Editing MC Hammer (section)

=== ''Too Legit to Quit'' (1991) ===
{{Main|Too Legit to Quit}}

After publicly dropping the "MC" from his stage name, Hammer released ''[[Too Legit to Quit]]'' (also produced by [[Felton Pilate]]) in 1991. Hammer answered his critics within certain songs from the album. Sales were strong (over five million copies),<ref name="findarticles1">{{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> with the [[2 Legit 2 Quit|title track]] being the biggest [[hit single]] from this record. The album peaked in the Top 5 of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. Another hit came soon after, with "[[Addams Groove]]" (which appeared on both ''[[The Addams Family (1991 film)|The Addams Family]]'' [[The Addams Family (1991 soundtrack)|motion picture soundtrack]] and the vinyl and cassette versions of ''2 Legit 2 Quit''), reaching No. 7 in the US and No. 4 in the [[UK]]. His video for the song appeared after the movie.

Hammer set out on a high-profile tour promoting the album which included a stage show ⁠loaded with singers, dancers and backup musicians. In 1992, [[Boyz II Men]] joined the tour as an opening act.<ref>{{cite web |last=McIver |first=Denise L. |date=1992-07-15 |title=Hammer; Boyz II Men; Jodeci; Tlc |url=https://variety.com/1992/legit/reviews/hammer-boyz-ii-men-jodeci-tlc-1200430318/ |accessdate=2022-05-08 |publisher=Variety}}</ref> While traveling the country, their tour manager Khalil Roundtree was murdered in [[Chicago]], and the group's future performances of "[[It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday]]" were dedicated to him. As a result of this unfortunate experience, the song would help advance their success.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/behind_the_music/episode.jhtml?episodeID=60634 |title=Ep. 180 {{pipe}} Boyz II Men {{pipe}} Behind The Music {{pipe}} Episode Summary, Highlights, and Recaps |website=VH1.com |access-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308172930/http://www.vh1.com/shows/behind_the_music/episode.jhtml?episodeID=60634 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ultimately, however, the lavish show proved too expensive to support through album sales and it was cancelled partway through its scheduled run.<ref name="zvents">{{cite web |url=http://www.zvents.com/performers/show/7070-mc-hammer# |title=MC Hammer – Upcoming Shows & Performances |website=Zvents.com |date=March 17, 2010 |access-date=March 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324072906/http://www.zvents.com/performers/show/7070-mc-hammer |archive-date=March 24, 2010 }}</ref>

Music videos were produced for all four singles released from this album (including "[[Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour|Do Not Pass Me By]]" and "[[This Is The Way We Roll]]"), all which charted. The [[2 Legit 2 Quit#Music video|"2 Legit 2 Quit" video]] featured many celebrity appearances and has been ranked as one of the [[List of most expensive music videos|most expensive videos]] ever made.<ref name="newsweek1">{{cite web|url = http://www.newsweek.com/id/123932/output/print|title = Superstars And Super Hype To The Rescue|publisher = Newsweek|date = December 9, 1991|first = John|last = Leland|author-link = John Leland (journalist)|access-date = May 10, 2009|archive-date = May 28, 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090528234729/http://www.newsweek.com/id/123932/output/print|url-status = dead}}</ref> The hand motions used within the song and video also became very popular.<ref name=spudart>{{cite web|url=http://www.spudart.org/blogs/randomthoughts_comments/3625_0_3_0_C/ |title=The "Two Legit to Quit" Challenge |website=Spudart.org |date=February 22, 1999 |access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> "2 Legit to Quit" proved to be successful in the US, peaking in the Top 10 at No. 5 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. Despite the album's [[Music recording certification#Certification thresholds|multi-platinum certification]], the sales were one-third of ''Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em''.

At the end of the "2 Legit 2 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-alike doing the "2 Legit 2 Quit" hand gesture.<ref name=spudart/> In a related story, Hammer appeared on ''[[The Wendy Williams Show]]'' (July 27, 2009) and talked about his hit reality show ''[[Hammertime]]'' on [[A&E Network|A&E]], his marriage, his role as a dad and the reasons he eventually went bankrupt. He told an amusing story about a phone call he received from "MJ", 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 Michael had seen the video and liked it, and both expressed they were fans of one another.<ref name="wendyshow">{{cite web |url=http://www.wendyshow.com/video/ |title=Video {{pipe}} The Wendy Williams Show |website=Wendyshow.com |access-date=March 31, 2010 |archive-date=March 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323202525/http://www.wendyshow.com/video/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Hammer and Jackson would later appear, speak and/or perform at the funeral service for [[James Brown]] in 2006.<ref name="MTV-brown_james">{{cite web|last=Reid |first=Shaheem |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1549061/20061230/brown_james.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101184441/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1549061/20061230/brown_james.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 1, 2007 |title=James Brown Saluted By Michael Jackson At Public Funeral Service – MTV News |website=Mtv.com |date=December 30, 2006 |access-date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> In 1991, Hammer was featured on the single "The Blood" from the [[BeBe & CeCe Winans]] album, ''[[BeBe & CeCe Winans#Different Lifestyles|Different Lifestyles]]''. In 1992, the song [[BeBe & CeCe Winans#Singles|peaked at No. 8]] on the [[Hot Christian Adult Contemporary#Christian|Christian charts]].