mold of the day, Hammer turned to a gospel-friendly audience.

In 1998, MC Hammer released his first album in his new deal with EMI, titled Family Affair, because it was to introduce the world to the artists he had signed to his Oaktown Records (Geeman, Teabag, and Common Unity) as they made their recording debut. Technically his seventh album since his debut EP, this record was highly promoted on Trinity Broadcasting Network (performing a more gospel version of "Keep On" from his album Inside Out V), yet featured no charting singles and selling about 1,000 copies worldwide.

The album also features a song written for Hammer by 2Pac called "Unconditional Love". Hammer would later dance and read the lyrics to this song on the first VH1 Hip Hop Honors in 2004.

A double album mostly about faith and family values, additional tracks from Family Affair are: "Put It Down", "Put Some Stop in Your Game", "Big Man", "Set Me Free", "Our God", "Responsible Father Shout", "He Brought Me Out", (Geeman Intro), "Eye's Like Mine", "Never Without You", "Praise Dance Theme Song", "Shame of the Name", (Smoothout Intro), (Teabag Intro), "Silly Heart", "I Wish U Were Free", (Common Unity Intro), "Someone to Hold to You", "Pray" (1998), "Let's Get It Started" (1998), and with "Hammer Music/Shouts/Tour Info" announcements between songs. The compact disks are also "PC Ready" with interactive features.

After this album, new projects were rumored to be in the works, including an album (War Chest: Turn of the Century) and a soundtrack to the film Return to Glory: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Man, but neither appeared.

The Hits and Active Duty (2000–2001)

In 2000, another compilation album was released, titled The Hits. It contains 17 tracks from his first four albums.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, M.C. Hammer released his 8th studio album, Active Duty, on his own World Hit Music Group label (the musical enterprise under his Hammertime Holdings Inc. umbrella) to pay homage to the ones lost in the terrorist attacks. The album followed that theme, and featured two singles (with accompanying videos), "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" and "Pop Yo Collar" (featuring Wee Wee) which demonstrates "The Phat Daddy Pop", "In Pop Nito", "River Pop", "Deliver The Pop" and "Pop'n It Up" dance moves. The album, like its predecessor, failed to chart and would not sell as many copies as previous projects. Hammer did however promote it on such shows as The View and produced a video for both singles.

This patriotic album, originally planned to be titled The Autobiography Of M.C. Hammer, donated portions of the proceeds to 9/11 charities. Hammer shot a video for the anthem "No Stoppin' Us (USA)" in Washington, D.C., with several members of the United States Congress, who sang in the song and danced in the video. Present members of the United States House of Representatives included J. C. Watts, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Thomas M. Davis, Earl Hilliard, Alcee Hastings, Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.), Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Full Blast (2004)

After leaving Capitol Records and EMI for the second time in his career, M.C. Hammer decided to move his Oaktown imprint to an independent distributor and released his ninth studio album, Full Blast (which was completed in late 2003 and released as a complete album in early 2004). The album would feature no charting singles and was not certified by the RIAA. A video was produced for "Full Blast", a song that attacks Eminem and Busta Rhymes for previous disrespect towards him.

Some of the original songs didn't end up making the final album release. Guest artists included The Stooge Playaz, Pleasure, Rain, JD Greer and DasIt.

Look Look Look and Platinum MC Hammer (2006–2008)

After going independent, Hammer decided to create a digital label to release his tenth studio album, Look Look Look. The album was released in February 2006 and featured production from Scott Storch. The album featured the title-track single (Look Look Look) and a music video. It would sell much better than his previous release (300,000 copies worldwide).

"YAY" was produced by Lil Jon. "What Happened to Our Hood?" (featuring Sam Logan) was originally from Active Duty. "I Got It From The Town" was used in the movie but is only present in one scene instead of the originally planned two on The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (soundtrack).

Between 2006 and 2007, Hammer released a military-inspired rap song with a political message to President George W. Bush about sending American troops back home from war, called "Bring Our Brothers Home". The video was filmed at the Santa Monica Pier.

In 2008, Platinum MC Hammer was released by EMI Records. The compilation consists of 12 tracks from Hammer's previous albums, with a similar playlist as former "greatest hits" records (with the exception of including a remix of "Hammer Hammer, They Put Me In A Mix" which includes rap lyrics that "They Put Me In A Mix" originally did not). An import was released by Capitol Records.

DanceJamtheMusic (2008–2009)

Since his 2006 album, Hammer continued to produce music and released several other raps that appeared on his social websites (such as Myspace and Dancejam.com) or in commercials, with another album announced to be launched in late 2008 (via his own record label Fullblast Playhouse). Talks of the tour and a new album were expected in 2009.

"Getting Back to Hetton" was made public in 2008 as a digital single. It was a departure for Hammer, bringing in funky deep soul and mixing it with a more house style. Released through licence on Whippet Digital Recordings, media reviews were said to be "disappointing". However, the song "I Got Gigs" from this album was used in a 2009 ESPN commercial and performed during Hammertime (as well as played while he danced just prior to introducing Soulja Boy during YouTube Live on November 22, 2008).

Other tracks and videos from the album included: "I Go" (produced by Lil Jon), "Keep It In Vegas", "Lookin' Out The Window", "Dem Jeans" (by DASIT), "Stooge Karma Sutra" (by The Stooge Playaz) and "Tried to Luv U" (by DASIT featuring Pleasure Ellis).

In March 2009, M.C. Hammer and Vanilla Ice had a one-off concert at the McKay Events Center in Orem, Utah. This concert aided in the promotion of Hammer's new music and television show. During the concert (as shown during an episode of Hammertime), it was mentioned between the two rappers that this was their first headline show together in nearly 20 years, since the time when they were touring together at the peak of their hip-hop careers. Hammer said: "Contrary to popular belief, Ice and I are not only cool with each other, we are like long lost friends. I've known him since he was 16, before he had a record contract and before I had a record contract. It is a great reunion." Vanilla Ice, real name Robert Van Winkle, said: "It's like no time has passed at all. We set the world on fire back in the day - it gives me goose bumps to think about. The concert wouldn't have been so packed if it wasn't us together. I'm so happy right now, the magic is here."

