Friday, March 31, 2006

Barry Bonds Watch/ Barry and The Babe

With every sweet or painful swing (depending on the eyes of the beholder)of Barry Bonds, Hall Of Fame bound bat, America will be forced to look directly into the mirror. There is no avoiding the reality of the cultural divide. How this historic moment is viewed, and the opinion of the viewers will cause a room to go silent like verdict day of the OJ trial. You will witness anger and iniquity. Friends will stop talking for a season. Multicultural bowling teams will be missing members on league night, who won't to avoid discussing the topic of Barry and the Babe. I am pained that the game I love, respect and was reared in, will now come under attack.

Baseball was already suffering from it's inability to capture the imagination of the minority youth of today. While it's worldclass leading and cutting edge video on demand (MLB.com) site and services deserves the highest accolades, it"s old fashioned, out of touch, old media marketing approach to the minority youth of today needs an update. I love baseball and I hate to see the game suffer. The old "sports" media guards will push the envelope to the detriment of society. Old wounds will be opened and fresh blood will flow from the new cuts that will be made. I always laugh and wink at the shallow opinion pieces that are written as fact, that underestimate and insult my intelligence.

Bitter sweet is this season. I walked the stadiums of baseball America in the seventies as a kid. I flew on private chartered jets with the fighting, moustache gang Oakland A's. We were a family. Cubans, Dominicans, Latinos, Italians, Irish, Europeans, Caucasian, African Americans and Jews and Gentiles. This was my life. I will not sit idle while new journalist who are in need of a ratings bump, and a book sale, taint the game and divide America. I said in my earlier open letter to Barry bonds that this is not about steroids and I stand by that statement. The real question is, Is It Worth It?. What will be accomplished by making Barry Bonds the proverbial scape goat?

Man, buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't care if I ever get back! I miss Harry Carey! I miss the innocence and warmth of the seventh inning stretch. I miss catching foul balls and bat day. I miss cap day, and yes I miss hot pants day! The Oakland A's actually had such a day! I miss heckling the pitchers! And swing batter swing! I miss George and his Yankees, and Reggie Jackson and the All Star blast! Come on guy's, go report on wrestling and "Leave My Game Along"!

But noooo! U want me to talk steroids, drugs, and racial divide. I could have stayed home and watched a good movie. Have U forgotten that baseball is entertainment!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

It's My Birthday!!! I Have Gone

From the humble and violent streets of East Oakland/
To the glorious magnificent Pyramids in Egypt/
I have gone/
From the government aided apartments on Fairfax avenue/
To the Presidents guest at the White House
I have gone/
From the free breakfast program of the Black Panthers/
To the Tokyo Dome in front of fifty thousand/
I have gone/
From the drug infested hustle/
To the revenue generating flex of my muscle/
I have gone/
From the darkness of disappointment/
To the jubilation of fulfillment/
I have gone/
From the hardness of a dry heart/
To the wells flowing with living water/
I have gone/
From the loneliness of a crowd/
To the happiness of a family/
I have gone/
From the heat and pain of the microscope/
To the gentle hands of the potters touch/
I have gone/
From the wounds of spiritual warfare/
To the power of deliverance/
I have gone/
I Have Gone

As I celebrate my predestined free will journey of life, I must say I am grateful. God, my Heavenly Father, expressed in the image of Jesus, encompassed in the Holy Spirit, you have been so kind to me. You have always answered my prayers and blessed my dreams and visions.
A constant friend, you have been. My Birthday is truly happy, because you have allowed me to know what happiness is. I am complete. I no longer live for me. I have purpose. I am your vessel. I see the beauty that life is. I see the freedom of love. I see the blessings in helping my brothers and mankind. I see the depths of your love in the eyes of my children. I see U. My God. My Lord. My Savior. It is a Happy Birthday indeed.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Get 2 NO U

In recent blogs, I said I would leak bits and pieces of the Look3X (Look,Look, Look) music project. I have to be coy because I feel as though the eyes of the industry that know me from the tech side, know that I am up to something, and that something could be ground breaking. The first videos that was leaked, "Look3X" was just my way of saying hello and here comes the Hammer. My intentions was to follow that up with another video from that same community which is known as the ," The Club Look Community. However, do to a couple of positive factors and developments I will now introduce you to a song from , "The Look Lounge". While "Club Look" represents the dance community, the Look Lounge is the romance community in the Look3X social network. The song is called, "Get 2 No U" and it features and introduces two new artist from the "FullBlast Music Group", JD Greer and Pleasure Ellis. I wrote and arranged the song and Versatyle produced the music. This is a grown up song. The lyrics are meant to be both real and stimulating. I will go," Inside The Lyrics" later but I will post a verse a week, until the video is released in the next couple of weeks.

