With his third album, Too Legit to Quit, Hammer dropped the "MC" from his name, but didn't undergo any major changes musically. Indeed, Legit provided a heavy dose of the thing that made Please Hammer, Don't Hurt Em so successful: likeable, fun pop-rap that appealed to mainstream Top 40 audiences more than the hood. For a few years, Hammer almost seemed to be the Michael Jackson of rap. Although it fell short of Please Hammer's artistic and commercial success, Legit definitely had its share of inviting hits, including "This Is the Way We Roll" and the title song. While Hammer hasn't always been the most challenging artist in the world, the Oakland native has some noteworthy social commentary in "Living in a World Like This" and "Brothers Hang On" -- both of which are disturbing commentaries on the harsh realities of ghetto life. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
MC Hammer (Vocals), MC Hammer (Producer), MC Hammer (Main Performer), MC Hammer (Liner Notes), MC Hammer (Executive Producer), MC Hammer (Mixing), Tramaine Hawkins (Vocals), Tramaine Hawkins (?), Special Generation (Vocals (Background)), James Early (Keyboards), Lawrence Matthews (Vocals (Background)), Lawrence Matthews (Voices), Lawrence Matthews (Choir, Chorus), Benito (Vocals), Benito (Vocals (Background)), Benito (?), Gary Bias (Flute), Gary Bias (Saxophone), Steve Bracey (Choir, Chorus), Ray Brown (Trumpet), Ray Brown (Horn (Alto)), Ray Brown (Horn Arrangements), Wally Buck (Engineer), Michael Buckholtz (Keyboards), Michael Buckholtz (Producer), Michael Buckholtz (Drum Programming), Zoe Ellis (Voices), Zoe Ellis (Choir, Chorus), Gwen Evans (Vocals (Background)), Gwen Evans (Voices), Gwen Evans (Choir, Chorus), Elizabeth Fields (Vocals (Background)), Tom Garneau (Engineer), Tom Garneau (Mixing), David Gleeson (Engineer), Edwin Harper (Vocals (Background)), Edwin Harper (Voices), Edwin Harper (Choir, Chorus), Stephen Hart (Engineer), Jamie Hawkins (Vocals (Background)), Jamie Hawkins (Voices), Jamie Hawkins (Choir, Chorus), Home Boy Choir (Vocals (Background)), Home Boy Choir (Choir, Chorus), Home Boy Choir (?), The Horns of Fire (Horn), The Horns of Fire (?), Rick House (Guitar), Dana Johnson (Vocals (Background)), Dana Johnson (Voices), Dana Johnson (Choir, Chorus), Trina Johnson (Vocals), Trina Johnson (?), Michael Kelly (Keyboards), Michael Kelly (Drum Programming), Terrance Kelly (Vocals (Background)), Terrance Kelly (Voices), Terrance Kelly (Choir, Chorus), Michael Koppelman (Engineer), Tim Lewis (?), Tim Lewis (Assistant), David Luke (Engineer), Joe Mack (Choir, Chorus), Beryl Magee (Vocals (Background)), Douglas Miller (Arranger), Sonja Moore (?), Charles Paakkari (Engineer), Felton C. Pilante II (Guitar), Felton C. Pilante II (Keyboards), Felton C. Pilante II (Programming), Felton C. Pilante II (Vocals (Background)), Felton C. Pilante II (Producer), Felton C. Pilante II (Drum Programming), Felton C. Pilante II (Mixing), Devon Rietveld (Engineer), Brenda Roy (Vocals (Background)), Brenda Roy (Voices), Brenda Roy (Choir, Chorus), Eddy Schreyer (Mastering), Stephen Walker (Design), Jackie Williams (Stylist), Vincent Wojno (Engineer), Ken Wright (Hair Stylist), Daryl Williams (Vocals (Background)), Daryl Williams (Voices), Daryl Williams (Choir, Chorus), Ray Hahnfeldt (Mixing Assistant), Michael Semanick (Engineer), Tommy Steele (Art Direction), Michael "Patches" Stewart (Trumpet), Rona Lomax (Vocals (Background)), Rona Lomax (Voices), Rona Lomax (Choir, Chorus), Shirlene Hall (Vocals (Background)), Shirlene Hall (Voices), Shirlene Hall (Choir, Chorus), Pilate II (Keyboards), Pilate II (Vocals), Pilate II (Vocals (Background)), Pilate II (Producer), Pilate II (Drum Programming), Pilate II (Mixing), Walter Redmond (Vocals (Background)), Walter Redmond (Voices), Walter Redmond (Choir, Chorus), Wendy Dougan (Design), Wendy Dougan (Design Assistant), Felton C. (Guitar), Felton