I have been crossing my finger for years – YEARS! – that MC Hammer would get his own reality show. I still think “Too Legit to Quit” is the greatest song in the history of rap. Though I’m not going to lie – Hammer really let me down with “Addams Family Groove.” I’m still sort of upset about it. But luckily he’s got a chance to redeem himself. A&E is so desperate… um, I mean forward thinking… for new content, they’ve signed Hammer and his family up for an 11-episode stint of his reality show “Hammertime.”

MC Hammer, the hitmaking 1990s rapper, will star in a reality series on the A&E cable network. The performer, his wife and five children will be the focus of the half-hour, 11-episode show, which will premiere this year. The title, naturally, is “Hammertime.” Executive producer J.D. Roth said the show likely will have the feel of an unscripted version of the Huxtable family from “The Cosby Show.”

“Here’s a dad with five kids, married to the same woman for more than 23 years, living in the same place where he grew up and going to church every Sunday,” Roth said. “He’s had his ups and downs, and it’s what makes him such a character you root for.”

Hammer had a spectacular rise and fall in the early 1990s, becoming a household name and selling millions of records before falling into debt and bankruptcy because of overspending on a lavish lifestyle. Hammer “now lives a more economically balanced life,” according to the show’s press materials, as a “New Age dad” in Oakland, Calif. Earlier this month, he appeared with Ed McMahon in a Cash4Gold Super Bowl ad.

“MC Hammer is an iconic figure in American pop culture, but many people only know him for his music and fashion sense. Now A&E takes an unprecedented look behind his larger-than-life personality and into his life as a devoted husband, father and business entrepreneur,” said Robert Sharenow, senior vice president alternative at A&E.

[From Yahoo News]

Apparently Hammer’s had the opportunity to star in reality shows before, but they focused on his past, whereas this one is going to focus on his present and his family. I really hope he whips out as many of his songs as he can. And my God, he better do the Hammer dance. And wear Hammer pants. Neon Hammer pants. If he doesn’t, I’m going to consider this show an utter disgrace and waste of my time. I don’t care how much you want to focus on the present or the future, Hammer pants are an epic part of our collective American history. I had a pair in hot pink and neon green. Ugly as sin, but pretty amazing when you paired them with a Hypercolor shirt.

Here’s MC Hammer hosting the Shorty Awards for Twitter content on February 11th. Images thanks to Splash.