U Can't Touch This

"U Can't Touch This"
Single by MC Hammer
from the album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
B-side	"Dancin' Machine"
Released	January 13, 1990 (1990-01-13)
Format	CD 12" vinyl Cassette
Recorded	1989
Genre	Pop rap, New jack swing, hip hop
Length	4:17
Label	Capitol (US)
Writer(s)	MC Hammer Rick James Alonzo Miller
Producer	MC Hammer
MC Hammer singles chronology
"They Put Me in the Mix" (1989) "U Can't Touch This" (1990) "Have You Seen Her" (1990)

	"U Can't Touch This" and "Super Freak" "U Can't Touch This" heavily samples Rick James's "Super Freak".
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"U Can't Touch This" is MC Hammer's 1990 hit signature song, from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The album sold more than 10 million copies^[1], due primarily to this single, and gaining multi-platinum certifications from the RIAA, and other Recording Industries. The song samples Rick James' "Super Freak" heavily; James is accordingly credited as a co-author. The lyrics were written entirely by Hammer.

The song received its debut live performance on a late 1989 episode of The Arsenio Hall Show.[1] The lyrics describe the rapper as having "toured around the world, from London to the Bay" and as being "magic on the mic", which Hammer says combines with Rick James' "beat that you can't touch". It secured the Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best Rap Solo Performance in 1991, a brand new category at the time. The song also did well chartwise: it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2]. Despite intense radio play and a #27 chart debut, U Can't Touch This didn't chart more due to the fact that it was released only as a twelve-inch single. The single was also a big success in other parts of the world, peaking at #1 in Australia, the Netherlands and Sweden, and #3 on the UK singles chart^[3].

During 2008, it was ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop and number 16 on the same network's list of 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s.

"You can't touch this" and "Stop... Hammer time!" became popular catchphrases as a result of this song. Additionally, Hammertime became the title of a reality show, featuring MC Hammer, on the A&E Network in the summer of 2009.^[4]

Chart performance

Impact in pop culture

This "In popular culture" section may contain too many minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivia references. (September 2009)

The YouTube video Evolution of Dance contained the song, and went on to become the most viewed video on YouTube, a position it held for over two years.^[15] A 1990 compilation album of then-current chart hits was released in Australia by EMI under this title, which also featured the song as the first track. The German translation Halt! Hammerzeit is a known internet meme.^[16][17]

The hit song has been and continues to be used in many movies and television shows to date, and appears on soundtrack/compilation albums as well.[2]

Parodied by Weird Al Yankovic and called I Can't Watch This, a song about TV.

References

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External links

• allmusic review