Most recent releases (2010–present)

Hammer has occasionally released singles over the past few years. Below are the most publicized:

"Better Run Run" (2010)

M.C. Hammer promised to release a track (expected on October 31, 2010) responding to a song by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z which attacked him. On the "So Appalled" track, which features Swizz Beatz and RZA, Jay-Z raps a verse targeting Hammer about his financial dilemma in the 1990s. On it Jay says: 'Hammer went broke so you know I'm more focused / I lost 30 mil' so I spent another 30 / 'Cause unlike Hammer 30 million can't hurt me'. Hammer addressed his displeasure about the diss on Twitter, claiming he will react to Jay-Z on Halloween.

Hammer released a sample of his "beef" with Jay-Z (aka 'Hell Boy' according to Hammer) in a brief teaser trailer called "Better Run Run" by 'King Hammer'. At one point, it was uncertain if his reaction would be a film video, a music video or a combination of both. Regardless, he claimed he would show evidence that 'Jigga worships the devil'. It's possible that Jay-Z was offended by an analogy Hammer was conveying in an earlier interview in response to "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" on AllHipHop.

On November 1, Hammer's song with video called "Better Run Run!" hit the web in retaliation to Jay-Z's September 2010 diss towards him. M.C. accuses Jigga of being in league (and in the studio) with Satan—and then Hammer defeats the devil and forces Jay to be baptized. Speaking on the video, Jacob O'Gara of Ethos Magazine wrote: "What's more likely is that this feud is the last chapter in the tragic cautionary tale of M.C. Hammer, a tale that serves as a warning to all present and future kings of hip-hop. Keep your balance on the pedestal and wear the crown strong or you'll have the Devil to pay."

In an interview with BBC's DJ Semtex, Jay said he didn't mean the verses as a personal attack. "I didn't know that [Hammer's financial status] wasn't on the table for discussion!" he said. "I didn't know I was the first person ever to say that..." He continued, "When I say things, I think people believe me so much that they take it a different way — it's, like, not rap anymore at that point. I say some great things about him in the book I have coming out [Decoded] — that wasn't a cheap plug," he laughed. "He's gonna be embarrassed, I said some really great things about him and people's perception of him. But it is what it is, he took it that wrong way, and I didn't know I said anything wrong!"

"See Her Face" (2011)

On February 3, 2011, M.C. Hammer appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show premiering the track "See Her Face" via Flipboard. It was the first time Flipboard included music in the application.

"Raider Nation" and "All In My Mind" (2013–2014)

Among other singles, Hammer released "Raider Nation (Oakland Raiders Anthem)" along with a video in late 2013 and "All In My Mind" (which samples "Summer Breeze" by The Isley Brothers) in early 2014 with his newly formed group called Oakland Fight Club featuring Mistah F.A.B.

"Help the Children" (2017)

Hammer released an updated version of his 1990 charting song with a short film video in late 2017.

Additional business ventures

In 1991, M.C. Hammer established Oaktown Stable that would eventually have nineteen Thoroughbred racehorses. That year, his outstanding filly Lite Light won several Grade I stakes races including the prestigious Kentucky Oaks. His D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt Dance Floor won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and the Breeders' Futurity Stakes in 1991, then the following year won the Fountain of Youth Stakes and finished 3rd in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. He continues to attend shows as well as many sporting events alongside celebrities.

In the late 1990s into the early 2000s, along with a new clothing line called "J Slick", Hammer began creating and working on M.C. Hammer USA, an interactive online portal.

In 2002, Hammer signed a book contract with publishing company Simon & Schuster which called for a release the following year. However, a manuscript for an inspirational book called Enemies of the Father: Messages from the Heart on Being a Family Man (addressing the situation of African American men), for which Hammer received advance money to write, was never submitted in 2003. This resulted in Hammer being sued by the book company over claims that he never finished the book as promised. The company's March 2009 lawsuit sought return of the US$61,000 advance given to Hammer for the unwritten book about fatherhood.

Hammer was a popular web mogul and activist, becoming involved in several Internet projects (including TechCrunch40 conferences). In 2007, Hammer was co-founder and chief strategy officer of Menlo Park-based (Silicon Valley) DanceJam.com along with Geoffrey Arone. The community site (valued at $4.5 million) was exclusively dedicated to dancing video competitions, techniques and styles which Hammer sometimes judged or rated. After receiving $4.5 million in total equity funding, the site closed on January 1, 2011.

In July 2010, Hammer started a mixed martial arts management company to manage, market, promote, and brand-build for fighters such as Nate Marquardt, Tim F. Kennedy, and Vladimir Matyushenko, among others. According to MMAWeekly.com and Bizjournals, his new company is Alchemist Management in Los Angeles. It now manages 10 fighters. That same month, Hammer also announced his latest venture called Alchemist Clothing. The brand described as a colorful new lifestyle clothing line debuted during an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Austin. Middleweight fighter Nate "The Great" Marquardt wore an Alchemist shirt as he walked out to the ring. Hammer has shown an interest in boxing throughout his career.

On September 28, 2010, M.C. Hammer headlined at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference for an official after-hours party.

Hammer appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2011 to discuss his tech-media-mogul status, as well as his creation, demonstration and consulting of social applications/sites/media (such as having an involvement with the Internet since 1994 including YouTube and Twitter), and devices such as iPad and ZAGGmate. He also explained how employing/helping so many people in the past never really caused him to be broke in terms of the average person, as the media made it seem, nor would he have changed any experiences that has led him to where he is today. During the "Whatever Happened to M.C. Hammer" episode, he discussed his current home, family and work life as well.

In October 2011, Hammer announced a new internet venture called WireDoo - a "deep search engine" that planned to compete with the major search engines including Google and Bing. With the motto, "Search once and see what's related", Hammer's team planned to eventually open up the site to a select number of beta testers. Wiredoo failed, having never left beta testing, and officially went offline in early 2012.

Television and film career

M.C. Hammer produced and starred in his own movie, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie (1990). The film is about a rapper returning to his hometown who defeats a drug lord using kids to traffic his product. For this project, Hammer earned a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video at the 33rd Grammy Awards (having been nominated for two). He later produced MC Hammer: 2 Legit (The Videos), which included many actors and athletes.

Hammer appeared in major marketing campaigns for companies such as Pepsi, KFC, Toshiba, British Knights and Taco Bell during the height of his career.

