Throwback Thursday: MC Hammer – “Pray”
For the last 25 years or so, MC Hammer has been an easy target for cheap punchlines, but make no mistake, he has had a far more impactful career than most of your favorite rappers.
Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) turns 61 years old today, so it’s only right that we revisit one of his many classics. In August of 1990, he released “Pray” as the third single from his blockbuster album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, which remains one of the best-selling rap albums of all time.
Based on a sample of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and an interpolation of Faith No More’s “We Care a Lot,” the song is one of the earliest instances of gospel rap in popular music. While “Can’t Touch This” is undoubtedly MC Hammer’s signature hit, “Pray” holds the title as his highest-peaking single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Join me in celebrating this Aries king and one of the important figures in the history of hip-hop.
No Comments