|
 |
"Hard to Swallow" Republic/Universal 1998 Buy Album |
The most recent album by Vanilla Ice was his debut in the genre of hardcore rap/metal. The album received little media attention, despite the fact that its release was timed much better than the hasty "Mind Blowin'" release. This time, the public got the chance to forget about Ice for a while, and it gave him time to work on a fresher album. Despite its lack of attention by the press, music fans everywhere turned their ears. The current sales total for "Hard to Swallow" is approaching 100,000.
In addition to the album, Vanilla Ice also used television and radio to make his presence known. He recently has appeared on such shows as MTV's Rock 'n' Jock Baseball, 25 Lame (where he destroyed the set with a bat), and Lovelines, Howard Stern, and Mancow (Chicago). The show that got him the most attention, however, was VH1's "Behind the Music" special on Vanilla Ice, which ended up as the third-highest-watched "Behind the Music" episode.
"Mind Blowin'" was the last Vanilla Ice album released by SBK Records, and certainly the least-regarded. Critics lambasted the album for trying to sound too much like hip hop artists of the time, most notably Cypress Hill. Despite a heavy focus on drugs (prominent in Ice's life at the time), the lyrics were rather clean - like his earlier albums but unlike "Hard to Swallow."
On the plus side, "Mind Blowin'" mixed a wide variety of musical styles into one album, a result of the frequent sampling used in many of the songs. The album produced a few hits for die-hard fans, such as the pro-pot anthem "Roll 'Em Up," and disco-sounding "Now and Forever." "Mind Blowin'" remains a rare album - only about 50,000 copies were sold, and it never cracked the Billboard 200. Collectors can often expect to pay $20 or more for a copy. However, the album has recently been put back into print, and can be purchased through this site.
 |
"Cool as Ice" Soundtrack
SBK
1991 |
Vanilla Ice was paid more than a million dollars to star in his own feature film. By the time the movie was released, however, his star power was worth much less, and the film flopped at the box office. Last summer, it was aired on VH1 as a "Cult Classic," which allowed many people to get a glimpse of the Iceman that they had never previously seen.
The album itself consists of many, but not exclusively, Vanilla Ice-performed songs. One of his is a duet with Naomi Campbell, and many of the cuts off this album remain favorites of Ice fans everywhere. There is little demand for the album, however, despite the fact that it is probably as rare as some of his others that are highly sought after.
 |
"Extremely Live"
SBK
1991 |
Another very hard-to-find album, "Extremely Live" was almost exactly the same as "To the Extreme," but in front of an audience. Unfortunately for Ice, his popularity was beginning to slip as this album came out. Actually, this album probably contributed to his downfall by causing his overexposure to worsen.
What most people don't know is that "Extremely Live" was certified gold, because at least 500,000 albums were sold. An exact number is not available because a more accurate tracking method (SoundScan) was not used until a few years later.
"To the Extreme" is the highest-selling rap album (worldwide) of all-time. Most recent estimates pinpoint it at around 11 to 13 million, although it might be slightly higher. More than two million copies have been purchased since he fell from grace - a remarkable tribute to this album's popularity.
It all started when Darrell Jaye, a DJ in Georgia, flipped Ice's "Play That Funky Music" single over to the B side - which had "Ice Ice Baby." The song went through the roof overnight, and it spent 16 weeks at the top of the charts. But after those 16 weeks, it all went downhill for Vanilla Ice . . .
 |
"Hooked"
Ichiban
1989 |
This was Vanilla Ice's first album, and was released by a small Atlanta-based label called Ichiban. "Hooked" was actually well-received by the general public, given the size of the label - 48,000 copies were sold. Today this album is almost impossible to find, with collectors paying upwards of $30 for a copy.
The album is essentially an early version of Ice's breakthrough album, To the Extreme, but features a few unique songs like "Satisfaction," a cover of the famous Rolling Stones song. Despite the fact that he was a rising star by this time, Vanilla Ice would still have to wait another year to achieve fame.
|