In 1991, Hammer hosted, sang/rapped and voiced a Saturday-morning cartoon called Hammerman. That same year, he and Bust It Productions (including B Angie B, Special Generation and Ho Frat Hoo!) appeared in concert from New Orleans on BET

Hammer has made cameos and/or performed on many television shows such as Saturday Night Live (as host and musical guest), Amen and Martin. He also made a cameo in the 1993 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero. Hammer would also go on to appear as himself on The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 5 (1995). Additionally, he has been involved in movies as an actor such as, One Tough Bastard (1996), Reggie's Prayer (1996), the Showtime film The Right Connections (1997), Deadly Rhapsody (2001), Finishing the Game (2007) and 1040 (2010), as well as a television and movie producer.

Despite public attacks about his financial status, after meeting at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas in April 2001, it was Hammer (credited as a producer) who provided the much needed funding to filmmaker Justin Lin for Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). In its first ever film acquisition, MTV Films eventually acquired Better Luck Tomorrow after it debuted at The Sundance Film Festival. The director said, "Out of desperation, I called up MC Hammer because he had read the script and liked it. Two hours later, he wired the money we needed into a bank account and saved us."

Hammer appeared in two cable television movies. At the age of 39, he was one of the producers for the VH1 movie Too Legit: The M.C. Hammer Story, starring Romany Malco and Tangi Miller as his wife, which aired on December 19, 2001. The film is a biopic which chronicles the rise and fall of the artist. "2 Legit To Quit: The Life Story of M.C. Hammer" became the second highest-rated original movie in the history of VH1 and broadcast simultaneously on BET. "The whole script came from me," says Hammer, "I sat down with a writer and gave him all the information."

In 2003, Hammer appeared on The WB's first season of The Surreal Life, a reality show known for assembling an eclectic mix of celebrities to live together. He was also a dance judge on the 2003 ABC Family TV series Dance Fever. Additionally, he appeared on VH1's And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004) as well as in 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s (2008), a countdown which he was also commentator on. His eldest child, A'Keiba Burrell, was a contestant on MTV's Rock the Cradle in April 2008 (which Hammer also made appearances on).

Hammer had shown an interest in having his own reality show with specific television networks at one point. Already being a part of shows for VH1 and The WB (I Married... M.C. Hammer and The Surreal Life), it was later confirmed he would appear in Hammertime on A&E Network in the summer of 2009. This reality show was about his personal, business and family life. The following year, Hammer appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly June 3, 2009 to promote his show which began June 14, 2009 at 10 PM EST.

In August 2008, a new ESPN ad featured Hammer in it, showcasing his single "I Got Gigs'" (from his DanceJamtheMusic album). The commercial was for Monday Night Football's upcoming football season. This is not the first commercial in more recent years that Hammer has been in, or his songs/raps/dancing was used for and included in such as Lay's, Hallmark Cards, Purell, Lysol, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Citibank, etc. On February 1, 2009, Hammer and Ed McMahon were featured in a Super Bowl XLIII commercial for Cash4Gold.

In addition to appearing in television commercials, M.C. Hammer's music has also been used in television shows and movies, especially "U Can't Touch This" during The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Hot Shots! (1990), The Super (1991), Doogie Howser, M.D. (1992), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Into the Wild (2007), Tropic Thunder (2008), Dancing with the Stars (2009), Glee (2010) and many more. Additionally, "This Is What We Do" was a 1990 track by Hammer (featuring B Angie B) for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film and soundtrack. Tracks "That's What I Said" and "Feel My Power" were used for the Rocky V film and soundtrack. Some examples of other raps by Hammer used in movies and television were "Addams Groove" (The Addams Family), "Pray" (License to Wed), "2 Legit 2 Quit" (Hot Rod), "I Got It From The Town" (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), "Help Lord, Won't You Come" (Kingdom Come), "Let's Go Deeper" (Beverly Hills, 90210) and "Straight to My Feet" (Street Fighter), among others.

Along with Betty White, Hammer was a voice actor on the September 17, 2010 episode of Glenn Martin, DDS called "Step-brother". In 2016, MC Hammer appeared as himself in an episode of Uncle Grandpa on Cartoon Network.

Hammer has most recently been a spokesman for 3M Command Strips and Starburst.

Dancer, choreographer and entertainer

M.C. Hammer's dance style not only helped pave the way for the Bay Area movement called Hyphy, but also helped to bring hip-hop and rap to the Bay Area. His dancing skills are still taught to this day. With his popular trademark Hammer Pants, one phenomenal difference from Hammer versus other performers during his heyday was that he was an entertainer, both during live shows and in music videos. His flamboyant dancing was as much a part of his performances as rapping and musical instruments were. With high-energy dance routines, he is often considered one of the greatest dancers. While adding his own techniques, Hammer adopted styles from James Brown and The Nicholas Brothers such as the splits, and feverish choreographed dance routines including leaps and slides, most notably. His creation of such dances as "Hammer Dance" (or the "Typewriter Dance"), "The Bump" (from "U Can't Touch This") and the use of "The Running Man" and the "Butterfly," among others, made his flashy and creative dance skills unlike any others at the time.

Hammer's showmanship and elaborate stage choreography, involving fifteen dancers, twelve backup singers, seven live musicians and two disc jockeys, gave him a powerful visual appeal. Hammer was the first rap artist to put together a choreographed show of this type, and his visual flair attracted heavy airplay for his videos on MTV, which at the time had a predominantly white viewership that had aired little rap music before Hammer.

During a 1990 visit from M.C. Hammer (accompanied by his friend Fab Five Freddy) on Yo! MTV Raps, one of the dancers whom Hammer was holding auditions for was a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez.

At the height of his career, Hammer had his legs insured for a substantial amount of money (into the millions), as mentioned in an interview by Maria Shriver in the early 1990s. He later suffered an injury to his knee that halted his dancing career for a period of time. Eventually, BET ranked Hammer as the 7th Best Dancer Of All Time. Some of Hammer's entourage, or "posse" as he called them, were also trained/skilled dancers (including Tiffany Patterson). They participated in videos and at concerts, yet too many dancers and band members eventually contributed to Hammer's downfall, proving to be too much for him to finance.

