MC Hammer Helps Stockton Mayor Touch Crowd With State Of The City

STOCKTON (CBS13) — "I'm honored to be here in the great city of Stockton," MC Hammer said.

The hip-hop legend emceed Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs' State of the City encore on Thursday night. The event was a first-of-its-kind reprise of the speech normally given at a luncheon most can't make it to.

Hammer lives in Tracy, but has formed a friendship with Stockton's youngest mayor ever.

Hammer arrived for the event driving his own Jaguar sedan onto the University of the Pacific campus.

The "U Can't Touch This" artist, leaving his musical stage and taking the political stage. CBS13 caught up with him as he was arriving.

"Why is it important for you to be in Stockton tonight," asked Steve Large.

"Well I think it's very important because tonight is going to crystallize everything where the city is today, and to support the mayor," Hammer said.

Hammer was invited by Tubbs.

"I would say Mr. Hammer is a mentor, friend of mine, almost like an uncle," Tubbs said.

Inside the venue, MC Hammer stuck to a strict script. A heckler's brief interruption led to one ad lib moment.

"Before I bring out Mayor Tubbs, we are going to show you a video and might show you the door," Hammer said.

Tubbs' message to this crowd was one of emergence from a dark period in Stockton filled with bankruptcy, budget cuts, and violence.

He told the crowd the city has now hired more officers than ever before and is investing in job creation programs.

"Because right now we have the chance to right the narrative of our community," Tubbs said. "For too long we've been defined by what we don't have or what we're doing wrong."

Cynthia Gail Boyd lives in Stockton.

"I'm impressed with the idea of moving forward," Boyd said. "I'm still stuck in a neighborhood that doesn't allow me personally to do that."

A state of the city to sell Stockton on the future. Helped by a hip hop great now building up a relationship with Stockton's mayor, who calls MC Hammer a mentor.

MC Hammer and Tubbs first met four years ago when Tubbs won a Stockton council seat at just 22-years-old.