For six months I allowed a toxic relationship to derail moving forward with my goals. I was ticking off all the things I hoped to accomplish with very little down time and this situation nearly dragged everything to a grinding halt. The only thing keeping me sane is a Top 40 Disc Jockey job at a local radio station working night shift. At least I was doing something in the entertainment field…sort of.
I was in my early twenties and feeling stupid. I’m a military veteran feeling I’ve accomplished nothing. I’d moved back to Georgia because I ruined my circumstances in California. That’s how I felt, at the time, anyway. I dragged the toxic relationship all the way back to Georgia with me. By summer of 1989, I’d, finally, had enough. Kirk was going to be in Macon, Georgia to promote his debut album. Yep. He did have a record deal lined up. This was my opportunity to reconnect and change course.
It was mid June-ish (if memory serves) and Kirk is, now, known to all as MC Hammer. He adopted the nickname given to him during his time with the Oakland A’s baseball franchise. He favored (in looks) Hammerin’ Hank Aaron, thus, the nickname “Little Hammer”. Kirk, then, cleverly, used it to brand himself as an MC. Just brilliant! Anyway, around this time, in Macon, Georgia (home of Little Richard and Otis Redding), Hammer had
planned a promotional tour stop. I was going to be right there when the bus pulled up. I was done allowing others to dictate how my life would go. I had to establish a way to sustain a living without the risk of some employer deciding my efforts were no longer needed. To me, the music business was the way.
Once I learned what venue Hammer was going to be at, I waited. I was the only one there. The bus pulls up and I’m right in front of the tour bus door knocking. What looked like a member of security opened the door asking what I wanted. I felt most fans would ask to see Hammer, so, I did what felt best…I asked for Stanley Kirk Burrell. Yep. I used his entire name! After seeing the initial shock on the face of the security dude, I felt pretty certain I was going to get onto that bus. Sure enough, Kirk comes to the door, “Buck!!!” I was completely unprepared to hear, and legit moved by, the joy in his voice! He grabbed onto, and ushered, me through the bus. Hugging me around my neck (in a big brother kind of way),we walked down the bus aisle; Kirk is introducing me to his crew as the Navy roommate who played all the instruments. It felt like home. I was nervous to meet everyone, but, I knew I needed to be with these people. I had to do this.
After the posse introductions, he took me to the side and offered a spot as his producer. I had to earn it, though. I was down with that. He wanted to make sure I hadn’t gotten stuck in the past with my musical chops. I had to break out of the contemporary jazz mode into the Hip Hop and popular music mindset. It’s how I would survive. Later that night, I met with his producer James Early, who, after listening to my music, said my current stuff was dated, but, I had potential. I didn’t disagree. I was a full time Top 40 DJ for six months. I hadn’t composed any new music since my time in California. I was too stressed in Georgia to create. I had to get back in the swing of things. That night, Hammer said he liked what he heard and would come back for me in late August. I believed him. He’d never let me down. This time, though, his circumstances were different. He had managers, PR people, A&R people, wardrobe people, on and on. There were quite a few layers to get through before one could reach this budding mega star 
personality. I still had his ear, but, I would soon learn nothing is ever given to us. We have to push for it. Kirk didn’t reach out after that visit. I was getting the sense that if I’m going to move forward, this is all going to be on me. I had a phone number to his newly formed Bust It Records and an address (80 Swan Way, Oakland, CA). I concluded, ‘It’s time‘. Not only was my thinking right, the ensuing adventure getting to become part of Hammer’s posse is something I’ll never forget.
Additional clarifying details on how this situation really went down will be covered in a book, coming soon.
LOVE, PEACE & MUSIC
