Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), known better by his stage names MC Hammer and Hammer, is an African-American
multi-platinum selling MC and dancer who was most popular during the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. He is best known for his
dramatic "rise and fall" from fame and fortune and his trademark Hammer Pants. He became a preacher during the late 1990s and
as of 2008 works as a co-initiator of a dance website, television show host and CEO, still performing occasionally at concerts
and other functions. Although considered a "forefather" of entertainment rap music (or "pop rap") at one time, due to his
mainstream appeal since the late 1980s, he would later be considered a "sell-out" rapper by many. Nonetheless, BET ranked
Hammer as the #7 Best Dancer Of All Time.
