In the show, Hammer (real name: Stanley Burrell) introduces the world to his family and friends, including his wife, six kids, a nephew and "Cousin" Marv, part of his entourage, all the while Tweeting as he goes about his day.
Hammer talked to AOL TV about his family being inspiration in these tough economic times, his mysterious relationship with fellow '90s rap icon Vanilla Ice and -- look out, Ashton! -- why he thinks Demi Moore is so lovable. And if you're just dying for a fashion flashback, don't worry -- he promises us his infamous pants will make an appearance too. -- By Maggie Furlong
A&E Reality Star Photos
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MAY 31: Actor Corey Feldman arrives with wife Susie at the First Annual Change The World Humanitarian Awards Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 31, 2009 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Corey Feldman
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LAS VEGAS - MAY 21: Illusionist Criss Angel is interviewed after attending a memorial service for longtime Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans at the Encore Las Vegas May 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gans died on May 1, 2009 at age 52. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Criss Angel
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LAS VEGAS - MAY 21: Illusionist Criss Angel is interviewed after attending a memorial service for longtime Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans at the Encore Las Vegas May 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gans died on May 1, 2009 at age 52. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Criss Angel
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LAS VEGAS - MAY 21: Comedian Carrot Top (L) and illusionist Criss Angel are interviewed after attending a memorial service for longtime Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans at the Encore Las Vegas May 21, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gans died on May 1, 2009 at age 52. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carrot Top;Criss Angel
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Gene Simmons of Kiss poses backstage following the band's performance at the "American Idol" finale in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
AP
BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM American Idol Grand Finale 2009. Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. May 20, 2009. Job: 90520TC1 www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com Pictured: Gene Simmons
TOBY/BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM
BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM American Idol Grand Finale 2009. Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. May 20, 2009. Job: 90520TC1 www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com Pictured: Gene Simmons
TOBY/BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM
BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM American Idol Grand Finale 2009. Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. May 20, 2009. Job: 90520TC1 www.bauergriffin.com www.bauergriffinonline.com Pictured: Gene Simmons
TOBY/BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 20: Musicians Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Gene Simmons of KISS pose in the press room during the American Idol Season 8 Grand Finale held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tommy Thayer;Paul Stanley;Eric Singer;Gene Simmons;KISS
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 20: Musicians Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Gene Simmons of KISS pose in the press room during the American Idol Season 8 Grand Finale held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tommy Thayer;Paul Stanley;Eric Singer;Gene Simmons;KISS
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1. Welcome back to reality TV! What's it like coming back, and what made you decide to finally do a show like this?
Well, thank you -- I appreciate that. I'm having a good time! The best thing is watching my kids -- I enjoy watching their lives and the way they operate and embrace the whole process. I can tell you this -- it only gets more fun. There's a lot of funny stuff going on. And it gets a little more adventurous. I made the right choice [to come to A&E], because I get offered reality shows all throughout the year, every year.
2. What do you think makes your family so watchable?
From inception, I wanted to tell the story of family in 2009. I wanted to tell the story of family that have stuck together through thick and thin, hoping that if there are any families -- and we all know there are, in this tough time we're going through in our country -- that they can draw some hope from looking at our family and saying, "Well, I know MC Hammer's been through it, and his wife and kids are doing fine. We're gonna come out great!" Through the course of the episodes, you'll see the personalities that have come out of being a "Hammer family" member. And I think people will find moments and bits and pieces of themselves in a very entertaining way in the series.
2009 Summer TV: New Series
The heat of summer is matched only by the hot new TV shows we'll be seeing this season.
We've got the scoop on the return of familiar faces ('Nurse Jackie''s Edie Falco), the next cable hits ('Hawthorne'; 'Hung'), the new reality shows ('The Bachelorette'; 'Kendra') and more that will have everyone talking.
See all of this year's new shows in our 2009 Summer TV gallery.
TNT / HBO
'The Bachelorette'
Premiered: Mon., May 18, 9PM (ABC)
Premise: Jillian Harris, who finished third on last season of 'The Bachelor,' gives love a second chance with the help of a whopping 30 potential suitors -- hopefully none of whom resemble Jason Mesnick. As usual, men are eliminated week by week until Jillian finds her Prince Charming -- or at the very least, a spot on next season's 'Dancing With the Stars.'
Related Links
ABC
'Mental'
Starring: Chris Vance, Annabella Sciorra
Premieres: Fri., May 22, 9PM (Fox)
Premise: Vance ('Prison Break') stars as Jack Gallagher, an unorthodox psychologist who butts heads with his conservative boss, Nora Skoff (Sciorra), in this medical mystery thriller. Oh, did we mention they used to date? That'll complicate things, we bet.
Related Links
Fox
'Royal Pains'
Starring: Mark Feuerstein, Campbell Scott
Premieres: Thu., June 4, 10PM (USA)
Premise: The Hamptons: home to some of the richest people in America ... and the people who work for them. Hank Lawson (Feuerstein) is the latter, a doctor whose career hits a little snag (um, if you call getting blamed for the death of a hospital head honcho "little"), getting him demoted from hot-shot healthcare provider to on-call private practitioner for the wealthy -- and incredibly needy -- elite.
Related Links
USA Network
'Kendra'
Premieres: Sun., June 7, 10PM (E!)
Premise: 'Girls Next Door' alum Kendra Wilkinson gets her own reality show, focusing on life after living in the Playboy mansion and her engagement to football player Hank Baskett. There'll surely be plenty of Kendra's signature half-shirts and cutesy Elmer Fudd-style laugh to go around.
