Number 1 Hit
The song received its debut live performance on a late 1989 episode of The Arsenio Hall Show. 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 new category at the time. The song was a huge success chart wise: it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 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.
The song's lyrics and catchphrases became common pop culture references, making sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle appearances on TV, movies, and pop culture generally. "You can't touch this" and "Stop... Hammer time!" in particular, were widely used. Hammertime, from a lyric in the song, became the title of a reality show, featuring MC Hammer, on the A&E Network in the summer of 2009.
After the song's release, Rick James sued Hammer for infringement of copyright as the song samples the prominent opening riff of "Super Freak", which is repeated throughout the recording. 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.
Read more about this topic: U Can't Touch This
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