Hammer stayed active in the dance media/genre, both on television shows and as co-founder of DanceJam.com (which showcased dance competitions and instructional videos on all the latest dance styles) until he and his partner Geoffrey Arone sold it to Grind Networks. Well known for bringing choreography to hip-hop, many of his dancing skills can still be seen on dance-focused and social networking sites. "Dance is unlike any other social medium. It's the core of our culture", Burrell told Wired News.

In addition to his websites and other Internet appearances, Hammer has also appeared demonstrating much of his dancing abilities on talk shows such as The Arsenio Hall Show, Soul Train, Late Night with Conan O'Brien (performing O'Brien's famous "string dance" together as well), The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View and was a dance judge on Dance Fever. On June 3, 2009, he performed the "Hammer dance" on Live with Regis and Kelly with Will Ferrell as co-host.

While Hammer may have challenged and competed with Michael Jackson during the height of his career, they were friends, proven by a phone call Hammer had with Jackson about his "Too Legit to Quit" video which he shared on The Wendy Williams Show (July 2009). Hammer wanted to ensure he was not offended by the ending of the video where a purported Michael Jackson (seen only from behind) does the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture with his famous glove. They also appeared together at the funeral service for James Brown in 2006, where Hammer danced in honor of The Godfather of Soul. After Jackson's death, Hammer posted his remembrance and sympathy of the superstar on Twitter. Michael's friend and fellow pop culture icon Hammer told Spinner that, "now that the King of Pop has passed, it's the duty of his fans and loved ones to carry Jackson's creative torch." He went on to say, "Michael Jackson lit the fuse that ignited the spirit of dance in us all. He gave us a song and a sweet melody that will never die. Now we all carry his legacy with joy and pride."

Personal life

At the time of his first album, M.C. Hammer opened his own music management firm. As a result of the success of his third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, Hammer had amassed approximately US$33 million. US$12 million was used to build his Xanadu-like home in Fremont, California, 30 miles (50 km) south of where he grew up. Jet reported Hammer once employed 200 people, with an annual payroll of US$6.8 million. The estate was sold for $5.3 million after Hammer lived in it for six years.

Hammer currently resides in a large ranch-style abode situated on a two-acre corner lot in Tracy, California with his wife Stephanie of over 30 years (whom he met at a church revival meeting and married December 21, 1985). They have five children: three boys (Bobby, Jeremiah, Sammy) and two girls (Sarah, A'keiba), along with a nephew (Jamaris) and cousin (Marv) having lived with them. It was reported in July 2012, that Hammer was encouraged to marry Whitney Houston by her father at the Super Bowl in 1991.

Hammer frequently posts about his life and activities on his blog "Look Look Look", as well as other social websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter (being one of the earliest celebrities to contribute and join). A self-described "super geek" who's presently consulting for or investing in eight technology companies, Hammer claims to spend 10–12 hours daily working on his technology projects, and tweets 30-40 times a day.

Hammer was an endorser of the SAFE California Act, which if passed in November 2012, would have replaced the death penalty. However, the proposition was defeated.

Bankruptcy, lawsuits and media reaction

Contrary to public rumor, Hammer claimed he was really never "down-and-out" as reported by the media (eventually expressed on The Opie & Anthony Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2009). Originally having an estimated net worth of over $33 million according to Forbes magazine, speculations about Hammer's status first emerged during delays between albums Too Legit to Quit and The Funky Headhunter, with Hammer having spent much of his money on staff and personal luxuries. In addition to excessive spending while supporting friends and family, Hammer ultimately became $13 million in debt. With dwindling album sales, unpaid loans, a large payroll, and a lavish lifestyle, Hammer eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Oakland, California on April 1, 1996. The case was converted to Chapter 7 on September 23, 1998, but Hammer was denied a bankruptcy discharge on April 23, 2002.

Hammer's mansion was sold for a fraction of its former price. "My priorities were out of order," he told Ebony. He claimed, "My priorities should have always been God, family, community, and then business. Instead they had been business, business, and business." Along with Felton Pilate and other group members, Rick James sued Hammer for infringement of copyright, but the suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as co-composer, effectively cutting James in on the millions of dollars the record was earning. By the late 1990s, though, Hammer seemed to stabilize himself and made himself ready to undertake new projects.

In 1992, Hammer had admitted in depositions and court documents to getting the idea for the song "Here Comes the Hammer" from a Christian recording artist in Dallas named Kevin Christian. Christian had filed a 16 million dollar lawsuit against Hammer for copyright infringement of his song entitled "Oh-Oh, You Got the Shing". This fact, compounded with witness testimony from both Hammer's and Christian's entourages, and other evidence (including photos), brought about a settlement with Capitol Records in 1994. The terms of the settlement remain sealed. Hammer settled with Christian the following year.

In 1997, just prior to beginning his ministry, M.C. Hammer (who by that time had re-adopted "M.C.") was the subject of an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the VH1 series Behind the Music (music from his album Inside Out V was featured in this documentary). In these appearances, Burrell admitted "that [he] had already used up most of [his] fortune of over $20 million, proving that money is nothing if it doesn't bring peace and if priorities are wrong". He would go on to express a similar point in other interviews as well.

During numerous interviews on radio stations and television channels throughout the years, Hammer was constantly questioned about his bankruptcy. During an interview by WKQI-FM (95.5) for the promotion of his "Pioneers Of Hip Hop 2009" gig at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, which featured 2 Live Crew, Naughty by Nature, Too Short, Biz Markie, and Roxanne Shanté, Hammer was asked about his finances by the Mojo in the Morning host. Hammer responded on Twitter that Mojo was a "coward" and threatened to cancel commercials for his upcoming show.

On November 21, 2011, the U.S. government filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in California against Hammer to obtain a court judgment on his unpaid taxes for years 1996 and 1997. In December 2011, this litigation was reported in the media. Hammer owed $779,585 in back taxes from his earnings dating back to 1996–1997 - during the years Hammer was believed to be facing his worst financial problems. After years of public and media ridicule regarding his financial problem, Hammer tried to assure fans and "naysayers" via Twitter, claiming that he had proof he had already taken care of his debt with the IRS. "700k … Don't get too excited .. I paid them already and kept my receipt. Stamped by a US Federal Judge", Hammer tweeted from his account @MCHammer. However, the District Court ruled against Hammer. He appealed but, on December 17, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected Hammer's argument that because the government had not listed those taxes in the government's proof of claim filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the government should be stopped from collecting the taxes. According to a 2017 episode of the Reelz TV series Broke & Famous, the situation was eventually resolved. As of the making of the aforementioned Broke & Famous episode, Hammer had a reported net worth of $1.5 million.

