how was vanilla ice portrayed by the media?

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i'm too young to remember what happened at the time, but i knew i had the cd, and in like 96, 97 there was a commercial for v ice-era time-life knockoff double disk set offered for like 30 dollars or whatever and the voiceover said SEX SYMBOLS, and video of v ice w/a big gold round medallion chained to his neck rising shadowed out of his benchpress at a party, or something equally bizr, but was he a little bitch to reporters or did he actually rep a hard part of miami? maybe i don't know something abt his personality (even tho he's a crazy crackhead bitch now, i saw him dis 3rd bass on vh1. what a mistake. they might have had sympathy) .

― peter $3, Sunday, 12 September 2004 05:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Who is in this Nirvana picture?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 12 September 2004 05:25 (twenty-one years ago)

what

― p $, Sunday, 12 September 2004 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.jimcarreyonline.com/videoclips/ilc/pre06.jpg

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 06:10 (twenty-one years ago)

He was perceived by anyone over about 12 as a total joke when 'Ice Ice Baby' came out, but someone later told me that he had actually earned some respect on the hiphop circuit before deciding to go pop and rich. I dunno though, the actual hiphop community seemed to be kind of free of the idea of 'sell out' in those days - if you made it, you made it. Am I imagining it, or was Vanilla Ice actually listed in one of those long lists of big ups on the inner sleeve of 'Nation Of Millions' or 'Fear of a Black Planet?

This is all the view of a middle class Englishman dabbling in hiphop, so may be totally off base.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

The Rolling Stone story did him no favors, but it was still a high level profile (not a cover story, though).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry - I didn't really answer the media question. I suppose he was portrayed by MTV et al. enthusiastically and uncritically, because that was their job. But the music press, over here certainly, took the piss.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:38 (twenty-one years ago)

3rd Bass beat up a fake Vanilla Ice (played by Henry Rollins!) in their "Pop Goes The Weasel" video.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I also remember a long-form Village Voice review that seemed to crystallize a lot of the critical resentment of the time.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 12 September 2004 11:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Am I imagining it, or was Vanilla Ice actually listed in one of those long lists of big ups on the inner sleeve of 'Nation Of Millions' or 'Fear of a Black Planet?

No, he wasn't. MC Hammer was, though. Elsewhere, the two were often mentioned in the same breath.

― JoB (JoB), Sunday, 12 September 2004 12:46 (twenty-one years ago)

He was perceived by anyone over about 12 as a total joke when 'Ice Ice Baby' came out

Not initially, I don't think. Not until the full magnitude of the Vanilla Ice persona was revealed. I thought Ice Ice Baby was a hot record, for a minute.

― JoB (JoB), Sunday, 12 September 2004 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah yeah - it was Hammer I was thinking of.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 12 September 2004 12:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Chuck Eddy has spoken more than once about how nearly everyone's initial impressions of Vanilla Ice were incredibly positive -- I remember this from the radio station I was at when the promo 12" inch came in.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i just had a long post writ up abt childhood memories of hammer and a theory of defence for ice's possible minstrelry, but ad-aware quit explorer w/o asking after ned beat me to the post-punch! :^{0

Not until the full magnitude of the Vanilla Ice persona was revealed.
my main question is, did he ever slang dust in the m.i., or even weed, or was he a malibu's most wanted-style suburban cultural disaster?

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

what's ominous tone on "the rolling stone story" ned?

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:28 (twenty-one years ago)

More the usual 'Rolling Stone doesn't talk about anything unless it's from the sixties or commercial force of will means they have to' feeling. What I remember about it are two absurd photos in particular.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

someone later told me that he had actually earned some respect on the hiphop circuit before deciding to go pop and rich

Chuck D has said that he and the Bomb Squad wanted to work with him prior to his getting a record contract.

― Vic Funk, Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

well it did become one of the fastest-selling singles of all time or something like that, didn't it?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 12 September 2004 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

was he a malibu's most wanted-style suburban cultural disaster?

Eh... he was managed by "Suge" Knight I believe.

― JoB (JoB), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

V-Ice was a breakdancer. He was respected as far as that goes...rapping though, wasn't his 12" just a one-off? He only got a major label deal for an album cuz the b-side to his single started blowing up.
...I don't know that he was upper-middle class burbs or something but he certainly wasn't really from the streets of miami.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

...I don't know that he was upper-middle class burbs or something but he certainly wasn't really from the streets of miami.
-- djdee2005 (ddrak...), September 12th, 2004.

i believe he was actually from the dallas suburbs or something.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm just saying I don't think he was from upper-middle class family.

He didn't produce it, I can't remember what the name of the guy was who did it but he was someone who DJed where he used to breakdance i think.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

ask the horse

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Eh... he was managed by "Suge" Knight I believe.
He wasn't managed by him, but one of Suge's crew wrote the lyrics to "Ice Ice Baby".

