MC Hammer Learns From Fame

HOUSTON (AP) - Rap artist MC Hammer says his meteoric rise to fame and equally powerful fall taught him to appreciate the basics and accept what he cannot control. "Hard work still pays, family is important, God is a must and in every life there will be ups and downs,'' said the singer known for his 1990 single, "U Can't Touch This.''

VH1 will premiere its biopic of Hammer's life, "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story,'' Wednesday night.

Hammer, 38, oversaw the production. The film follows him from his childhood imitations of James Brown to his descent into bankruptcy. "To watch your life portrayed on film and have it done thoroughly is probably the most out-of-body experience that one can have,'' he said during the filming of the VH1 movie in June. "At the same time, it's very spiritual and flattering.''

He regularly tours to raise money for people with AIDS and HIV in Africa, and in March, he and former President Bill Clinton helped raise money for victims of a January earthquake in India that killed more than 19,500 people.

Hammer's new album is "Active Duty.''