"Pumps and a Bump" is a song by American rapper MC Hammer from his fifth album, The Funky Headhunter (1994).[3] The single peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the final Top 40 hit of Hammer's career.

"Pumps and a Bump"
Single cover
Single by Hammer
from the album The Funky Headhunter
ReleasedFebruary 28, 1994
Recorded1993
GenreWest Coast hip hop[1]
Length5:05
LabelGiant
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Hammer, Gerald Baillergeau[2]
Hammer singles chronology
"This Is the Way We Roll"
(1992)
"Pumps and a Bump"
(1994)
"It's All Good"
(1994)

Release and reception

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"Pumps and a Bump" was the first single off The Funky Headhunter, which represented a departure from Hammer's previous pop image.[4] The track contains a sample of George Clinton's 1982 single "Atomic Dog".[2]

The original music video featured Hammer wearing nothing but a Speedo and dancing suggestively alongside numerous swimsuit-clad women, which resulted in it being banned from MTV as it was considered too graphic.[5] An alternative video was filmed with Hammer fully clothed[6] and featuring an appearance by Deion Sanders, while promoted as representing a remix of the song.[7]

The video was nominated for Best Choreography at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.

Impact

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In 2010, American Idol contestant Larry Platt performed his own song titled "Pants on the Ground", which Entertainment Weekly claimed sounded similar to "Pumps and a Bump".[8] Spin magazine described the banned music video as "'Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show' cranked to 11".[4]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "MC Hammer: Work with Notable Producers". 10 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b ""Pumps and a Bump"". Discogs. 1994.
  3. ^ "The Funky Headhunter - MC Hammer". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-05-30.
  4. ^ a b Staff (August 15, 2013). "A DECADE IN RAP CENSORSHIP (1990-1999)". Spin. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  5. ^ Sanchez, Karissa (June 27, 2013). "25. Hammer's animal skin Speedo - The Worst Hip-Hop Fashion Fails of All Time". Complex. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  6. ^ Holmes, Dave (June 12, 2014). "Dave Holmes Hits the Summer Songs of 1994". Vulture. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  7. ^ Billboard (April 16, 1994), p. 48.
  8. ^ Slezak, Michael (January 14, 2010). "'American Idol' recap: Devil Went Down to Georgia". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010.
  9. ^ "Hammer – Pumps & A Bump". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  10. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 30, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot 100 Single Sales". Billboard. December 24, 1994. p. YE-30. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  12. ^ "American single certifications – Hammer – Bumps and a Bump". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 26, 2022.