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

the rotten bio brings up the old "suge knight puts artist over the balcony" chestnut.
It would explain the Erick Sermon jump...

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 12 September 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm pretty sure the DJ who built the backing track to "Ice Ice Baby" was the "friend" of Suge Knight, but I could be wrong.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 12 September 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

V-Ice was a breakdancer. He was respected as far as that goes...

I wonder how much the backlash against the pop success of breakdance heavy acts like Vannila Ice and MC Hammer had to do with the abandoning of the whole elements thing in mainstream Hip-Hop.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 12 September 2004 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex - I'm pretty sure that the guy who produced it hired suge to shake down Vanilla Ice after the song blew up w/out crediting him.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Sunday, 12 September 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

That's why I put "friend" in quote marks, dee.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

impt question -- how much of the "he's not even hip-hop" thing came from people who *don't like hip-hop*? i've noted that the first to denounce "sellouts" are often the least familiar, and often the most concerned with hip-hop incursion onto their own territory -- in this case "white ppl. music".

i.e. "he's not even hip-hop" = stay in your place.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

He was perceived by anyone over about 12 as a total joke when 'Ice Ice Baby' came out,

I think this is otm.

I dunno though, the actual hiphop community seemed to be kind of free of the idea of 'sell out' in those days - if you made it, you made it.

I don't think this is true. The accusations were certainly made. Interestingly, it was Chuck D. (who I think would have been held up as a model of not selling out) who more than once defended artists accused of selling. I think I even saw him do this in person once (at a free panel discussion with Chuck D., Harry Allen, and I forget who else) in reference to that guy whose name escapes my memory right now, but you know who I mean. His not so clever (but realistic enough) line was: well, if you've got a bunch of CDs you made sitting on the shevles, you better sell them out.

Am I imagining it, or was Vanilla Ice actually listed in one of those long lists of big ups on the inner sleeve of 'Nation Of Millions' or 'Fear of a Black Planet?

It's not impossible. I remember Public Enemy's liner notes (at least by that point) going out of their way to argue for a very inclusive idea of hip-hop.

This is all the view of a middle class Englishman dabbling in hiphop, so may be totally off base.

This is all the view of a middle class white American, though I was following things semi-seriously at the time.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

MC Hammer

That's the guy whose name I couldn't remember.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

that bio's obv biased but it pre'y much tells the story: ice wasn't thorough but he got lucky, got involved w/hardcore motherfuckers and got punked for the rest of his life as the courtney love of rap music.

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

And, wait a second, I remember a lot of references to selling out or not in lyrics (c. 1988-1992), so that doesn't sound like it's coming from outside. (Although like I said, Chuck D., one of the very people talking about selling out or not, would also defend people accused of selling out.)

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember Chuck D praising Vanilla Ice in some Rolling Stone article: "a white boy dancing like that? yo!"

am I mistaken or didn't he initially DENY that he had sampled Under Pressure?

yay! I get to share one of my favorite quotes for the 80th time on ILX.

"see their song goes dee-dee-dee-diggy-dee-dee dee-dee-dee-diggy-dee-dee. Ours goes dee-dee-dee-diggy-diggy-dee-dee DEE-dee-dee-dee-diggy-dee-dee. It's totally different."

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

woops. threw an extra diggy in there.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 16:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Could it be that the "white boy" thing was pushed too much and *everyone* just started gagging on it? Where I was, I seem to remember that it was the Wild Cherry cover in combo with his movie release that just made people flip their mental "ok, fuck off now" switches. It felt like he went from a phenomenon, novel in it's originality, to mere novelty because of the extreme self-conciousness of even the positive press and promotion.

― Kim (Kim), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

we should all just listen to buck cherry and fuck all them new kids on the block-type acks

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool As Ice is a total must-see. Dude was a clown and god bless him.

"yo, KAT! words o' wisdom...drop that zero and get with the HERO!"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

am I mistaken or didn't he initially DENY that he had sampled Under Pressure? Did he just not know because the music was produced by someone else (and if so, who)? I mean, you only had to listen to it know it was a sample, I don't understand denying that it is. effect of being a weak bitch, obv. pulling a woman's hair? chrise... is it obv a sample? no. ice easily could not have heard of it's origin, but i'd hate to be his lawyer

what bside single did v blow up on?

I wonder how much the backlash against the pop success of breakdance heavy acts like Vannila Ice and MC Hammer had to do with the abandoning of the whole elements thing in mainstream Hip-Hop.
the question is would you rather see breakdancers or women vibratin? in living color bridged the gap, but now we're almost there w/beyonce & video girls. lloyd banks is a bastard, and 50 manipulates his image and salability so well.

