Too Legit to Quit: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

2015.263.14a: An audio cassette tape. The cassette is clear plastic with white type on each side. Both sides have headers reading: [THIS IS THE WAY WE ROLL • BROTHERS HANG ON • TOO LEGIT TO QUIT• LIVING IN A/WORLD LIKE THIS • TELL ME (WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER) • RELEASING SOME/PRESSURE • FIND YOURSELF A FRIEND • ROLLIN' ON (illegible) ] on Side 1, and [COUNT IT OFF • GOOD TO GO • LOVEHOLD • STREET SOLDIERS • DO NOT PASS ME/BY • GAINING MOMENTUM • BURN IT UP • ADDAMS GROOVE•] on Side 2. The Capitol Records logo, copyright information, and the cassette number [C4-98151] are featured on both sides.

2015.263.14b: An audio cassette paper jacket. The jacket is portrait orientation and has a white background with a black-and-white image of MC Hammer. Hammer is shirtless with suspenders and large necklace on. Black vertical type reads: [HAMMER] down the left side. A stylized [H] overlays the black type. Red type at the bottom reads: [TOO LEGIT TO QUIT]. The back of the jacket has a black background with white type that has a list of songs, production information, and a barcode.

2015.263.14c: An audio cassette tape case made of clear plastic on the front and clear plastic on the back. The case has interior holders to insert an audio cassette jacket.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1991
• Recorded by: MC Hammer, American, born 1962
• Published by: Capitol Records, American, founded 1942
• Produced by: Felton C. Pilate II, American, born 1952
• Produced by: Michael Buckholtz
• Type: audio cassettes
• Medium: plastic , magnetic tape , ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D (cassette): 2 1/2 × 4 × 1/2 in. (6.4 × 10.2 × 1.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket): 4 × 5 1/2 in. (10.2 × 14 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (case): 2 3/4 × 4 5/16 × 11/16 in. (7 × 11 × 1.7 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Hip-hop (Music)
• Object number: 2015.263.14abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Timothy Anne Burnside
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Capitol Records, Inc Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.