MC Hammer and VP Biden Team Up For Conference

The unlikely pair will address more than 270 mayors next month.

Rapper MC Hammer and Vice President Joe Biden are set to address the U.S. Conference of Mayors this winter. According to the Washington Post, speakers of the conference will tackle a range of topics, including gun control, deficit reduction, economic growth in high unemployment areas, school safety, and Hurricane Sandy.  Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are scheduled to speak for the luncheon.

This isn’t the first time the “Can’t Touch This” rapper has shown his patriotic talent. Following the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, MC Hammer featured several members of congress in his patriotic rap tribute, “ No Stoppin’ Us (USA).” The Conference of Mayors kicks off January 17. (CBS Local)

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]

10 Things You Need To Know For Tuesday

Chanting "the people want to topple the regime," hundreds of protesters threw rocks at police during clashes in Cairo. The violence Monday night took place at the same spot where 42 people were killed in a street battle just one year ago. The renewed protests have come during the writing of Egypt’s new constitution, with many liberals feeling that officials are trying to include ultraconservative Islamist content.

Thumbnails

Photo 1 of 10

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

News in Photos: The 10 topics you should be ready to talk about today.

Celebrity Black Veterans

Bill Cosby Comedian, actor, activist and philanthropist Bill Cosby served in the U.S. Navy and was a hospital corpsman who worked mostly with Korean War veterans. He also ran track on the Navy's team, and played basketball and football.

Thumbnails

Photo 1 of 9

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Loop21 salutes famous black servicemen who have served our country

MC Hammer Releases New Video for Oakland Tourism Campaign

Hammer is now a tourism spokesman for Oakland

MC Hammer is enjoying some positive press these days. Recently, a mashup of President Obama "singing" Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" went viral in a big way, the popular Comedy Central show "Key & Peele" borrowed his dance and now the man formerly known as Stanley Burrell has been named an official tourism spokesman for his hometown of Oakland.

Hammer is part of a new marketing campaign titled “Oakland: To Know it is to Love It,” which features a video of the rapper talking about reasons to visit the Bay Area city.

[ALSO READ:CNN's Black In America: Is Silicon Valley Racist?]

“My admiration, love and understanding of what the culture of Oakland is, is from experience,” Hammer says in the video. “I’ve been here 50 years. Our city is one of the greatest cities to ever rise up and stand up.”

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]