Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known by his stage name MC Hammer, and best known for his hit song “U Can’t Touch This,” has long been rumored to have gone broke after his rapid rise to fame in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Whether that’s true or not, Hammer has had an exciting career; let’s take a look, beginning with his net worth.
MC Hammer’s Net Worth As Of 2019: $1.5 million
Seems sort of…. low, eh? Well, here’s how he ended up there.
Early Years: 1987 – 1990
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Back in 1987, Hammer, a relatively unknown recording artist, released his debut album, “Feel My Power,” with his own record label “Bust it.” A year later he released another album titled “Let’s Get It Started.” Both releases got positive reviews, but it wasn’t until 1990 when Capitol Records signed Hammer and produced his third album “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” that he really became a star. His infectious single “U Can’t Touch This” dominated the billboards for 21 weeks and helped the record become the most popular rap release to date. “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” was also made into a movie by the same name in 1990. Hammer’s net worth was reported to be around 33 million dollars that year, and he made sure everyone knew about it…
1991 – 1996
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His fourth album, “Too Legit To Quit” was released in 1991, which sold over 5 million units – not bad but nowhere as good as his previous successes. A couple of years later, Hammer released his fifth major album, “The Funky Headhunter and Prime Time” in 1994 after some accused him of quitting the music business and fading away. Granted, his music was still being appreciated but not in the same capacity as it initially was.
Behind the scenes of his respected hip-hop career, Hammer was living the textbook pop-star lifestyle. Hammer boasted fast cars, mega mansions, shiny jewelry, racehorses, and just about everything, really. His reckless spending habits soon caught up with him, however, and he filed for bankruptcy in 1996. With debts of nearly 13 million dollars, Hammer was forced to sell his prized possessions (including his 30 million dollar house!) almost as quickly as he bought them.
1997 – Present
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Hammer released a total of 12 albums in his career, but it’s safe to say the source of his fortune was concentrated heavily in his third release. Since his financial downfall, Hammer has rebounded (sort of), or at least kept himself busy, as the owner of a Mixed Martial Arts management company that manages 10 fighters, Alchemist Clothing Company, and a short-lived tech startup called WireDoo.
Aside from his business ventures, Hammer has been able to maintain some relevance in the pop culture world due to numerous television appearances on shows like Oprah, Ellen, and Chelsea Lately. He is also still considered a hip-hop icon and a founding father of the genre.
So, yeah, Hammer blew pretty much all of his money and suffered enormous financial hardship. He is regularly remembered for being a classic example of how money and power can corrupt, but his dance moves and catchy lyrics are equally as immortal.
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2019
The rapper MC Hammer, who gave rise to hammer pants, admitted: “Using hammers is always a scary proposition, man. “You can hit your fingers,” he told The Huffington Post.