Obstruction charges

M.C. Hammer was arrested in 2013 in Dublin, California for allegedly obstructing an officer in the performance of his duties and resisting an officer (according to "stop and identify" statutes). Hammer claims he was a victim of racial profiling by the police, stating an officer pulled out his gun and randomly asked him: "Are you on parole or probation?" Hammer stated that as he handed over his ID, the officer reached inside the car and tried to pull him out. Police in Dublin, east of Oakland, said Hammer was "blasting music" in a vehicle with expired registration and he was not the registered owner. "After asking Hammer who the registered owner was, he became very argumentative and refused to answer the officer's questions," police spokesman Herb Walters typed in an e-mail to CNN. Hammer was booked and released from Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. A court date was scheduled, however, all charges were dropped in early March. Hammer tweeted that he was not bitter and considered what happened "a teachable moment."

Christian beliefs and pastoral ministry

In 1984, Burrell began attending Bible studies, joined a street ministry and formed a gospel rap group known as Holy Ghost Boys featuring Jon Gibson. In 1986, Burrell along with Tramaine Hawkins, performed with Gibson's band doing several concerts at various venues such as the Beverly Theatre in Beverly Hills and recorded several rap songs. They collaborated on a song for Gibson's 1988 album (Change of Heart) called "The Wall", prior to M.C. Hammer's mainstream success. This was Contemporary Christian music's first rap hit ever. Burrell also produced "Son of the King" at that time, releasing it on his debut album.

Raised Pentecostal, Hammer strayed from his Christian faith during his success, before returning to ministry. His awareness of this can be found in a film he wrote and starred in called Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie (1990), in which he also plays the charismatic preacher character named "Reverend Pressure". Nonetheless, as a tribute to his faith, Hammer vowed/promised to dedicate at least one song on each album to God.

During 1991, Hammer was featured on the single "The Blood" from the BeBe & CeCe Winans album, Different Lifestyles. In 1992, the song peaked at No. 8 on the Christian charts.

Hammer later reaffirmed his beliefs in October 1997, and began a television ministry called M.C. Hammer and Friends on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, as well as appearing on Praise the Lord programs where he went public about his devotion to ministry as an ordained minister. Hammer officiated at the celebrity weddings of actor Corey Feldman and Susie Sprague on October 30, 2002 (as seen on VH1's The Surreal Life), and also at Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil and Lia Gerardini's wedding in January 2005.

During an interview on TBN (between 1997 and 1998), Hammer claimed he adopted the "M.C." back into his name which now stood for 'Man of Christ'. Hammer continued to preach while still making music, running a social media business and television show, and devotes time to prison and youth ministries.

From 2009 to 2010, Hammer joined Jaeson Ma at a crusade in Asia. Minister and mentor to Ma for more than a decade, Hammer assisted and co-starred in his documentary film 1040, which explores the spread of Christianity throughout Asia.

Legacy and pop culture fame

Widely considered the first "mainstream" rapper, Hammer continues to entertain while sharing his legacy with other rappers (as cited on BET.com). Hammer became a fixture of the television airwaves and the big screen, with his music being used in many popular shows, movies and commercials still to this day. Hammer appeared in major marketing campaigns for companies to the point that he was criticized as a "sellout", including commercials for British Knights during the height of his career. The shoe company signed him to a $138 million deal.

Hammer's impression on the music industry appeared almost instantaneous, as Digital Underground's rap "The Humpty Dance," which was released when Hammer was still early in his career, included the lyrics "People say ya look like M.C. Hammer on crack, Humpty!", boasting about Hammer's showmanship versus Humpty Hump (Shock G)'s inability to match it in dance. Additionally, Hammer had several costly videos, two in particular were "Too Legit to Quit" or "2 Legit 2 Quit" (in which many celebrities appeared) and "Here Comes the Hammer".

Hammer is well-known for his fashion style during the late 80s and early 90s. Hammer would tour, perform and record with his hype man 2 Bigg MC or Too Big (releasing a song in which he claimed "He's the King of the Hype"). This duo introduced the "shiny suit" and popularized Hammer pants to mainstream America, as seen in videos such as "(Hammer Hammer) They Put Me In A Mix", in which Hammer also claimed Too Big was the "King of Hype" and in an unspoken competition with Flavor Flav (hype man for Public Enemy) during the height of their careers.

Hammer also established a children's foundation, which first started in Hammer's own community, called Help The Children (HTC was named after and based on his song by the same name which included a music video with a storyline from his film Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie).

A Sesame Street segment features Elmo taking on the persona of MC Hammer; nicknaming himself "MC Elmo" and along with two backup singers they rap a song about the number five called "Five Jive".

In 1994, British TV presenter Mark Lamarr interrupted Hammer repeatedly with Hammer's catch phrase ("Stop! Hammer Time!") in an interview filmed for The Word, which he took in good humour. He claimed Hammer was a "living legend". It was also within this interview that Hammer explained the truth about his relationship with "gangsta rap" and that he was merely changing with the times, not holding onto his old image nor becoming a "hardcore gangsta". By some accounts, this change contributed to his decline in popularity.

In 2005, Hammer appeared in a commercial for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company which made a humorous reference to his career. First he is shown in his distinctive clothing with his dance troupe performing "U Can't Touch This" in front of a mansion representative of his former house with a monogram H on the gable. Then there is silence and a screen card saying "Fifteen Minutes Later" appears with a view of Hammer sadly sitting on the curb in front of the same house as a crane removes the monogram H and tow trucks pull away sports cars that were parked in front. After a large "Foreclosed" sign appears, the voiceover said "Life comes at you fast. Be ready with Nationwide!"

