Editing MC Hammer (section)

=== ''The Funky Headhunter'' and ''Prime Time'' (1994) ===
{{Main|The Funky Headhunter}}

In 1993, Hammer began recording his fifth official album. To adapt to the changing landscape of hip-hop, this album was a more aggressive sounding album entitled ''[[The Funky Headhunter]].'' He co-produced this record with funky rapper and producer, Stefan Adamek. While Hammer's appearance changed to keep up with the gangsta rap audience, his lyrics still remained honest and somewhat clean with minor profanity. Yet, as with previous records, Hammer would continue to call out and [[disrespect]] other rappers on this album. As with some earlier songs such as "Crime Story" (from the album ''Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em''), the content and reality about "street life" remained somewhat the same, but the sound was different, resulting in Hammer losing favor with fans.<ref>{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Sandow |url=https://ew.com/article/1990/02/16/please-hammer-dont-hurt-em/ |title=Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 16, 1990 |access-date=March 31, 2010 |archive-date=December 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217092458/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316708,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This album peaked at number two on the [[R&B charts]] and remained in the Top 30 midway through the year.<ref name="answers2"/> The album was eventually certified [[Music recording sales certification|platinum]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Hammer&ti=The+Funky+Headhunter#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum: RIAA|access-date=August 29, 2020|publisher=RIAA}}</ref>

Hammer debuted the video for "[[Pumps and a Bump]]" during another appearance on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' during the mid-1990s. Host [[Arsenio Hall]] said to Hammer, "Women in the audience want to know, what's in your speedos in the 'Pumps and a Bump' video?" A clip from the video was then shown, to much approval from the audience. Hammer didn't give a direct answer, but instead laughed. Arsenio then said, "I guess that's why they call you 'Hammer.' It ain't got nothin' to do with [[Hank Aaron]]."<ref name="answers2">{{cite web|author=Hammer |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/the-funky-headhunter |title=The Funky Headhunter: Information from |website=Answers.com |access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref>

The video to the album's first single, "Pumps and a Bump", was banned from heavy rotation on [[MTV]] with censors claiming that the depiction of Hammer in [[Speedos]] (and with what appeared to be an erection) was too graphic.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Damien|title=Hip Hop Had a Dream: Vol. 1 the Artful Movement|year=2008|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=978-1-4389-0204-3|page=141|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7i2WXKXECJwC&q=mc+hammer+Pumps+and+a+Bump+mtv&pg=PA141}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-06-29/summer-guide/bang-thy-head-carefully/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313031607/http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-06-29/summer-guide/bang-thy-head-carefully/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 13, 2007|newspaper=[[SF Weekly]]|title=Bang Thy Head Carefully}}</ref> This led to an alternative video being filmed (with Hammer fully clothed) that was directed by [[Bay Area]] native Craig S. Brooks. "[[The Funky Headhunter#Release and reception|It's All Good]]" was the second single released from the album.

On December 20, 1994, [[Deion Sanders]] released ''[[Prime Time (Deion Sanders album)|Prime Time]]'', a rap album on Hammer's Bust It Records label which featured the minor hit "Must Be the Money". "Prime Time Keeps on Tickin'" was also released as a single. Sanders, a friend of Hammer's, had previously appeared in his "[[Too Legit to Quit (song)#Music video|Too Legit to Quit]]" music video, and his [[Deion Sanders#"Prime Time" personality|alter-ego "Prime Time"]] is also used in Hammer's "[[Pumps and a Bump]]" video. The song "Help Lord (Won't You Come)" appeared in ''[[Kingdom Come (2001 film)|Kingdom Come]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246002/soundtrack|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104183600/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246002/soundtrack|url-status=dead|title=Kingdom Come (2001) |archive-date=January 4, 2016|website=IMDb|access-date=October 10, 2019}}</ref>