C. (Keyboards), Felton C. (Vocals), Felton C. (Vocals (Background)), Felton C. (Producer), Felton C. (Drum Programming), Felton C. (Mixing), Felton C. Pilate II (Guitar), Felton C. Pilate II (Keyboards), Felton C. Pilate II (Vocals (Background)), Felton C. Pilate II (Producer), Felton C. Pilate II (Drum Programming), Felton C. Pilate II (Mixing), James Earley (Keyboards), James Earley (Drum Programming), Scott Folks (Executive Producer), Annie Leibovitz (Photography), Reggie C. Young (Trombone), Jimmy Burrell (Choir, Chorus), Lisa Carpos (Choir, Chorus), Fred Crenshaw (Voices), Fred Crenshaw (Choir, Chorus), Benito Glassen (Choir, Chorus), Robin Hodge (Vocals (Background)), Robin Hodge (Voices), Robin Hodge (Choir, Chorus), Michael Kappleman (Engineer), Adrienne Kryor (Vocals (Background)), Adrienne Kryor (Voices), Adrienne Kryor (Choir, Chorus), Manny Lacurrubbo (Engineer), Louis K. Burrell (Executive Producer), Mel Peters (Consultant), Mel Peters (Make-Up), Mel Peters (Visual Consultant), Barnett Sneed (Choir, Chorus), Brian Sneed (Choir, Chorus), Deidre Webb (Vocals (Background)), Deidre Webb (Voices), Deidre Webb (Choir, Chorus), Claudia Roper (Choir, Chorus), Claudia Roper (Assistant Producer), Steve Schwartz (Vocals (Background)), Steve Schwartz (Voices), Steve Schwartz (Choir, Chorus), Swoop (Choir, Chorus), Trisha Winder (Vocals (Background)), Trisha Winder (Voices), Trisha Winder (Choir, Chorus), James Head (Stylist), Chris Levine (Vocals (Background)), Chris Levine (Voices), Chris Levine (Choir, Chorus), Goofy (Choir, Chorus), David Swope (Choir, Chorus), Wendy Anderson (Vocals (Background)), Wendy Anderson (Voices), Wendy Anderson (Choir, Chorus), Akeiba Burrell (Choir, Chorus), Abraham Madison (Stylist), Randy G. (Choir, Chorus), Caitlin Cornwell (Voices), Caitlin Cornwell (Choir, Chorus), Kendrick Washington (Vocals), Kendra Washington (?), Soja (Vocals (Background)), Voices (?), Ken Hunter (Choir, Chorus), Act A Fool (Choir, Chorus), Jim Edmunds (Voices), Jim Edmunds (Choir, Chorus), Richard Coates (Stylist), Leola Clark (Voices)
Too Legit To Quit is Hammer's third album, released on October 29, 1991. While the album wasn't as successful as Please, Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em , it nevertheless proved rather successful, peaking in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200, as well as going triple platinum. A video for the title song was also produced, featuring many celebrity appearances. It was ranked one of the most expensive videos.[1][2][3]
At the end of the "Too Legit to Quit" video, after James Brown enlists Hammer to get the famous glove of Michael Jackson, a silver-white sequined glove is shown on the hand of a Michael Jackson look-a-like doing the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture. In a related story, MC Hammer appeared on The Wendy Williams Show (July 27th, 2009) and talked about his hit reality showHammertime on A&E, his marriage, his role as a dad and reason he went bankrupt. He went on to tell an amusing story about a phone call he received from Michael Jackson, regarding the portion of the "2 Legit 2 Quit" video that included a fake Jackson, giving his approval and inclusion of it. He explained how Jackson had seen the video and liked it, and both expressed they were a fan of each others.[1] Hammer and Jackson would later appear, speak and/or perform at the funeral service for James Brown in 2006.[2][3][4]
"Let's Get It Started" ·"Pump It Up" ·"Turn This Mutha Out" ·"They Put Me in the Mix" ·"U Can't Touch This" ·"Have You Seen Her" ·"Pray" ·"Here Comes the Hammer" ·"Yo!! Sweetness" ·"(Hammer Hammer) They Put Me in the Mix" ·"Too Legit to Quit" ·"Addams Groove" ·"Do Not Pass Me By" ·"This Is the Way We Roll" ·"Pumps and a Bump" ·"It's All Good" ·"Don't Stop" ·"Straight to My Feet" ·"Too Late Playa" ·"No Stoppin' Us (USA)" ·"Pop Yo Collar" ·"LOOK" ·"So Long" ·"Getting Back to Hetton"
