MC Hammer. (WENN)

Rapper MC Hammer was encouraged to marry late singer Whitney Houston by her father.

The U Can't Touch This hitmaker was at the Super Bowl American football showdown in 1991 when he was pulled aside by the superstar's dad John Russell Houston, Jr.

John attempted to play matchmaker and hook his daughter up with MC Hammer, but the hip-hop star let him down gently as he was already a married man.

MC Hammer tells entertainment series In the Mixx, "Whitney's dad pulled me and Whitney in a room and said, 'You know, Hammer, you should really consider marrying Whitney.' And, I said, 'I'd love to but I'm already married.'

"I love my wife dearly but, I always laughed about that. Always a big fan of Whitney. I loved Whitney and miss her dearly."

MC Hammer married his wife Stephanie Fuller in December 1985.