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"ice ice baby" wa the b-side to "play that funky music" before it went KA-BOOM!

The kids on my bus knew every goddamn word immediately.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Cool As Ice is one of the funniest films ever made. I wept.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i remember that, but i came out w/hammer 2 legit to quit w/the hand signs :D

― peter $.., Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)

My favorite part is where he is chasing Kat riding her horse on his motorcycle, and then jumps a fence... with no ramp or anything, just does a Mach 5 jump over it and scares the horse to all hell. He's a romantic at heart.

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't seen it for too long. I remember him spending the whole film walking like he'd shat himself, though.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Sunday, 12 September 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

he also drives his motorcycle through the wall of a house. while not wearing a helmet.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"looky looky looky in Kat's black booky phbbt phbbt phbbt"

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 12 September 2004 18:02 (twenty-one years ago)

his autobiography (or memoirs) was called "to the extreme" right?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 12 September 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Not "To The Extreme Right"?

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 12 September 2004 18:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 164 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

On the bus, Guy. Sept. 14, 1999. Crosstown A Line. Random House.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Thursday, 16 September 2004 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.vanillaice.com/gallery/photos/studio/ice0010.jpg

― peter $l, Monday, 27 September 2004 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00009LW0Q.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000A1IKLA.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― DR. O. RLY? (eman), Tuesday, 27 December 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

wtf pumpkin tattoo

― am0n, Sunday, 19 August 2007 00:50 (eighteen years ago)

h8u4lyfe

― luriqua, Sunday, 19 August 2007 01:52 (eighteen years ago)

lol sub-Durst

― The Reverend, Monday, 20 August 2007 10:55 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Uh.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 10 November 2008 16:26 (seventeen years ago)

lolz Special Ed cover

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 10 November 2008 16:33 (seventeen years ago)

Like all the greats-- Madonna, Bowie, Cher-- he's constantly reinventing himself and pushing his limits.

― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 16:34 (seventeen years ago)

wtf at this thing

― Black Seinfeld (HI DERE), Monday, 10 November 2008 16:37 (seventeen years ago)

who's seen the super-excruciating arsenio hall interview? he comes across as even thicker than you'd expect:

― stone cold all time hall of fame classics (internet person), Monday, 10 November 2008 16:37 (seventeen years ago)

― Tyrone Quattlebaum (Hurting 2), Monday, 10 November 2008 16:37 (seventeen years ago)

unfairly!

― Kevin Keller, Monday, 10 November 2008 16:46 (seventeen years ago)

http://funmeme.com/images/funmeme_com/WindowsLiveWriter/FunnyWATCHFORsign_5DBB/wath-f-vanilla-ice_3.jpg

― WE ARE ALL GEETIKA (PappaWheelie V), Monday, 10 November 2008 17:56 (seventeen years ago)

oh that is too funny.

― Kevin Keller, Monday, 10 November 2008 17:57 (seventeen years ago)

Arsenio Hall is the one who looks like an asshole in that interview. Vanilla Ice seems like a nice guy.

― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:39 (seventeen years ago)

the laws of physics: yo that shit is wack. Quite possibly the best movie scene of all time:

― Sugar hiccup, Makes a pig soar and swoon (Pillbox), Tuesday, 11 November 2008 02:24 (seventeen years ago)

what the hell is that crap?

― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Tuesday, 11 November 2008 02:26 (seventeen years ago)

cut the zero get with the hero

― M@tt He1ges0n, Tuesday, 11 November 2008 02:26 (seventeen years ago)

One of many, many fine moments in Ice's feature film, Cool as Ice.

― Sugar hiccup, Makes a pig soar and swoon (Pillbox), Tuesday, 11 November 2008 02:27 (seventeen years ago)

xpost

― Sugar hiccup, Makes a pig soar and swoon (Pillbox), Tuesday, 11 November 2008 02:27 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

http://i34.tinypic.com/2vt8aqf.jpg

― craig sager (eman), Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:41 (seventeen years ago)

did u go?

― beyonc'e (max), Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:44 (seventeen years ago)

i tested my will on the vanilla ice luge

― craig sager (eman), Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:52 (seventeen years ago)

and lost :(

― craig sager (eman), Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:53 (seventeen years ago)

Arsenio Hall is the one who looks like an asshole in that interview. Vanilla Ice seems like a nice guy.

― Pantheism F. Mohair (res), Monday, 10 November 2008 19:39 (1 month ago)

a nice, stupid guy.

― mensrightsguy (internet person), Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)

his autobiography (or memoirs) was called "to the extreme" right?
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, September 12, 2004 1:08 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Not "To The Extreme Right"?
― Alba (Alba), Sunday, September 12, 2004 1:10 PM (4 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― goole, Thursday, 11 December 2008 15:59 (seventeen years ago)

"Magnetized by the mic while I hit my juice" is a dope-ass line. But MAJOR PROPS to "Having a Roni". The pinnacle of his career!