In 2006, M.C. Hammer's music catalog (approximately 40,000 songs) was sold to the music company Evergreen/BMG for nearly $3 million. Evergreen explained that the collection was "some of the best-selling and most popular rap songs of all time." Speaking for Evergreen Copyrights, David Schulhof stated the songs "will emerge as a perfect fit for licensing in movies, television shows, and corporate advertising." According to VH1, "Hammer was on the money. Hit singles and videos like "U Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit To Quit" created a template of lavish performance values that many rap artists still follow today."

In March 2009, Ellen DeGeneres made plans for Hammer to be on her show (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) after he contacted her via Twitter.

Hammer continues to give media interviews, such as being a guest on Chelsea Lately (June 16, 2009), where he discussed his relationship with Vanilla Ice, his stint on The Surreal Life, his show Hammertime, his family, his mansion, about him being in shape, his positive financial status and other "colorful topics" (subliminal jokes) regarding his baggy pants.

In 2010, Rick Ross released "MC Hammer" from the Teflon Don album which samples Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit".

To celebrate Hammer's 50th birthday, San Francisco game maker Zynga offered up some recent player's Draw Something drawings from his fans. Other sources/services offered "props" on behalf of his special occasion and to show appreciation for his memorable persona/gimmicks used during the peak of his career.

In 2012, Slaughterhouse released a single called "Hammer Dance", along with a video. "Hammer Dance" was the lead single from the Welcome to: Our House album.

During the 2013 Oakland Athletics season, the "2 Legit 2 Quit" music video played on the Diamond Vision in between innings, usually during the middle of the 8th inning. The video featured prominent players from the San Francisco Bay Area's sports championships, such as former A's players Jose Canseco and hall of fame inductee Rickey Henderson.

Influences and effect

M.C. Hammer's career in rap and entertainment has influenced and been influenced by such artists as: Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson, Kurtis Blow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rick James, Doug E. Fresh (who joined Hammer's Bust It Records label in 1992 and issued the album Doin' What I Gotta Do with the track "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" sampling the Rick James single "Bustin' Out") & The Get Fresh Crew (Barry Bee and Chill Will), Run-DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Hammer was followed by related musicians: Will Smith, dc Talk, BB Jay, Diddy (aka "Puffy" or "Puff Daddy"), Young MC, B Angie B, M.C. Brains, MC Breed, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, C+C Music Factory, Mystikal, Bell Biv DeVoe, Kris Kross, Ho Frat Hoo! and Oaktown's 357.

Hammer also influenced the music industry with pop culture catchphrases and slang.

Some critics complained of a lack of originality in Hammer's early productions. Entertainment Weekly described "U Can't Touch This" as 'shamelessly copying its propulsive riff from Rick James ("Super Freak"). Hammer admits, "When I look at Puffy with a choir, I say, 'Sure that's a take-off of what I do."

Notable feuds/beefs Hammer had with other rappers include: LL Cool J, Vanilla Ice, Too Short, Redman, 3rd Bass, Jay-Z, Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest and Run-DMC. Several diss tracks were featured on The Funky Headhunter.

Award recipient, appearances and recognition

Throughout the years, Hammer has been awarded for his music, videos and choreography. He has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. He has won three Grammy Awards (one with Rick James and Alonzo Miller) for Best Rhythm and Blues Song (1990), Best Rap Solo (1990) and Best Music Video: Long Form (1990) taken from Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie. He also received eight American Music Awards, a People's Choice Award, an NAACP Image Awards and the Billboard Diamond Award (the first for a hip hop artist).

The International Album of the Year validated Hammer's talent as a world-class entertainer. Additionally, Hammer was also honored with a Soul Train Music Award (Sammy Davis, Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year) in 1991. He has also been a presenter/performer at Soul Train's Music Awards several times, including The 5th Annual Soul Train Music Awards (1991), The 9th Annual Soul Train Music Awards (1995) and Soul Train's 25th Anniversary (1995).

Hammer appeared on gospel music's Stellar Awards show in 1997 and spoke of his renewed commitment to God. In the same interview, he promised to unveil the "second leg" of his career.

In the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Hammer made a surprise appearance in the middle of the show with best friend Jermaine Jackson.

On June 12, 2008, Hammer gave his support to Warren Beatty by attending the 36th AFI Life Achievement Awards. In August 2008, at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships, Hammer won a Living Legends of Hip Hop Award from Hip Hop International in Las Vegas.

Hammer, Gary Vaynerchuk, Shaquille O'Neal and Rick Sanchez (host) celebrated the Best of Twitter in Brooklyn at the first Shorty Awards on February 11, 2009, which honored the top short-form content creators on Twitter. In September 2009, Hammer made the "accomplishment appearance" in Zombie Apocalypse for the downloadable Smash TV/Left 4 Dead hybrid for the Xbox 360. Hammer attended the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards which aired on BET November 29, 2009.

On January 5, 2010, Hammer (along with Alyssa Milano and others) was a member of panel judges for the Real-Time Academy of Short Form Arts & Sciences at the Second Annual Shorty Awards. On October 2 (televised October 12), Hammer opened the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards performing "2 Legit 2 Quit" in Atlanta along with Rick Ross, Diddy and DJ Khaled (all performing together during "MC Hammer" from the Teflon Don album as well).

With over 2.6 million Twitter followers in 2010, his contribution to social media and as a co-founder of his own Internet businesses (such as DanceJam.com), Hammer was announced as the recipient of the first Gravity Summit Social Media Marketer of the Year Award. The award was presented to him at the 3rd Annual Gravity Summit on February 22, 2011 at the UCLA Covel Commons.

At the 40th American Music Awards in November 2012, Hammer danced to a mashup of "Gangnam Style" and "2 Legit 2 Quit" along with South Korean pop star Psy, both wearing his signature Hammer pants. The collaboration was released on iTunes. The performance idea with Hammer came from Psy's management. They both performed it together again on December 31, 2012 during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

Hammer received the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement (not to be mistaken for the Gershwin Prize), presented during the UCLA Spring Sing in Pauley Pavilion on May 17, 2013.

Tours and concerts

Notable tours and concerts include: A Spring Affair Tour (1989), Summer Jam '89 (1989), Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour (1990 & 1991), Lawlor Events Center at University of Nevada, Reno (1990-2017), Too Legit World Tour (1992), Red, White, and Boom (2003), The Bamboozle Festival (2007), Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (2008–2013), McKay Events Center with Vanilla Ice (2009), Illinois State Fair with Boyz II Men (2011), MusicFest (2012), Jack's Seventh Show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (2012), Kool & the Gang Superjam at Outside Lands (2014) and Hammer's All-star House Party Tour (2019).

