Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990 Vol2 M-Z.pdf

BAKER’s Biographical

Dictionary of

POPULAR MUSICIANS SINCE 1990

BAKER’s Biographical

INTRODUCTION BY

David Freeland

VOLUME TWO M.C. HAMMER TO ZZ TOP

TOPICAL ESSAYS • INDEXES

Dictionary of

POPULAR MUSICIANS SINCE 1990

Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Baker’s biographical dictionary of popular musicians since 1990.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references, discographies, and indexes.

ISBN 0-02-865799-3 (set : alk. paper) -- ISBN 0-02-865800-0 (v. 1) --

ISBN 0-02-865801-9 (v. 2)

1. Popular music--Bio-bibliography--Dictionaries. 2. Musicians--Biography--

Dictionaries.

ML102.P66 B35 2003

781.64'092'2--dc21

2003013956

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents contents

Contributors ..............................................................ix

Introduction...............................................................xi

Popular Musicians Since 1990, A–L ..........................1

Popular Musicians Since 1990, M–Z .....................401

Appendix ................................................................767

Grunge: A Brief History of a Hard

Rock Genre .................................................767

Rap’s Emergence into the Mainstream ..............771

The Transformation of Commercial Radio .......775

The Music Industry: Economics, Marketing,

and New Artist Development.....................777

Glossary...................................................................785

Genre Index............................................................789

Index .......................................................................793

VOLUME 2

CONTENTS

VOLUME 1

M M

M.C. HAMMER

Stanley Kirk Burrell owes both his nickname and

sense of enterprise to an after-school job as batboy for the

Oakland Athletics. The team nicknamed the teen “Ham-

mer” after his resemblance to all-time home-run leader

“Hammerin’” Hank Aaron. More importantly, he won the

affections of the team’s flamboyant owner, Charles Fin-

ley, who taught the young Burrell the value of show-

manship and hard work. Dedicating himself to hip-hop,

the diligent Hammer recorded his debut, Feel My Power

(Bust It) (1987), and spent the year driving throughout

California promoting it himself. Hammer’s diligence paid

off. He signed with Capitol Records and his first release

with the label, Let’s Get It Started, went double platinum,

thanks largely to its polished funk vibe and Parliament-

sampling dance hit, “Turn This Mutha Out.”

Hammer’s second album for Capitol exceeded all pos-

sible expectations. Its lead single, “U Can’t Touch This,”

may have borrowed wholesale from Rick James’s funk hit

“Super Freak” (1981), but its catchy chorus and a flashy

video featuring Hammer’s soon-famous parachute pants

made him a national sensation. It would have been the

first hip-hop single to top the charts but it was only released

as a 12-inch single. His next two singles, “Pray” and “Have

You Seen Her,” also charted well and pushed his sales to

heights previously unthinkable for a hip-hop album. Ham-

mer capitalized on his icon status with endless commer-

cial endorsements, a line of dolls, and a cartoon. Hip-hop

purists like 3rd Bass attacked Hammer for his biteless raps,

flashy costumes, and glossy excess.

Though Hammer’s next album, Too Legit to Quit

(1991), sold 3 million copies, his moment was over and

the album’s tour was cancelled halfway through when it

failed to recoup the costs of its extravagant stage show.

Born: Stanley Kirk Burrell; Oakland, California, 30 March

1962

Genre: Hip-Hop

Best-selling album since 1990: Please Hammer, Don’t

Hurt ‘Em (1990)

Hit songs since 1990: “U Can’t Touch This,” “Pray,” “2

Legit 2 Quit”

ures in the history of hip-hop. The quan-

tum leap the Oakland, California, native took

from regional sensation to global superstar was

a reflection of mainstream pop music’s embrace

of hip-hop. His major label debut, Let’s Get It

Started (1988), went double platinum thanks to

his club-friendly funk samples, amicable raps, and

sing-along choruses, but it was only the begin-

ning of his career. Released two years later, the

crossover hit Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em

(1990) sold 10 million copies, earned the singer

two Grammy Awards (Best R&B Song, Best Solo

Rap Performance), and charted three Top 10 sin-

gles. Unfortunately, it also won him the ire of his

fellow rappers, many of whom accused Hammer

of diluting hip-hop’s hardcore aesthetic in favor

of a softer, clownish style. Within two years, pop’s

changing winds—as well as the singer’s financial

mismanagement—had dethroned the once-

ubiquitous rapper. Far from celebrated, Hammer’s

stint in the spotlight was as brief as his signature

parachute pants were wide.

401

M .C. Hammer is one of the most divisive fig-

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