MC Hammer was noticeably absent as the Recording Academy paid homage to music and cultural greatness with the star-studded “Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop.”
The two-hour concert, which aired on Dec. 10, featured rappers Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, and many more performers, break dancers, beatboxers, and DJs. This marked the second time this year that the Academy has honored the beloved genre, the first being a 12-minute curated medley spanning 50 years of hits at the Grammy Awards in February.
“I really wish MC Hammer would have done one of these hip-hop 50 things. I would have LOVED to see him perform,” a fan posted on X. A second individual commented, “One thing I wish we could have seen is some recognition of MC Hammer’s contributions to Hip Hop. It feels like he has been largely absent from these celebrations. I wonder if he’s been asked to perform?”
At the height of his career in the early ’90s, the Bay Area native had a successful cartoon series, had won every music accolade (Grammys, American Music Awards, Billboard, Soul Train, MTV Video Music Awards, and more), and had an overall undeniable influence on hip-hop and popular culture.
So how is it that the “U Can’t Touch This” emcee’s contributions to hip-hop’s legacy have seemingly gone overlooked has been a conversation amongst fans?
The answer regarding his absence was found in a resurfaced clip of Hammer at the Nov. 3 street renaming ceremony for the late Tupac Shakur in Oakland, California. Several minutes into his impassioned speech paying tribute to his friend, Hammer segued into calling out the disingenuous nature of hip-hop.
“You ain’t heard me go to none of these hip-hop 50th, and just for the record, I got invited to every one, but I really don’t have the patience for the fakeness,” said the entertainer. “I’m really 60 years old, so I can’t really get with the fakeness of it all, know what I’m saying. I can do it with a young cat, but I can’t come around old cats that’s just gon’ be pretending.”
The “2 Legit 2 Quit” rapper would go on to illustrate how artists’ names are part of facades that are not rooted in truth.
“What you want me to call you?’ Six Shooter. ‘Aye, Six Shooter!’ Man, c’mon man. Ain’t none of your bodies turned up yet,” he said. “I just can’t do it…but Pac got me out here today. My first hip-hop 50 event that I said yeah to, and the only one is to come and say how much I love Pac.”
The resurfaced clip generated newfound respect for Hammer, who faced backlash by the mid-’90s as his career wound down following a short-lived stint of him trying out gangsta rap.
“I appreciate MC Hammer standing on principle and declining invites. A lot of them dissed him over the years. Hammer a real G and said he ain’t got time for the fakeness. You didn’t want me then, don’t want me now. Hip hop became everything they dissed him for,” wrote a supporter.
This is not the first time Hammer generated support for his career. In August, Mistah F.A.B. expressed a similar desire to see hip-hop’s “first megastar” celebrated alongside his peers at Yankee Stadium. Hammer would later clarify that he turned down the opportunity.
