Vanilla Ice | 34
History of the 90s
Kathy Kenzora
4.7 • 610 Ratings
🗓️ 14 October 2020
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of History of the 90s we look back at the complicated legacy of Vanilla Ice who was the first rapper to have a number one song on the Billboard music charts.
His album To the Extreme, featuring Ice Ice Baby, sold 12 million copies and earned him an American Music Award for best new pop/rock artist in 1991.
But Ice’s rising star quickly crashed to the ground when it was revealed that his back story was made up. Plus, many in the hip-hop community criticized his homogenized style of rap and accused Ice of trying to cash in on black culture.
And if that wasn’t enough, Ice also found himself in some hot water with hip-hop outlaw Suge Knight over writing credits on Ice Ice baby.
Check out Vanilla Ice performing Ice Ice Baby on the 1991 American Music Awards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FAJyqXSoY4
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s |
| 0:04.7 | early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime. |
| 0:09.2 | Ever wondered what power is. Power is transforming the sun into your own energy source. |
| 0:16.0 | Power is getting energy companies to pay you. Power is enjoying your morning coffee, knowing you created |
| 0:22.5 | the energy to make it. Well, you and the colossal ball of fire in the sky. Because with solar panels |
| 0:29.6 | from Hive, the sun works for you. Hive, know your power. May not cover all electricity usage, |
| 0:35.9 | roof and weather dependent paid for surplus requires |
| 0:37.8 | eligible SCT tariff. What do you think of when you hear this? Well, your answer might depend on |
| 0:48.7 | how old you are. What if I say, all right, stop, collaborate and listen? |
| 0:57.5 | Now you know what I'm talking about. |
| 1:00.3 | Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. |
| 1:08.5 | You might think that song is a joke, but like it or not, Ice Ice Baby played a major role in the evolution of rap music. |
| 1:12.8 | If you were playing a game of trivia and the question came up, which artist was responsible for the first rap song |
| 1:15.8 | to reach number one on the Billboard music charts, |
| 1:19.0 | you might shout out some of these, |
| 1:20.9 | LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Tupac, or Snoop Dog. |
| 1:25.7 | Well, you'd be wrong. |
| 1:28.3 | Vanilla Ice, the man with the glittery parachute pants and bleach blonde pompadour-styled hair. |
| 1:34.4 | The man responsible for what some called one of the most ridiculous albums ever released |
| 1:39.9 | was actually the first rapper to have a number one song on the Billboard charts with his runaway hit, Ice Ice Baby. |
| 1:48.1 | I'm Kathy Kinsora, and on this episode of History of the 90s, we look back at the complicated legacy of the song and the artist that finally put rap on top, |
| 1:59.4 | and in the process, introduced it to the mainstream in a way that no other rappers had managed to do. |
... |
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