"Get 2 No U"
by MC Hammer
featuring JD Greer and Pleasure Ellis

I don't need a dime/ I need a woman that's mine
baby doin' hers/ I'm handling mine
nothin' on the side/ she keep me occupied
she know what to do/ to keep her man satisfied
she be rubbin' my back/ when I'm on my back
she know what to say/ she got love like that
she got it like that/ doin' what she do
if this is true/ then I need to know U

Friday, March 24, 2006

Birthday With Mom in Vegas

It's been a long day. It ends good ,with Mom and a movie. Inside Man!
Spike Lee and Denzel.
--Hammertime
From my sidekick

this is an audio post - click to play

A Wonderful Life

A beautiful man is resting in peace. Thank U for your unconditonal love.
Your kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and great-great grandkids. We
love U. 90 years young.
--Hammertime
From my sidekick

this is an audio post - click to play

Lady Of My Life

Today I celebrate the lady of my life.
The well that I draw my strength from.
The light of my spirit.
She is every color of joy.
She's the melody of my soul.
Never a wavering moment.
The calm in the middle of the storm.
She's the architect of integrity.
How many ways do I love thee.
There are not enough words in human language,
I love you more ways, than the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planets in the universe. You held me in your arms, fed me with dignity, never did I know the pain or shame of hunger. You walked and guided me through the roads, valleys and mountains of life. I know that God is missing an Angel, because he gave me you as my Mother. My soul dances because of you Mom. Forever will I dance. I have watched in awe, the beauty and grace of your dance of life. Happy Birthday Mother.

Love,
Your Dance Partner and Son
Stanley

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Thanks For The Memories



It's a warm Saturday evening in July, I just got an ice cream cone from Foster Freeze and I'm waiting at the bus stop for the 57 MacArthur to pick me up and take me to High Street in East Oakland. I got a brand new boombox that Vida Blue gave me and I'm blasting Elton John's Benny and The Jets. I spin around a couple of times and I lip the lyrics. My plaid bell bottom pants and silk shirt give me that Hollywood player feeling.

The A's won their first world series last season (1972) and it looks like were headed for another pennant. My natural is looking good, my mother took the hot comb to it and gave me a blowout. I'm thinking about the dance tonite at the recreation center and about which young honey I'm going to hold tight on one of those slow jams. I can't wait. Al Green is playing now, and the sun is setting. What could be better than this. Good music, new boombox, fine threads and my team headed for the 1973 worldseries. In this city of Black Panthers, Hells Angels, war protesters, activist and hustlers you have pick your moments of joy. I knew at that moment the world was mine. I soaked it in and milked every second until that bus arrived. Life is good was all I was thinking. I was learning a very powerful and profound principle. Live in the moment. Tomorrow is not promised and today is all we got.

Over thirty years later, I still live my life that way and it has been a blessing for me. If we live in the moment, we can cherish the memories. Reggie, Vida, Catfish, Rollie, Charlie O, Joe Rudi,
Sal Bando, Campy, Herb Washington, Mike Edwards, Bill North, Paul Linblad, Matt Alexander, Ken Holtzman, and the entire A's teams of the 70's thank U.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Play Ball!!

Jeremiah's opening day. This is a family tradition. March through May
the boys play baseball. I make sure that I keep it fun for them. No
pressure. Just pay attention and respect and appreciate your coaches.
Have fun with your teammates. Jeremiah is the first one up on Saturday
mornings, eager and ready to go. His coach Kevin is the best. He loves
the kids and he knows the game. I get to sit back, eat sunflower seeds,
drimk water and enjoy the beautiful weather. A slice of Heaven. When my
kids are happy I'm happy.
--Hammertime
From my sidekick

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

this is an audio post - click to play

The Core DJ's Retreat IV

The Core DJ's retreat in Houston , (Thursday through Sunday ) was exceptional and historical. Houston was the perfect host. We had a great time eating, dancing, bonding and networking. My highlights included spending time with the founder of Rap Music and hip hop culture DJ Kool Herc. Kool Herc is a class act. He's a good soul and it was an honor to spend time with him. This man is the founder and father of a musical movement that has changed the world. In him, I have a friend who understands and feels the music and burden for the culture the way I do. He spoke about using the music for good, to affect change and for fun. I watched Kool Herc celebrate and support new artist and DJs this weekend as I did the same. It was exhilarating! I will forever cherish this retreat.

