Editing MC Hammer (section)

=== Bankruptcy, lawsuits, and media reaction ===
Contrary to public rumor, Hammer claimed he was really never "down-and-out" as reported by the media (eventually expressed on ''[[The Opie & Anthony Show]]'' and ''[[The Ellen DeGeneres Show]]'' in 2009). Originally having an estimated net worth of over $33 million according to ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, speculations about Hammer's status first emerged during delays between albums ''[[Too Legit to Quit]]'' and ''[[The Funky Headhunter]]'', with Hammer having spent much of his money on staff and personal luxuries.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anderson |first=Gordon T. |url=https://money.cnn.com/2003/05/30/pf/debt/broke_celebs/index.htm |title=Celebs who go broke – May. 31, 2003 |website=Money.cnn.com |date=May 31, 2003 |access-date=December 17, 2012}}</ref> In addition to excessive spending while supporting friends and family,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.rhapsody.com/mc-hammer|title = MC Hammer|publisher = Rhapsody}}</ref> Hammer ultimately became over $13 million in debt<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-31-re-27542-story.html|title=Rapper Takes Hit on Mansion Sale|date=August 31, 1997|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref>—due to dwindling album sales, unpaid loans, a large payroll, and a lavish lifestyle. Therefore, Hammer eventually filed for [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Oakland, California,<ref>''In re Stanley Kirk Burrell'', case no. 96-42564, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (Oakland Div.).</ref> on April 1, 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news24by7.us/2012/02/mc-hammer-33-million-1991.html |title=Mc Hammer $33 Million 1991 – News 24 by 7 |website=News24by7.us |date=February 11, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927072505/http://www.news24by7.us/2012/02/mc-hammer-33-million-1991.html |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The case was converted to [[Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 7]] on September 23, 1998. However, Hammer was denied a [[bankruptcy discharge]] on April 23, 2002.<ref>See generally Complaint, docket entry 1, November 21, 2011, ''United States v. Stanley K. Burrell'', case no. 2:11-cv-03079-GEB-EFB, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.</ref>

Hammer's [[Mansion#Size|mansion]] was sold for a fraction of its former price.<ref name="sfgate1997">{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/M-C-Hammer-Sells-Mansion-Moves-to-Tracy-Rap-2811447.php |title=M. C. Hammer Sells Mansion, Moves to Tracy / Rap star leaves Fremont hills for rental house – SFGate |website=Articles.sfgate.com |date=August 21, 1997 |access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref><ref name="thefreelibrary1">{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BANKRUPT+M.C.+HAMMER+PUTS+HOME+ON+THE+MARKET-a083867428 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022044514/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BANKRUPT+M.C.+HAMMER+PUTS+HOME+ON+THE+MARKET-a083867428 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |title=Bankrupt M.C. Hammer Puts Home On The Market. – Free Online Library |website=Thefreelibrary.com |date=May 13, 1997 |access-date=May 10, 2011 }}</ref> "My priorities were out of order," he told ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]''. He said: "My priorities should have always been God, family, community and then business. Instead they had been business, business and business."<ref name="findarticles2">{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n6_v49/ai_14969852 |title=Hammer's hilltop mansion {{pipe}} Ebony {{pipe}} Find Articles at BNET |website=Findarticles.com |access-date=May 10, 2011 |year=1994}}</ref> Along with [[Felton Pilate]] and other group members, [[Rick James]] sued Hammer for infringement of copyright on "U Can't Touch This", but the suit was settled out of court when Hammer agreed to credit James as co-composer, effectively cutting James in on the millions of dollars the record was earning. By the late 1990s, Hammer seemed to stabilize himself and made himself ready to undertake new projects.<ref name="answers1"/>

In 1992, Hammer had admitted in depositions and court documents to getting the idea for the song "Here Comes the Hammer" from a [[Contemporary Christian music|Christian recording artist]] in [[Dallas]] named Kevin Christian. Christian had filed a $16 million lawsuit against Hammer for [[copyright infringement]] of his song entitled "Oh-Oh, You Got the Shing". This fact, compounded with witness testimony from both Hammer's and Christian's entourages, and other evidence (including photos), brought about a settlement with [[Capitol Records]] in 1994. The terms of the settlement remain sealed. Hammer settled with Christian the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13360829.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121104232712/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-13360829.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = November 4, 2012|title = Songwriter claims Hammer stole his song: sues him. (Muhammad Bilal Abdullah)|date = February 1, 1993|website = Jet}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.dallasobserver.com/1998-02-26/news/hammered/|publisher = Dallas Observer|date = February 26, 1998|first = Matt|last = Weitz|title = Hammered|access-date = November 16, 2009|archive-date = June 1, 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090601043124/http://www.dallasobserver.com/1998-02-26/news/hammered/|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 1997, just prior to beginning his ministry, Hammer (who by that time had re-adopted "MC") was the subject of an episode of ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' and the [[VH1]] series ''[[Behind the Music]]'' (music from his album ''[[Inside Out (MC Hammer album)|Inside Out]]'' was featured in this documentary).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/music/episodes/197308 |title=Behind the Music Episodes – Behind the Music Full Episode Guides on VH1 |work=TV Guide |access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/behind-the-music-vh1-return/ |title=Behind the Music returning |date=April 6, 2009 |publisher=TV Series Finale |access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref> In these appearances, Burrell admitted "that [he] had already used up most of [his] fortune of over $20 million, proving that money is nothing if it doesn't bring peace and if priorities are wrong".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.s9.com/Biography/Hammer|title = Hammer|publisher = s9.com|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090531072140/http://www.s9.com/Biography/Hammer|archive-date = May 31, 2009}}</ref> He would go on to express a similar point in other interviews as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.popcrunch.com/mc-hammer-ellen-degeneres-interview-march-24-video/ |title=MC Hammer Ellen Degeneres Interview: March 24 |format=video |website=Tv.popcrunch.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531110118/http://tv.popcrunch.com/mc-hammer-ellen-degeneres-interview-march-24-video/ |archive-date=May 31, 2009 }}</ref>

