Hammer's hilltop mansion

Ebony, April, 1994 by Lynn Norment

LONG before you arrive at the house, even from the freeway, you can see it: huge, white, elegant, sprawling majestically on a hillside with nothing higher but the sky and mountains that form an awesome backdrop.

Past the imposing gate with "Hammer Time" emblazoned in gold ~etters, past the manned gatehouse, the drive snakes upward through a garden of palm trees and other Northern California greenery. Five sports cars form a semicircle before a spectacular fountain on the spacious cobblestone terrace that has an inset of the Grammy Award-winning artist's familiar "H" logo. There are a red 985 twin-turbo Porsche with white leather interior piped in red, a 500 SLC convertible Mercedes-Benz, a black Ferrari Testarossa, a burgundy 560 SEC Mercedes-Benz convertible and a custom-made Porsche 911. And, yes, there is a Mercedes-Benz sedan with baby seat parked beneath the portico outside the front door that belongs to Hammer's wife, Stephanie.

In the months preceding the release of The Funky Headhunter, his fifth recording, fans and critics aliker were asking, "Where's Hammer?" and "Can Hammer really make a comeback?" What most people didn't realize is that Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell 31 years ago, is, and has been, doing quite well, despite the negative press of the past year. Let's not forget that his last album, Too Legit To Quit, sold more than 5 million copies. On Capitol Records he released three albums that sold some 25 million copies, but he and the company "outgrew each other," he says. Consequently, he has signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Giant Records. He says there were a lot of bidders, but "not too many of them could afford Hammer."

The rumors falsely heralding his downfall, he says, probably resulted from the fact Hammer turned over his "trimmed-down" Bust It Records to brother Louis Burrell, also his manager, and his horse-racing interests to brother Chris and his father, Louis Burrell Sr. In the meantime, Hammer, a big sports fan, has launched a new enterprise, Roll Wit It Entertainment & Sports Management, which released DRS' two-million-selling "Gangsta Lean" and has clients such as Evander Holyfield, Deion Sanders and Reggie Brooks.

Contrary to the rumor mill, Hammer is far from down and out. "A lot of people out there had seen negative stuff in the press," says the energized entertainer. "They felt Hammer wasn't going to make any more records--thought I was somewhere living in a shack dead broke. They basically thought I had quit the music business. They thought I was down, so they kicked dirt at me. You know how they do you when they think you are down. So now they see me reappear with "It's All Good" and "Pumps And A Bumps" [his two hot singles], and they can't understand. It's like, Hammer's back, and he's back in a big way."

But even when he was supposed to be down, Hammer was living large in his $20 million contemporary-style mansion that sits on 15 acres and has 20 rooms, heated floors, 25 skylights and more fine marble than most hotels. On the northwest side of the house is a large irregular-shaped pool with a waterfall cascading from a natural rock platform (It served as location for his Pumps video).

Inside the black marbled foyer are two 4-by-4-foot aquariums on either side of four marbled steps leading down to the living room. Dark marbles frames the stark white carpeting and white upholstered furniture arranged in a semicircle. To the rear, toward the glass wall that looks out on the mountains, is a black lacquered baby grand piano; a fireplace is set in a black marbled wall.

To the right of the main entrance along the front glass wall is the dining area, replete with black marble table with 12 place settings of gold-trimmed with china. Also in this area is a rippling fountain beneath a skylight. In the huge kitchen, a glass table looks out onto the terrace-driveway and a spectacular view beyond. There are two refrigerators, two ovens, two microwaves, several sinks and an abundance of counter and storage space. Hammer acknowledges that he is quite adept at turning out a decent meal (he eats no red meat), but admits that his wife is the real cook. However, he adds that he usually does the barbecuing when he hosts holiday gatherings for 50 to 100 family members and friends.

Beyond the kitchen is the family room with giant television screen and sunken bar, and two sets of glass doors open onto the indoor pool and Jacuzzi on the southwestern corner of the house. Three 6-by-6-foot skylights and a curved glass wall flood the pool area with sunshine. On a wall across from the Jacuzzi are two large television screens set into a wall.

Through a doorway is Hammer's personalized red-and-white exercise room adjacent to a shower room and sauna. Upstairs from the family room is a game room with a huge movie screen, cushiony seating for 10, video games, air hockey and a train set.

On the other side of the house, Hammer's bedroom has a curved glass brick wall that offers a view of the outdoor pool. His king-sized bed sits on a raised platform; a free-standing fireplace keeps the room cozy. He points out that with the flip of a "romance switch," he can dim the lights and turn on the fireplace. On wife Stephanie's side of the bed is a Bible; on Hammer's side is a baby crib where 8-month-old Sarah Brooke sleeps. Hammer explains that he's a light sleeper and is the first to awaken when Sarah makes even the slightest sound. "At four months her first word was 'dada,'" he brags.