Discography

Feel My Power (1986)

Let's Get It Started (1988)

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (1990)

Too Legit to Quit (1991)

The Funky Headhunter (1994)

Inside Out (1995)

Family Affair (1998)

Active Duty (2001)

Full Blast (2004)

Look Look Look (2006)

DanceJamtheMusic (2009)

#03/30

[yoursongs4]

[nanowrimo]

30 Covers 30 Days: Day 14

Every November, during National Novel Writing Month, thirty professional designers volunteer to create book cover art inspired by novels being written by aspiring authors from around the globe. Why? To encourage new, diverse voices, and help build a more creative world.  

30 Covers, 30 Days is presented in partnership with designer and author Debbie Millman.

Day 14 finds us with another cover:

Amberina Glass

Cover design by Marvin Forte based on a novel by NaNoWriMo Participant  Shelley JoAnn Brown-Pruett:

Amberina Glass is a widowed school teacher with red hair, a heart of gold, and a Pinkerton badge pinned to her brassiere. Trying to survive on her own during the Great Depression has inspired her to take on extra work, and she is hired by the agency to infiltrate the lives of workers in the local auto plants and identify possible union organizers. When tensions rise around the city and the National Guard is called in to keep the peace, Amberina's heart of gold is called into question as she finds herself (and her students) at the center of violence during the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-7.

Cover Design by Marvin Forte

I’m Marvin Forte, the “why?” guy. I specialize in creative, intuitive design that’s simple and elegant. I’m a graphic and web designer living in the greater Portland, Oregon area. I’ve worked in print since 1988 and the web since 1998. My designs have bolstered projects for the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Final Four, and the San Francisco Giants. I’m a former president of AIGA Arizona, and served on the AIGA Chapter Advisory Council. Check out more of his work here, or get in touch with him via his website! Head on over the forums! There might be a fun surprise waiting over there. (Hint: It’s a discussion thread).

#NaNoWriMo #writing #30 Covers 30 Days #30c30d #book covers #design #marvin forte

[deputy-sarah-sux]

The OC Interview

I got tagged for this three times so I’m gonna do it three times as three separate characters (in separate posts obviously).

Thank you so much for the tag @returnofthepd3​ 💖💖💖 This was so much fun to do!

Answering as Sarah Lamb

Name: Sarah Ophelia Lamb. Wait did you want my middle name? Only Joseph uses that name to talk to me and even then it’s not often.

Are you single: Haha, no, far from it. I’ve got my fingers in— shit no that’s gross I’m not saying that. Uh, yeah I’m dating all three of the Seed brothers actually.

Are you happy: To be doing this interview? Sure, I guess. In general? Depends. If I’m alone then odds are I’m drinking so we can safely say I am not happy but if I’m with friends thing are usually pretty great.

Are you angry: Shit who wouldn’t be in this place? I came to Hope County looking for a close-knit quiet country town and now I’m fighting a fucking cult. I’ve got cultists shooting at me and my friends on one side and the Resistance crawling up my ass on the other. I’m this close to going on a rampage in the middle of Fall’s End, I swear to God.

Are your parents still married: Well, my dad is dead so that’s a definite no. My mum remarried at some point but we haven’t talked in years so no clue what’s going on with that.

Nine Facts

Birthplace: San Francisco, California baby! I’m a West Coast girl through and through!

Hair color: Brown, but I like to color it blonde so right now it’s both.

Eye color: Blue, but not as blue as John’s

Birth date: April 19, 1988

Mood: Is exhausted a mood? Because if so, then that’s my current mood.

Gender: Female

Summer or winter: Winter, always winter. Honestly fuck summer, it gets so hot and the AC in my house barely works. In the winter I get snow and sweaters and Christmas.

Morning or afternoon:  Tough question honestly, I love mornings but under normal circumstances I’m not usually awake before the afternoon. How about I just choose neither and I pick night instead?

Eight things about your love life

Are you in love: Uh, bit personal but... yeah.. Honestly I’ve never loved anyone more. And now I love three people. Three? Don’t, uh, tell anyone in the Resistance though, they definitely won’t approve of this thing and I’m not quite ready to deal with everyone hating me.

Do you believe in love at first sight: Not really, I believe in attraction at first sight which is what I had with John, but love comes later. You gotta know someone before you can love them, at least I do. (Didn’t stop me from jumping into bed with that yes-kink loser though.)

Who ended your last relationship: Me, I think. Honestly, neither of us were happy, it was sort of a mutual thing. Plus I was moving out here so it only made sense.

Have you ever broken someones heart: Yeah and honestly I’d rather not talk about it.

Are you afraid of commitment: I want to say no, but based off all of my previous relationships and everything my friends, ex-family, co-workers and department-appointed shrink say yes, yes I am. I think it stems from how shit went down with my parents and then my first few relationships were shit shows too. But who needs commitment when you have vodka right (I wonder if they have AA meetings in the middle of holy wars because I should probably attend one).

Have you hugged someone in the last week: Of course! Sharky, Adie, Nick, Staci, Rook, my baby boy Boomer, John, Joseph, and, uh, oh yeah Wheaty. That kid deserves some hugs he’s too good for this world. I tried to hug Jacob but he just glared at me until I sat back down.

Have you ever had a secret admirer: Hell if I know, aren’t they secret for a reason?

Have you ever broken your own heart: Yeah, John and I, well things weren’t always sunshine and daisies, hell they still aren’t. But I caused a lot of my own problems. Almost destroyed myself a few times with him.

Six Choices

Love or Lust: Both, definitely both.

Lemonade or Iced Tea: Iced tea, but not the sweetened kind. Lemonade is too sweet for me, it makes me gag.

Cats or Dogs: Both! My cat, Finny, is the light of my life, but Boomer is my best boy and I don’t know what I’d do without him. I used to have another dog named Sadie, but she died a few months after I got here.

A few Best friends or Regular Friends: Best friends, I need people who I can actually trust.

