The song samples the prominent opening riff of the Rick James song "Super Freak", which is repeated throughout the recording. The lyrics describe Hammer as having "toured around the world, from London to the Bay" and as being "magic on the mic", which he says coincides with James' "beat that you can't touch". Additionally, the lyrics "You can't touch this" and "Stop! Hammer time!" became pop culture catchphrases. "Hammertime" was later used as the title of a reality show starring Hammer on the A&E Network in the summer of 2009.