Related Links
Getty Images
'Nurse Jackie'
Starring: Edie Falco, Eve Best, Peter Facinelli
Premieres: Mon., June 8, 10:30PM (Showtime)
Premise: Falco stars in this deeply dark comedy about an ER nurse whose cynical outlook on life is tempered only by the prescription painkillers she snorts -- and the occasional life she saves. Compared to Jackie, Carmela Soprano's a softie.
Related Links
Showtime
'Top Chef Masters'
Premieres: Wed., June 10, 10PM (Bravo)
Premise: Anyone who thinks 'Top Chef' is full of amateurs or who only watches the show for its guest judges ... well, 'Top Chef Masters' is for you. This time around, the contestants are renowned chefs (as opposed to TV-famous chefs) such as Wylie Dufresne (pictured), Rick Bayless, Jonathan Waxman and Hubert Keller, all of them competing for charity. We can't wait to see what they'll make using only a pack of Chiclets and a hot plate.
Related Links
Getty Images
'Wedding Day'
Premieres: Tue., June 16, 8PM (TNT)
Premise: Think 'Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition.' Deserving couples from across the country are awarded the most amazing wedding celebrations by celebrity event planner Alan Dunn and wedding planner to the stars Diann Valentine.
Related Links
TNT
'Hawthorne'
Starring: Jada Pinkett Smith, Michael Vartan
Premieres: Tue., June 16, 9PM (TNT)
Premise: As the newest strong female lead in the TNT lineup, Pinkett Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, a tough-as-nails nurse who is determined to give every patient in her Richmond, Va., hospital the best care possible. Christina's got baggage -- she's a widower left raising a rebellious teenage daughter -- but she also has heart. And, of course, some chemistry with the head of oncology (Vartan).
Related Links
TNT
'Merlin'
Starring: Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Anthony Head
Premieres: Sun., June 21, 8PM (NBC)
Premise: Morgan and James star as Merlin and Arthur, respectively, in this teen-drama take on the Arthurian legend. The future king's ladylove, Guinevere, is called Gwen -- expect angst and romantic tension aplenty. Think of it as 'Camelot, 90210.'
Related Links
NBC
3. So is the Hammer family trying to single-handedly bring back hope?
Single-handedly? [Laughs] That takes some big shoulders! I promise you that we'll do more than our part in telling people to hang on without saying it, without being preachy. Telling people don't let go of hope, because family is all you have, and if everything else goes, you still have family. I'm hoping that we can help intimate that to America.
4. What can you tell us about the big showdown we've been hearing about: you and Vanilla Ice?
I meet the Ice Man in Utah ... I meet up with Vanilla Ice and, well, imagine whatever you imagine when I say that. [Laughs] You'll see the concert and a one-on-one meeting with me and Ice backstage in our dressing rooms, and some words that are exchanged that you'll find ... I'll just say interesting. The answers to the relationship between MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice -- friend or foe -- is all in the episode when we meet up in Utah. You'll come out of that knowing.
5. You're on Twitter throughout the show -- who is your favorite celebrity Twitter friend?
I don't want to leave anybody out! My favorite person that I Tweet back and forth with, because I like what he's doing in his life as well, is Tyrese. We have a lot in common, and he's a really good man. At the same time, my exchanges with Diddy are good, and I like exchanging with Diddy because we have an agenda. And, I tell you what, right in conjunction with Tyrese is Demi Moore. I really like my exchanges with Demi. She's humble, she's focused and I can see why Ashton [Kutcher] really fell head-over-heels. She's very lovable -- she has a certain way, even in her Tweets. We do some public, but we also DM [direct message], and she's great.
Reader Comments (20)
Dw. Dunphy at 6:36AM on Jun 11th 2009
There was one statement that assured my never watching this show, the mention of Marv from his entourage. If you have ever been bankrupt, lost almost all your possessions to debt and are kind of well-known for that You Don't Keep An Entourage.
MaryLou Michelin at 6:59AM on Jun 11th 2009
You go MC -How about an exercise video too.
JBJG24M, at 6:46AM on Jun 11th 2009
THATS ALL WE NEED . ANOTHER REALITY SHOW !!!
whitecateddie1 at 7:13AM on Jun 11th 2009
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO RAP STARS, THE NOW AND WILL RELY IN THEIR FUTURE OF SHOWS LIKE THIS.
Rappers spend millions as though their printing it in their tornado basements...when the public get sick of their type of tunes; what then? Hope they save their money? or else they'll be selling all them cars, homes and working at toco bell
whitecateddie1 at 7:14AM on Jun 11th 2009
an error, I MEANT THEY THEY now and will, rely etc
whitecateddie1 at 7:16AM on Jun 11th 2009
I like MC Hammer but will his kids be nothing but singers? As I said, they need to save their dimes
HipHopSucX at 8:17AM on Jun 11th 2009
I thought Hammer was a Rev.? Ain;t he a Rev? I woner hom many brainless Americans will ctach da Hammer?
RoeC at 8:20AM on Jun 11th 2009
I wish these people would learn from examples. Besides Ozzy pretty much every celebrity family that has done a reality show wind up divorced. Stay away from putting your family under a bigger microscope.
Tina at 8:32AM on Jun 11th 2009
I can see why he'd want to do a show like this. He's going to make some money and maybe get other gigs as well but the track record of reality shows and divorce is high! Hopefully his marriage is strong enough to withstand the pressures and hopefully this time around he'll be much wiser with his money. No more SOLID GOLD FAUCETS AND FIXTURES! Be wise this time around!
Soldier4God at 8:45AM on Jun 11th 2009
i do not see how the ordained of god can involve themselves in anything outside of the church. that's hollywood for you. me, myself, i would rather see the return of the cartoon series.