Comments on: 1990: Vanilla Ice on "Ice Ice Baby" vs. Queen/Bowie's "Under Pressure"

By: Christian Blass

Christian Blass — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:21:00 +0000

Also this is funny of course, the citation is slightly out of context. What he wants to say is, that in contrast to MC Hammer who uses almost all parts of Superfreak for Can’t touch this, Vanilla Ice only use the bassline (Yes, he does not deny sampling it) and the rest is a completly different song. At this part he should have stopped his argument: Also they modified the bassline. All this is why they do not give writing credit to Queen and David Bowie.

By: Mister44

Mister44 — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 02:50:00 +0000

I liked his work with the Bloodhound Gang – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYLwMZ_3ZsM

By: acoastwalker

acoastwalker — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:36:00 +0000

I believe that Benny Hill started this genre with “Ernie the fastest milkman in the west” written in 1955 it charted in the UK in 1971 – you cant beat the master you know. Cough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI

By: BradBell

BradBell — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 21:17:00 +0000

This makes me realise I’ve been too hard on Puffy for making hip hop fluffy and commercial: looping 4 bars of songs that were already pop hits.

You cannot derive anything about copyright or creativity or morality from exploitation art like Vanilla Ice or Hammer. It is not hip hop. It’s not really even sampling. It’s manufactured pop music – but with rapping. It’s the Mitt Romney of music. It’s pure exploitation for profit.

If you want to talk about hip hop or sampling or creativity or morality or copyright, use The Grey Album as your test case.

By: lintman

lintman — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:25:00 +0000

I still fondly recall what happened when Vanilla Ice was the guest musician on Saturday Night Live. The Dennis Miller Weekend Update segment intro began with the familiar boom boom boom of Vanilla Ice’s song, and you could almost hear the eyes rolling in the crowd. But the song continued long enough for the lyrics to start and as it suddenly became clear it was the original Queen/Bowie song, the crowd roared in approval.

By: McGreens

McGreens — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Interesting. I always assumed it was a (cleared) sample – I didn’t realise there was plagiarism involved. At least I’ve learned something today.

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:52:00 +0000

It saddens me more that Sir Mix-A-Lot isn’t in the top 100.

By: Supernumerary

Supernumerary — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:35:00 +0000

Never fear. I’ll take that Mercury bullet for Antinous. (Selflessly, of course.)

By: teapot

teapot — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:44:00 +0000

OK Mr. smartypants... how about Ice Ice Baby-era Vanilla Ice compared to this picture of Freddie Mercury which depicts him at a similar age? (Or was that your roundabout way of saying Vanilla Ice?)

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:24:00 +0000

Since we’re comparing Vanilla Ice and Queen.. which would it be if it could only be Freddie Mercury or Mr. Ice?

Well, I do generally prefer them still alive. And Mr. Ice is a lot taller.

By: teapot

teapot — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:07:00 +0000

I think such stats say more about itunes customers than anything else. In 2010 The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling was the most downloaded song ever on itunes. Shit music sells to idiots and people who are into hiphop generally buy records or CDs (or the artist themselves put it online for free) so it stands to reason that only commercial junk like this sells by the bucketload on itunes. Anyway, as a friendly pointer, I would suggest you not refer to your rhymes as clever and dope (even if they are, no one really says that about their own rhymes) but to also post a link to some of your stuff here. I'll give it a listen at least :)

By: teapot

teapot — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:40:00 +0000

How much of that desire is based on his awesome hair? It’s like.. military, but funner!

On topic: he’s totally right btw. Almost identical is not identical and he’s not claiming Queen’s original wasn’t the inspiration for it.

Since we’re comparing Vanilla Ice and Queen.. which would it be if it could only be Freddie Mercury or Mr. Ice?

By: The Pathetic Earthling

The Pathetic Earthling — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 03:09:00 +0000

Isn’t this exactly the sort of thing copy fighting is supposed to allow for?

