Pumps and a Bump

"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
Songwriters
Producers
  • Hammer
  • Gerald Baillergeau[2]
Hammer singles chronology
"This Is the Way We Roll"
(1992)		 "Pumps and a Bump"
(1994)		 "It's All Good"
(1994)

"Pumps and a Bump" is a song by American rapper Hammer, released in February 1994 via Giant Records as the first single from his fifth album, The Funky Headhunter (1994).[3] It was both co-written and co-produced by Hammer, and peaked at No. 3 on the US 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" represented a departure from the rapper's previous pop image,[4] and contains a sample of George Clinton's 1982 single "Atomic Dog".[5]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Preview of the forthcoming The Funky Headhunter collection (which also marks a label switch from Capitol to Giant) shows a new and improved Hammer. The bloated pomp and circumstance has been replaced by a gritty jack-swing groove and an electro-funk tone worthy of George Clinton. Track does not instantly hit you over the head, but it does crawl up your spine and sneak into your brain after a couple of spins. Once that happens, you won't be able to stop humming the melody. A smash."[6] Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated, "Words and rhythm are in perfect harmony. Based on a sample from P-funk president George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog', this uncensored sex anthem is set to the perfect pulse."[7] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "cheerfully sexist chanting and jiggling catchy P'funk jackswinger" in his weekly dance column.[8]

Music video

The original music video for "Pumps and a Bump" 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.[9] An alternative video was filmed with Hammer fully clothed[10] and featuring an appearance by Deion Sanders, while promoted as representing a remix of the song.[11] The video was nominated for Best Choreography at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.[12]

Impact

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".[13] Spin magazine described the banned music video as "'Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show' cranked to 11".[4]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "MC Hammer: Work with Notable Producers". December 10, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Songs Written by Gerald Baillergeau". Musicvf.com. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Funky Headhunter – MC Hammer". AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Staff (August 15, 2013). "A DECADE IN RAP CENSORSHIP (1990-1999)". Spin. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  5. ↑ "MC Hammer – Pumps and a Bump – MC Hammer's 'Pumps and a Bump' sample of George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog'". WhoSampled. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ Flick, Larry (January 29, 1994). "Single Reviews: Pop" (PDF). Billboard. p. 79. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 24. June 11, 1994. p. 9. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  8. ↑ Hamilton, James (May 14, 1994). "DJ directory" (PDF). Music Week in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Holmes, Dave (June 12, 2014). "Dave Holmes Hits the Summer Songs of 1994". Vulture. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  11. ↑ Billboard (April 16, 1994), p. 48.
  12. ↑ "MTV Video Music Awards: MTV VMAs 1994". Awards and Shows. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  13. ↑ Slezak, Michael (January 14, 2010). "'American Idol' recap: Devil Went Down to Georgia". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Hammer – Pumps & A Bump". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 30, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Year in Music: Hot 100 Single Sales". Billboard. December 24, 1994. p. YE-30. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ "American single certifications – Hammer – Bumps and a Bump". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.