One of the big questions over large scale Hip-Hop 50 events is who should be represented, and often if someone is absent from a concert or ceremony, it’s for reasons the general public doesn’t know.

As A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop wrapped up its broadcast on Sunday (December 10), it was yet another reminder of who helped the culture progress over the past half-century. MC Hammer is one of those artists, no matter how short-lived, however, he has not attended any public events for reasons he recently explained.

Last month, during a Tupac street renaming ceremony in Oakland, the “U Can’t Touch This” emcee explained his reasoning for a lack of participation in celebrating Hip-Hop 50.

According to Hammer, there’s a lack of sincerity within the hip-hop community and he has no tolerance for the “fakeness” he’s seen in today’s landscape. The Tupac street naming was the only event he attended during the culture’s 2023 celebrations.

Watch the video of his explanation below.