In the mid-nineties, MC Hammer is a local rapper from the Bay Area who tries to break into the mainstream circuit. Funded by privates, the boy gets the budget to make an album and from the trunk of his car sells between 50 and 60 thousand physical copies. At that point, he attracts the attention of the majors, and Capitol secures him. Between 1987 and 1988, Hammer re-records the songs he had already released on his debut album ("Feel My Power", 1986), adds a couple of new ones and publishes a "new" LP, "Let's Get It Started".
Supported by four singles (title track, "Pump It Up", "Turn This Mutha Out" and "They Put Me in the Mix"), the album reaches number 30 on the pop chart, the first place among the rnb releases and sells over a million and a half copies, being certified platinum less than a year after its release. It's the third best-selling rnb album of 1989. In early 1990, the album won two AMAs. In 1991, after the immense success of his next CD, this album obtained the double platinum certification selling two million copies in his homeland, and reaching the charts Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
In the midst of an infinite number of samples including some from songs by James Brown, The Mohawks, Prince, Run-DMC, Rick James (from whom Hammer will take again to create his hit of a lifetime) and Queen, Hammer goes to diss the rival rappers boldly claiming to be better than all of them and triggering the beginning of a feud with LL Cool J. Destroyed by retrospective critics, this is actually not a good album from a strictly musical point of view. The rhythms are minimal and skeletal, Hammer's hardcore delivery is very weak, accompanied by functional rnb hooks. "It's Gone" is the most bearable song on the album, thanks to a decent beat. 3/10.
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