The Funky Headhunter

by

MC Hammer

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Mayne,mayne,mayne...by the time this album dropped, Death Row was rakin' in millions with Dre,Snoop, and the Dogg Pound, dance/pop-rap had become a thing of the past, Hammer was goin' broke and perplexed cause his peeps had flipped on him and his sells were droppin' dramatically behind Too Legit,Hammer started kickin' it with Suge & Tha Row, and on top o' that, other lyricists had jokes. So Funky Headhunter was pretty much Hammer's war declaration to all the critics from inside and outside his circle. The production was, of course, tight, bein' that some of the tracks were laid by Daz & Kurupt(DPG)...as a matter of fact, some joints were remindin' me of Too Short when they weren't soundin' like Snoop should've come thru with some cameos. Vintage Hammer music, danceable hits, only with a lot more edge, darkness, and intensity. The only problem that I had with this release,however, was the fact that my boi tried to take his image from Church hop to Crip hop...how you gonna go from 'Do Not Pass Me By' to claimin' to be an Oaktown Mack and the Ultimate O.G., bustin' on Q-Tip, Redman, Blacksheep(weak disses I might add), and thus crucifyin' your credibility? Lookin' back, Hammer was keepin' it reallest when he was dance-rappin', sellin'/makin' millions, and turnin' a deaf ear to the 'gangsta' critics who later popped out themselves. But musically, Funky Headhunters a keeper.

"The Funky Headhunter" was one of the worst ideas that Hammer (nee' MC Hammer) could have come up with. It proved that he was not completely committed to dance-drive, entertaining brand of rap, and was influenced by the criticisms of others of his earlier efforts. While it is true that his two mega-hit albums "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em" and "Too Legit 2 Quit" don't quite qualify as 'hardcore' rap (Heck they aren't even in the same zip code), they did earn Hammer a legion of fans who loved his style of music. Unfortunately, he caved to the criticism and came out with this 'hardcore' album. His reputation with the tougher elements of the hip-hop industry was already cemented. So, there was no way this album could change their views. The effect it did have was that it alienated all of fans who enjoyed his earlier work. Raunchy bump-and-grind tracks like "pumps and a bump" and lackluster anthems like "It's all good" are just embarrassing attempts to obtain some sort of 'credibility'. Hammer should never had made this album. It is hardly surprising that his career imploded after this.