During numerous interviews on radio stations and television channels throughout the years, Hammer was constantly questioned about his bankruptcy.<ref name="daveyd2"/><ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mc-hammer/165636|publisher = TV Guide|title = MC Hammer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/mc-hammer-social-media-marketing/ |title=How MC Hammer went from caricature to human being—the social media story |last=Tobin |first=Jim |date=February 5, 2009 |publisher=Ignite Social Media |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525155056/http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/mc-hammer-social-media-marketing/ |archive-date=May 25, 2009 }}</ref> During an interview by [[WKQI]]-FM (95.5) for the promotion of his "Pioneers Of Hip Hop 2009" gig at the [[Fox Theatre (Detroit, Michigan)|Fox Theatre in Detroit]] (which featured [[2 Live Crew]], [[Naughty by Nature]], [[Too Short]], [[Biz Markie]] and [[Roxanne Shanté]]), Hammer was asked about his finances by the ''Mojo in the Morning'' host. Hammer responded on Twitter, saying that Mojo was a "coward" and threatened to cancel commercials for his upcoming show.<ref>[http://detnews.com/article/20090514/ENT09/905140390/1402/ENT09/Grapevine--Hammer--Mojo-go-at-it] {{dead link|date=December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.lasplash.com/publish/Entertainment/cat_index_detroit_entertainment/Discovering_the_Spirit_of_Detroit_with_the_Pioneers_of_Hip_Hop_Review.php|publisher = lasplash.com|title = Rediscovering the Spirit of Detroit with the 'Pioneers of Hip Hop' Review|author = Chick Chop Suey}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/1598/943559?title=sports |publisher=WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, MI |format=video |title=MC Hammer Returns |date=May 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719151224/http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/1598/943559?title=sports |archive-date=July 19, 2011 }}</ref>

On November 21, 2011, the U.S. government filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in California against Hammer to obtain a court judgment on his unpaid taxes for years 1996 and 1997.<ref>See Complaint, docket entry 1, November 21, 2011, ''United States v. Stanley K. Burrell'', case no. 2:11-cv-03079-GEB-EFB, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.</ref> In December 2011, this litigation was reported in the media. Hammer owed $779,585 in back taxes from his earnings dating back to 1996–1997; during the years, Hammer was believed to be facing his worst financial problems. After years of public and media ridicule regarding his financial problem, Hammer tried to assure fans and "naysayers" via Twitter, saying that he had proof he had already taken care of his debt with the IRS. "700k – Don't get too excited .. I paid them already and kept my receipt. Stamped by a US Federal Judge", Hammer tweeted from his account @MCHammer.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jake|last=Crates |url=http://allhiphop.com/2011/12/12/mc-hammer-pays-off-financial-debt-to-irs/ |title=MC Hammer Pays Off Financial Debt to IRS |website=AllHipHop.com |date=December 12, 2011 |access-date=December 17, 2012}}</ref> 

However, the District Court ruled against Hammer. He appealed, but, on December 17, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected Hammer's argument that because the government had not listed those taxes in the government's proof of claim filed with the Bankruptcy Court, the government should be stopped from collecting the taxes.<ref>''United States v. Stanley K. Burrell'', December 17, 2015, case no. 14-15015, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.</ref> According to a 2017 episode of the [[Reelz]] TV series ''Broke & Famous'', the situation was eventually resolved.<ref name="broke and famous">"MC Hammer: Broke & Famous".  ''Broke & Famous''.  Exec. Prod. Joe Houlihan and Simon Lloyd.  Reelz, September 29, 2017.  Television.</ref> As of the making of the aforementioned ''Broke & Famous'' episode, Hammer had a reported net worth of $1.5 million.<ref name="broke and famous"/>