MC Hammer Publishing Catalog Up For Sale

[bigted]

M.C. Hammer publishing catalog up for sale

By Susan ButlerMon Oct 31, 9:20 PM ET

Music publishing and other copyright assets of M.C. Hammer have been put up for sale nine years after the multi-platinum rapper filed for bankruptcy in California.

The court-appointed publishing administrator says that the catalog is still generating "substantial income."

The sale will include a 50% interest in "U Can't Touch This," which hit No. 1 in 1990 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and a 90% interest in "2 Legit 2 Quit," which peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100.

Wixen Music Publishing in Calabasas, Calif., has been the court-appointed administrator for the publishing assets of five Hammer companies since shortly after the 1996 bankruptcy filing by M.C. Hammer, whose legal name is Stanley Burrell. The delay in offering these assets is the result, in part, of litigation with EMI Music Publishing, EMI Records and others, Randall Wixen told Billboard. All the claims have been resolved.

The bankruptcy trustee is attempting to locate 33 songwriters who had deals with the Hammer publishing companies. They risk losing their royalties if they do not contact attorney Terrance Stinnett with Goldberg, Stinnett, Meyers & Davis in San Francisco by December 31. After that date, the royalties will by paid to the state of California as unclaimed property.

According to an ad placed in the November 5 issue of Billboard, bids are due by February 28, 2006.

Reuters/Billboard

[J-o-e]

Thanks for this Ted!!!

[JumpinJack AJ]

Man, i wish MC Hammer could totally own all of his own stuff. What a crazy world we live in.

[bigted]

Does it mean that MC Hammer won't get any money if people buy some of his old albums in the future and the person who buys the catalog would get paid instead? I wonder how he makes income then since he hasn't recorded anything recently?

[J-o-e]

He gets paid for radio play, any time his songs are on the radio "Can Touch This" he would get the rights to it, like every other artist also.

[sonic1988]

i would have figured he did that a long time ago

[bigted]

Here's more info:

'U Can't Touch This?' Actually, Maybe You Can

MC Hammer selling catalog to pay off debt.

by Gil Kaufman

Remember when MC Hammer used to brag about how "U Can't Touch This?" Well, times change. Now, not only can you actually touch this (whatever it is), you can own it.

The balloon-pantsed MC, who turned the world on with his fancy footwork and a

Rick James-sampling hip-pop hit 15 years ago, is selling one of the last remnants of the good old days. No, it's not the huge fleet of cars (that's gone) or the $12 million gilded castle in Fremont, California (that went for $5 mil a while ago). It's his songs, or more accurately, the music publishing and copyrights to his whole catalog.

The move comes almost a decade after Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) filed for bankruptcy and after a number of lawsuits concerning the songs have finally been settled. "He filed for bankruptcy to protect himself from creditors and at some point it became involuntary bankruptcy, which means they not only seized his assets, but a trustee was appointed to guard them," said Randall Wixen of Wixen Music Publishing, the court-appointed administrator for Hammer's five publishing companies.

At various points, Hammer has tried to buy the songs back, but Wixen said the rapper hasn't been able to raise enough cash to close the deal.

The songs could not be sold until Hammer settled the suits, but now that they are available Wixen expects the whole lot to bring in something in the "upper seven figures" when the auction on them closes in early 2006. Starting on Tuesday (November 1), interested bidders can request the more than 300 pages of spreadsheet information on the rapper's catalog and a chance to "own whatever share of the songs that he used to own."

Here's what you can get for your money:

A 30 percent share of "Break 'Em Off Somethin' Proper" (with the lion's share going to the late Troutman brothers, Roger and Larry, of the funk group Zapp, for the big chunk of their hit "More Bounce to the Ounce")

A 50 percent stake in Hammer's 1990 smash "U Can't Touch This" (the estate of late funketeer Rick James gets the other half thanks to the "Super Freak" sample)

A 62.5 percent share of "Turn This Mutha Out" (with the rest going to George Clinton for the sample of Parliament's "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)")

A 75 percent share of "Addams Groove" and "Pray" (with Prince getting 25 percent of the latter for its "When Doves Cry" sample)

A healthy 90 percent of "2 Legit 2 Quit" and the full 100 percent of "Let's Get It Started"

This report is provided by MTV News

Edited November 3, 2005 by bigted

[J-o-e]

Thanks Ted!!!

[Etherspinner]

thats awful for him .. but.. how many times can you declare yourself bankrupt?? hasnt he done this before?(filed)

[Chief]

ouch..that has to suck

[Hero1]

thats ridiculous.. those songs would make him a lot of money for years.. hes gonna regret that