By: schwagstaff

schwagstaff — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:59:00 +0000

Oh man…totally forgot that was Henry Rollins!

By: Aaron Gilliland

Aaron Gilliland — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:28:00 +0000

My only exposure to Jedward thusfar was on Buzzcocks. Having visited that link, I would like to slowly push them onto a buzzsaw.

By: gwailo_joe

gwailo_joe — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:10:00 +0000

The most annoying thing…besides the blatant theft, besides the irritating persona…

Besides the fact that my clever dope rhymes are only appreciated by scores of people while Vanilla Ice is known worldwide.

Ice Ice Baby is (this very day!) #64 out of the iTunes top 100 hip hop tracks.

That…saddens me.

By: dolo54

dolo54 — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:00:00 +0000

I think that was where Suge Knight was holding Ice off the penthouse balcony of a Vegas hotel by his ankle until he agreed to sign.

By: robotmonkeys

robotmonkeys — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Oh yes, the the Ice-Ice-Baby / Under-Pressure mashup. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0iw8sH6CqM

By: Timmo Warner

Timmo Warner — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:17:00 +0000

I love both because both are great and they remind me of each other.

By: Jack Nymus

Jack Nymus — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:16:00 +0000

I was 12 in 1990, and I remember seeing this on the air then and thinking it was pure, unadulterated bullshit.

But yeah, I still had the album. Ice Ice baby, too coooold, too coooold…

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:23:00 +0000

Sigh. Still would hit it. Still embarrassed by said admission.

By: Aaron Gilliland

Aaron Gilliland — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:23:00 +0000

When I clicked on that, the video played within a Carly Rae Jepsen border. Somehow Mr. Ice seemed less ridiculous by comparison.

By: Aaron Gilliland

Aaron Gilliland — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:04:00 +0000

Reminds me of Cassetteboy’s “My Dad’s Brother Knows Russell Crowe”.

It samples an interview with MC Hammer about his brilliance.

“Well I remember being uh I was in that creative mode and uh the phrase ‘U Can’t Touch This’ just came to my mind. Doon duh-duh-doon, duh-doon, duh-doon, U Can’t Touch This. I say, ‘Ima gonna go ahead and loop that Rick James and just say ‘U Can’t Touch This.’”

Genius.

By: Over the River

Over the River — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:58:00 +0000

I love both because both are great and they remind me of the other.

By: Nylund

Nylund — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:54:00 +0000

Brings back memories…but mostly the parodies:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4-sbSwsng8
There’s also the Kevin Bacon one, but that seems hard to find…copyright infringement or what not. Obviously, someone is losing money if youtube hosts that..or something.

By: Peter Hassett

Peter Hassett — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:43:00 +0000

Lawrence Lessig, your argument is invalid.

By: bo_burger

bo_burger — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Ha! I remember this interview from high school! And 3rd Bass’ song that railed on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzXI_ApY4dY

[Serch]Ya stole somebody’s record then ya looped it, ya looped it[Pete]Ya boosted the record then ya looped it, ya looped it[Serch]Aiyyo, I came from Cali, and they hooped it, they hooped it[Pete]But now you’re getting sued kinda stoopid

By: Shelley Barker

Shelley Barker — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:37:00 +0000

Vanilla’s denial didn’t last too long, eventually Mercury & Bowie sued, Vanilla settled out of court, and now Mercury and David Bowie get song writing credits on “Ice Ice Baby”. Suge Knight also strong armed Vanilla into some kinda pay-off when one of his employees claimed partial song writing credit. Details sketchy on that whole transaction.

By: vonbobo

vonbobo — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:32:00 +0000

Yes! Hoooow did I forget about this gem from the childhood archive?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rog8ou-ZepE&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CwF1cMSlQ-nr3gh2JuxQZG

What is up with the hand dancing? And the head dancing? And the poorly lit warehouse dance scene… it’s like nostalgia crack.

Thanks for that David!

By: SamSam

SamSam — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:30:00 +0000

“Black.”