Select shows have upped the ante by including 2 Live Crew, Coolio, and other artists whose '90s heyday still shines brightly in our collective mind's eye. To flesh things out further and really reproduce the full '90s hip-hop/R&B experience, Hammer's House Party brought aboard En Vogue, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Sisqo, Kid 'n' Play, Doug E Fresh, Color Me Badd, and Montell Jordan. In order to satisfy those hardy souls, Hammer's House Party came into being. July 25 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (MC Hammer, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Kid n Play, 2 Live Crew, The Funky Bunch) July 26 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre (MC Hammer. Lots of trends have come and gone since then, but through the decades there have always been fans who want it to be "Hammer time" all the time. The man with the Hammer pants and the moves to match became a phenomenon when "U Can't Touch This" turned into one of the biggest blockbuster hits of 1990. If you weren't, it'll be like entering a secret realm that only exists for a couple of hours at a time.īack in the early '90s, nobody dominated the pop and R&B worlds like MC Hammer. If you were there for all of these artists the first time around, it'll feel like a triumphant return to the glory days. That means you get the slinky soul of En Vogue, the fun-filled tag-team rap of Kid 'n' Play, and the sweet pop-meets-R&B vibe of Color Me Badd. But Hammer knows that nobody parties alone, so he's got plenty of his peers along for the festivities. It would be impressive enough if it were just MC Hammer on his own, bringing era-defining hits like "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit" to the stage and partying like it's 1991. I am Hammer because he was ‘Hammering Hank Aaron.Every fan of 1990s hip-hop and R&B gets to see and hear their dreams come true when Hammer's House Party happens. “That gentle, warm, joyful smile and his heartfelt embrace of a little kid from East Oakland in a moment empowered and changed my life,” Burrell tweeted about the photo. The photo grew in value when Little Hammer turned into MC Hammer, appearing in Rolling Stone and many other publications. He’s the A’s clubhouse boy.’ “Īaron gave Burrell a look, smiled and put an arm around the kid’s shoulder. “He straightened up and I corrected it real fast,” he said. you look alike.’ “Īaron, having been subjected to so much racism, wasn’t sure what to make of the photographer’s words. “I walked up to him with the Little Hammer and said, ‘Hank, I’d like a picture of you two guys. “Hank was sitting alone at his locker,” Riesterer said. Riesterer was working as an unofficial A’s photographer in 1975 when the team approached him with an idea: When the Brewers are in town, take Little Hammer to meet the Hammer. That meant a visit to Oakland twice a year. Aaron had spent 21 years of his Hall of Fame career with the Braves, in Milwaukee and Atlanta, before spending his final two at age 41 and 42 with the Brewers, who were in the American League then. The nickname led to another perk for Burrell: a chance to take a photo with his new idol and namesake. There are photos, shot by Riesterer, of Burrell popping bottles of champagne with the A’s after they won the A.L. 44, Aaron’s number, with “Hammer” on the back and “VP”– for vice president - on his hat. On occasion, Burrell would serve as a bat boy wearing No. The guy had played for the Braves, had played alongside Aaron, and thought this kid bore a striking resemblance to “Hammerin’ Hank.”Ĭhampionship year: San Ramon Valley’s baseball team, ignited by football hero, wins EBAL title One day, as longtime A’s clubhouse manager Steve Vucinich tells it, Burrell caught the eye of a visiting player. As a young teen he would sneak around the A’s clubhouses, too, where his two brothers were bat boys.īurrell had been around enough that he became a familiar face, and not just with the A’s. King of baseball’s kingdom sans a crown.”īefore rap stardom in the 1990s, before “U Can’t Touch This” and hammer pants, Burrell, now 58, was just a kid who used to hang out at the Oakland Coliseum parking lot waiting for a spare ticket to watch the day’s game. He took the arrows, knives and venom of hatred and racism in stride without missing a step. (Kid N Play, 1991) Faithful (Hi-Five, 1993) Fathers Day (Father MC. The embodiment of Black Excellence before the term was conceived. The Minneapolis-based Flyte Tyme team (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis) and Harlem. U Cant Touch This by MC Hammer Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. When news broke Friday morning that Aaron had died, at age 86, Burrell posted the 1975 photo on his Twitter account under a tweet that read: While playing music in the car is a great way to expose your kids to some of your favorite. That kid is Stanley Burrell, an Oakland native who grew up to become MC Hammer, a stage-name inspired by Aaron’s nickname. Perhaps you’ve seen the picture: Late-career Henry Aaron, wearing a Milwaukee Brewers jersey, posing in front of his locker next to a grinning kid in a tank top.
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