MC Lyte, (my friend) was as beautiful as ever. She is brilliant (activist) and a hip hop legend. Mix Master Ice (UTFO) and I reminisced about my first tour, (when I opened for them) and how two years later I was in Japan on a $500,000 tour. I demanded that hip hop artists be paid on par with rock and pop artists. Just Ice, the original "gangster rapper" and I clowned each other all weekend long as we always do. We met in 1986 at the New Music Seminar in NY and he was mad because he lost (says he was robbed!) to MC Breeze (Joey B. Ellis) from Philly. Breeze would later sign to my label. Just Ice is a real dude and a good friend of mine. We love to kick it and talk about everybody!

Another highlight was when Houston Rapper Bun B ( member of the legendary rap group UGK), was given a standing ovation as he walked to the platform to address the Core DJ's and the music industry. When he got to the stage while all were still on their collective feet he asked for a hat, when got the hat from a member of the audience he put it on his head and then said to my surprise:
"I would like to tip my hat to MC Hammer, for many years a lot of rappers called you a sellout for all the deals you did with all the corporations out there, today every rapper in this room and in the music business would kill to have a deal with Pepsi and to have a saturday morning cartoon. I thank you Hammer for showing us how to get money and for laying the business blue print for us."
I was honored and touched by Bun B's words and sincere show of love and appreciation. I will never forget what he did. Thanks Bun B.

The Core DJ's make me proud. The organization is professional. The DJ's are good people. I am glad to know and support their movement. Tony Neal, and the Core DJ family is real. We were together five days and I got a chance to get to know the spirit of the members and I will keep all in my prayers and ask God to Bless them, and their families with health, prosperity and salvation.

Houston, Texas is a special place. They rolled out the carpet for us. Jay Prince (Rap-A-Lot) watched over all and extended his hand. Mike Jones, Slim Thug and Mike 5000 Watts all held us down. Thank U. Houston, Thank U for taking in our families from Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.. We love U.

Home Sweet Home !!!


--Hammertime
From my sidekick

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Barry Bonds

Dear Barry,
Under no circumstances are you allowed to quit, exit , leave, retire, walkout or any other form of saying bye that would equate to you aborting the mission. This is not your mission alone. This is baseball's, and millions of baseball fans mission. For all of us who played the game and the love the game, to see you walkout while in earshot of the all time most prestigious record in the game of baseball would be a slap in our collective faces. Don't let the bloodhounds shake you. You have to realize and understand that sensationalism sells. This new book timed for your historical season is strictly business and nothing personal.

Bloodhounds smell and sniff out blood. Every story written about steroids means nothing to us in the know. While we don't endorse, support or condone the usage of steroids in any shape or form, we also are keenly aware of the hand eye coordination and science of hitting that is necessary to hit on the level of excellence that you do Barry. Nobody does it better. No one has done it better. As you close in on the record, and the day of reckoning is at hand, there will be many attemps by the bloodhounds to shake you and force you to quit. Old girlfriends, used car dealers, former barbers, and even fix and repair men. You name them, the stories are coming. Each one meant to somehow discredit your skills and accomplishments even though they have nothing to do with the game. They want to discourage, pressure you and stress you out, literally. Barry don't let them fool you. You are loved by many. I love you. You have brought me so much joy in your mastery of the game of baseball. Don't let the bloodhounds win. Finish the mission. Do it for San Francisco, do it for baseball, do it for your kid's, do it for your Dad (R.I.P.), and do it for yourself.

Barry,
you deserve to be the all time greatest homerun hitter in baseball history. The hounds, they deserve the dog pound.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

I Got The Feeling

This week I 'm going to hit the weights some more and perfect a few new moves I've been working on. This is a good time of year to workout. The weather is warming up and summer is ninety days away. I got ahead because I danced for the last six months and now I'm lean. Still, I like my muscles hard because it helps me execute my moves with more power. I train specifically for dancing. I do full body days. Three days in a row. I work my chest and lower back and abs a lot. No heavy weight. I have to be able to explode and be quick and fast with my hands and feet. My calves and thighs are most important for the hot moves out today. Squats with no weights will do the trick. I will also do some leg presses with about three hundred pounds just to keep the thighs and hamstrings firing.

I stay about ten days from show ready, so working out and staying fit is a must plus I love it! I've already been performing and perfecting the live versions of at least ten of the new songs and I'm itchy!! They play great. My dancers and I love the freedom of the new music. We only lock up on the choruses, the rest of the song you have to freestyle with power. I'm off to the gym.