I'm upset that Hammer gets lumped in with him where Hammer is actually far more awesome and talented.

― Adam Bruneau, Thursday, 11 December 2008 16:20 (seventeen years ago)

four years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm_-ilEO3g4

― al gould everything (crüt), Friday, 11 January 2013 19:06 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuaWV4kWCVU&NR=1

― Solange Knowles is my hero (DJP), Friday, 11 January 2013 19:06 (thirteen years ago)

the "Extremely Live" album is actually quite entertaining, if you can find it. in retrospect it's kind of funny how people who weren't even born by 1991 can recite Ice Ice Baby word-for-word, given all the flack it's gotten

― frogbs, Friday, 11 January 2013 19:38 (thirteen years ago)

wtf pumpkin tattoo
--am0n

He was born oct 31 iirc

― lol cassidy fan club (Whiney G. Weingarten), Saturday, 12 January 2013 03:57 (thirteen years ago)

five years pass...

Not since Bryan Ferry was on that one plane that was hijacked.

So I just landed from Dubai and now there is like tons of ambulances and fire trucks and police all over the place pic.twitter.com/i9QLh6WyJW
— Vanilla Ice (@vanillaice) September 5, 2018

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 5 September 2018 19:12 (seven years ago)

plane was SICK

― President Keyes, Wednesday, 5 September 2018 19:14 (seven years ago)

police on the scene, u know wut I mean

― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 5 September 2018 19:16 (seven years ago)

Best response: "Stop. Contaminate and listen."

Second best: "Hope you were able to get word to your mother."

― Eliza D., Wednesday, 5 September 2018 19:30 (seven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckNuJuO_N2w

Thought this was the hottest shit ever when I was too young to know better.

― triggercut, Thursday, 6 September 2018 13:40 (seven years ago)

probably listened to that CD 100 times as a kid and had no idea who "Rob Van Winkle" was. I thought that was just some stupid name the Bloodhound Gang made up

― frogbs, Thursday, 6 September 2018 13:44 (seven years ago)

Same. And I don't remember the back of the album crediting him at all, let alone as Vanilla Ice.

BLOODHOUND GANG AND ROB VAN WINKLE...TOGETHER ON THIS TRACK

― triggercut, Thursday, 6 September 2018 13:49 (seven years ago)

oh boy, havent heard that in a v long time... they really tried to ride the beastie boys sabotage train w that one.

― Machine Gunk Jelly (Spottie), Thursday, 6 September 2018 17:21 (seven years ago)

two years pass...

Good read!
https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/10/6/21494291/vanilla-ice-to-the-extreme-ice-ice-baby-history-30th-anniversary

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 19:29 (five years ago)

I think that if the internet had been around to the extent it is today back in 1990, then Vanilla Ice might not have come off so badly. The entire media story, at lease in the UK, was that he was a fool, poser, etc.. But now there'd be Twitter stans (lol thanks Eminem), and he himself would be engaging much more directly with the public at large through social media. On the other hand, if Soundcloud and other music platforms been around back then, would he still have taken the compromised path to fame that he did.
He did pave the way for other white rappers in a sense, because he was so totally criticised that anyone following after him had a) a model of what not to do, and b) a very low bar to get over (don't be a complete fool like this Vanilla guy).

― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Thursday, 8 October 2020 17:09 (five years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvp9ELDix5I

― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Thursday, 8 October 2020 17:12 (five years ago)

four months pass...

The Art Of 'Cool As Ice'

― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Monday, 1 March 2021 15:23 (five years ago)

The Art Of 'Cool As Ice'🕸

Yep yep.

― Bruno Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (Boring, Maryland), Monday, 1 March 2021 15:39 (five years ago)

one year passes...

W.T.F. (Wisdom, Tenacity and Focus), also known as W.T.F. or just WTF, is the sixth and, to date, most recent studio album by American rapper Robert Van Winkle, known as Vanilla Ice. Originally scheduled for a 2009 release, it was officially released as a digital download on August 30, 2011, through Radium Records, executive produced by Vanilla Ice, Nick DeTomaso and Mark Mehwald.

― stank viola (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 4 October 2022 00:57 (three years ago)

he could have been bob van winkle. but instead, he became vanilla ice

― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 4 October 2022 01:20 (three years ago)

“yo, Bloodhound Gang and Rob Van Winkle, together on this track”

― Vance Vance Devolution (sic), Tuesday, 4 October 2022 04:30 (three years ago)

"Rob Van Winkle in the conference room!"

― stank viola (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 4 October 2022 04:38 (three years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuxNq_FIvgQ

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Tuesday, 4 October 2022 04:47 (three years ago)

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