Wild night out or romantic night in: Well you can’t get very “wild” in Hope County unless you wanna break some laws (which I’m technically not supposed to do). Honestly though, I prefer romantic nights in. Not too gushy though, just cook me dinner, light the fireplace and let me snuggle you on the couch, then when the time is right throw me over your shoulder and take me to bed.

Day or night: Night. Day is so... boring. At night the world is mysterious and you feel like you can hide from everything, you can’t hide in the day. I love sitting outside on one of the lounge chairs at the ranch with a mug of tea and just falling asleep looking at the stars. And don’t even get me started in the pure joy I get from swimming in the rivers at night, once your extremities go numb it’s amazing.

Five Have You Evers

Been caught sneaking out: Many times, after Dad died my mom became an even bigger control freak. She wouldn’t let me go anywhere so I was constantly sneaking out.

Fallen Down/Up the Stairs: Both, *laughs* I have the tendency to try to sprint up stairs for some reason which usually means I end up tripping. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen down the stairs when I was drunk.

Wanted someone/something so badly it hurt: Fuck yes, who hasn’t.

Wanted to disappear: Yeah, a lot when I was a kid after Dad died, not so much once I hit adulthood but lately... fighting a holy war is hard man, sometimes you just wanna fade away for a bit.

Four preferences

Smile or eyes: Eyes.

Shorter or taller: Taller, or the same height (no shade to John). I’m 5’10” so it’s not always EASY to find someone as tall or taller than me. I lucked out with my boys though, John and I are the same height, Joseph’s a few inches taller and Jacob is a fucking giant.

Intelligence or Attraction: Both. I want my men attractive but if they don’t have a fucking brain I’ll blow my own.

Hook up or Relationship: Relationship. I love hook ups, (I mean that’s how John and I started) but I can never keep my feelings out of it.

Family

Do you and your family get along: I got along great with my dad before he passed. My mom and I never got along and after dad we got worse, constantly screaming at each other and shit. I moved out on my 18th birthday and I haven’t really talked to her since.

Would you say you have a messed up life: From an outsider’s point of view: yeah. But I don’t really think so. This is just my life, it’s pretty normal to me at this point, which I guess is kinda messed up in its own way. I had the stereotypical rough childhood, immediately went to the academy, was a cop in SF for a while, came out here 2 years ago, and now I’m fighting in a war and in love with my enemies. It could be worse.

Have you ever ran away from home: Twice. I never made it very far. First time I was 8 and got all the way to the end of the block before I crashed my bike, my dad found me crying in a bush five minutes later. Second time I was 17, made it halfway to Monterey before realizing I was making a huge mistake and turning around.

Have you ever got kicked out: Yeah, Mom kicked me out once but she let me come back a month later. I just went and stayed with my grandparents down in Pismo Beach while I waited for her to cool off.

Friends

Do you secretly hate one of your friends: Kind of? We’re not really friends so that’s where I’m fuzzy. It’s Jess. We hang out because of Rook, but she and I will never be friends. It’s not secret we don’t like each other, but we do our best to hide it around Rook, she hates that shit.

Do you consider all of your friends good friends: Most of them yeah. All of the ones I normally spend time with at least.

Who is your best friend: Staci, Nick, and Sharky, I literally can’t choose just. Rook and Kim are pretty high up on that list too.

Who knows everything about you: No one knows EVERYTHING. Nick and Joseph probably know the most. John and Jacob know a lot too but not as much. I’m not someone who likes to share about my past, I do my best not to actively think about it honestly.

Tagging @fluttyseed @farcryfuckmeup @onl-you @minilev​ @goodboiboomer-fc5​ @deputy-janai​ and anyone else who wants to do it!!!

#far cry 5 #sarah lamb #oc: sarah lamb #oc interview

[dylans7-blog]

Baseball Team Histories

In my first blog post, I will briefly talk about the history of baseball teams that will include the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants,  I will be getting my information from https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teammenu.shtml and http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_teams.jsp

The Los Angeles Dodgers (my favorite baseball team since I was six years old) began in 1884 as the Brooklyn Atlantics. Then in the subsequent years becoming the Brooklyn Grays, Bridegrooms, Grooms, back to the Bridegrooms, Superbas, Dodgers, Robins, then finally then becoming the Dodgers permanently in 1932. In 1958 the Dodgers became the first team to move west of the Mississippi River. For four years, the Dodgers played their home games at the L.A. Coliseum, a stadium designed for football and soccer. The Dodgers permanently moved into Dodger Stadium in 1962, where they still play their home games to this day. This video does an excellent job is providing a more in-depth history of the Dodgers and why the team decided to move to L.A. in 1958. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CGK4TR6os4

The New York Yankees (definitely one of the most well-known baseball teams) started out in 1903 as the New York Highlanders before becoming the New York Yankees permanently in 1913. In 1923 the Yankees began playing their home games at the first Yankee Stadium and continued playing there until 2008. The 2009 season the Yankees moved into the new Yankee Stadium and in that season the team won their 27th World Series championship, 16 more championships than the next closest team. 

The Boston Red Sox, another very famous baseball team began as the Boston Americans in 1901 before permanently becoming the Boston Red Sox in 1907. In 1912 the Red Sox began playing their home games at Fenway Park, which is still their home ballpark today. Fenway Park is the longest-tenured baseball stadium of any major league team, two years older than the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field. The Red Sox may best be known for selling their star player Babe Ruth, to the New York Yankees in 1919. Red Sox ownership at the time was in debt so they sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees in exchange for $25,000. This would become to be known as the “Curse of the Bambino”. The Red Sox wouldn’t win another World Series until 2004, while the Yankees won 25 championships in the 20th century. Here is a great video that highlights how the Red Sox broke the “Curse of the Bambino” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fW3tX-UinQ

The San Francisco Giants started out in 1883 as the New York Gothams before becoming the New York Giants in 1886. The Giants moved to the west coast along with the Dodgers in 1958; further continuing the rivalry they had while both teams played in New York. Their rival Dodgers found more success in the first decade of moving to California, however, the Giants have found more recent success, winning three World Series Championships in five years in 2010, 2012, and 2014. My Dodgers are unfortunately still looking for their first championship since 1988, ten years before I was even born. 

#new york yankees #los angles dodgers #boston red sox #san francisco giants