The Funky Headhunter is the fifth record by Hammer. The album was recorded in 1993 and released in early 1994. The album at the time was hailed as Hammer's :wikt:comeback|comeback album. As with some earlier songs such as "Crime Story", the content and reality about "street life" remained somewhat the same, but the sound was different, resulting in Hammer losing favor with fans. Nonetheless, this harder-edged, more aggressive record went platinum, but failed to win him a new audience among hardcore hip-hop fans.
Release and promotion
Hammer debuted the album and video for "Pumps and a Bump" two months before its release on The Arsenio Hall Show and finally released it in March. Talk show hostArsenio Hall said to Hammer, "Women in the audiencewant 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". "Pumps and a Bump" proved to be a controversial track on this album, somewhat affecting Hammer's image. However, the single peaked at number three on the US Rap charts. It was banned from heavy rotation on MTV with censors claiming that the depiction of Hammer in Speedos was too graphic. This led to an alternative video being filmed that was directed by Bay Area native Craig S. Brooks. "It's All Good", produced by The Whole 9, was the second single released on this album, and peaked on the record charts as follows: USnumber 46; US R&B number 14; US Rap number 3; UK number 52. This album peaked at number two on the R&B charts and remained in the Top 30 midway through the year. The album eventually reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 album chart The album managed to become certified platinum.
Critical reception
writer Ron Wynn said about the album overall, "Hammer's sound was leaner, his rapping tougher and more fluid, and his subject matter harder and less humorous." In a review for Vibe, contributor Charles Aaron called it "one of the most stunning curios of pop marketing hubris ever perpetrated", criticizing Hammer's half-hearted attempts at dissing other rappers, and the tracks for utilizing the overused G-funk sound and lacking lyrical substance or even "a nifty turn of phrase."
