U Can't Touch This

MC Hammer’s 1990 smash “U Can’t Touch This” was a pop-rap phenomenon that had virtually everyone chanting its hook and attempting the Hammer Dance. Sampling Rick James’s “Super Freak” bass line, Hammer laid down boastful, family-friendly rhymes announcing his unbeatable skills, punctuated by the now legendary command “Stop… Hammer time!” The track’s infectious beats and Hammer’s showmanship launched it to the top of charts, and its video (featuring Hammer’s high-energy choreography and flashy pants) was inescapable on MTV. “U Can’t Touch This” won the first-ever rap Grammy and turned Hammer into a household name. Over 30 years later, the song remains a cultural touchstone: play those opening notes and everyone knows it’s Hammer time, often breaking into that signature dance without missing a beat.