Defend the Indefensible: Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer...

I pity Vanilla Ice.

I saw Chuck D. on a lecture tour in 1991, and someone in the audience asked him about about both these guys and he had nothing but positive things to say about either. Hammer he praised for his business sense, the size of his operation, how many people he was able to employ, which Chuck admired (guess we didn't know then that he was actually going bankrupt). He actually called Vanilla Ice the Elvis of rap or something, said he liked him because he brought more people to hip-hop, which was a good thing. So there you have it.

"ice ice baby" is a great pop song.

well, Hammer brought me to rap, but I don't think he's owed any retroactive props for that, because the group that got me SERIOUSLY into rap was N.W.A. (years later)

"Ice Ice Baby" is good despite the wack flow. Vanilla Ice is probably the must unlucky & pathetic man in the music business.

The only thing I can say to their defence is it is a myth that they were supposed to be so much worse than other rappers. They are all the same.

lol

hahahaha

A rap expert writes there.

Between the two of them, they left behind so many unintentional (and pathetic) comic gems, that you've got to cherish their legacy if only for that. Of course theres Hammer's gangsta turn, but Ice is surely the winner in this regard. Cool as Ice should be sought out and seen in its entirety, as it offers consistent comedic gold, but here's the infamous rampless fence-jumping scene. And, of course, there's his love rap and his first post-To The Extreme comeback attempt, when he wanted to be taken seriously as some sort of dreadlocked, pot-loving Das EFX disciple.

I always wanted to hear from whoever won MTV's Give Hammer A Hand contest, whose grand prize was getting to be Hammer's valet for a day.

"The Addams Family Groove" is better than "Addams Family (Whoomp!)".

I was checking the the latter song title and came across the track list for the Addams Family Values soundtrack:

"It's Your Thing", performed by H-Town – 3:59
"Be Thankful for What You Got", performed by Portrait – 4:37
"Express Yourself", performed by Roger and Fu-Schnickens – 5:31
"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", performed by RuPaul – 4:50
"Family Affair", performed by Shabba Ranks, Patra, with Terri & Monica – 4:29
"Night People", performed by Brian McKnight – 4:29
"Supernatural Thing", performed by Charles & Eddie – 4:35
"Do Your Thing (Love On)", performed by R. Kelly and Mad Cobra – 4:35
"Do It Any Way You Wanna (It's on You)", performed by Guru – 4:28
"May You Always Drink Bizarre", performed by P.M. Dawn – 3:23
"Addams Family (Whoomp!)", performed by Tag Team – 3:50

Harmless chart pop. What's the big deal?

"Ice Ice Baby" is good despite the wack flow. Vanilla Ice is probably the must unlucky & pathetic man in the music business.

-- Curt1s Stephens, Sunday, December 9, 2007 5:48 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Link

I think he still actually has his money though, unlike Hammer!

but it's true, he'll never escape the stigma of being Vanilla Ice

Had this been a "taking sides", Hammer was obviously way less pathetic than Vanilla. I mean Vanilla was this pathetically "cool" hip-hop-wigger type, while Hammer had sort of a novelty image, really.

Plus Hammer credited the ones he stole music from, unlike Vanilla.

but don't you see (as Anthony Miccio noted upthread) "their song goes dee-dee-dee diggy dee-dee. His goes DEE-dee-dee-dee diggy dee-dee. It's totally different!"

Play that Funky Wii!

^^ omglol at that mashup

Wii Sports > V-Ice

"Express Yourself", performed by Roger and Fu-Schnickens – 5:31

(!)

In the Vanilla Ice movie (forget what it's called), he rides up to the girl on his motorcycle and says "lose the zero, and get with the hero".

I always thought that was awesome.

"I seriously did win a motocross championship, dammit!"

i don't even think the rap is bad on ice ice baby. that song rules.

mc hammer was pretty great for awhile.

i'm pretty sure hammer is on the thank u list for both it takes a nation of millions to hold us back AND straight outta compton, what the fuck have u done?

I had more money than he did a few years ago!

i don't even think the rap is bad on ice ice baby. that song rules.

the problem is that when the beat drops out he loses the rhythm and rushes his lines

I kinda feel that Hammer was more genuine (although he did modify his style with the times on Funky Headhunter)...but neither have any staying power and Ice just turned into a joke.

"Hard to Swallow"......haha

Saw MC Hammer last night at Universal Mardi Gras. Now, let me explain...

I wasn't really into music much as a kid, but I loved MC Hammer. At least the Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em and 2 Legit 2 Quit albums. So part of me wanting to go was for the novelty of reliving my youth a bit - I figured that even though now I'm not really into this music, the show would be fun and entertaining.

My fucking God, now I know why he left the limelight. The dude just can't put on a show anymore. He didn't even look like he was prepared to perform.

His 'dancers' entered a lit stage in awkward silence, and then Hammer walked onstage in front of a silent crowd (who probably didn't believe a concert would begin with such little fanfare). He then launched into something from Turn This Mutha Out, and after the song ended, he and his entire entourage left the stage...he went to the man operating the Mac computer to ask him what song was next.

Except he did this after EVERY SONG (left the stage, that is). There were long gaps between each song, and an unintentionally hilarious 5 minute monologue intro to "Pumps and a Bump". The crowd was largely white and family oriented and they turned on Hammer within 20 minutes, some even chanting "Hammer sucks", and many leaving.

The choreography...maybe my memory has been nicer to the past than it should, but, uh....I don't remember it being that bad. His backup dancers moreso than him.

He performed for a little over an hour, and then gathered about 100 people to dance to U Can't Touch This on stage with him....in silence, for about ten minutes.

Wow. Glad I got in free with my annual pass.

^^^^^ classic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZz3c6WC7M

omfg. what is up with those pants? and his horrible attempt at beat boxing?

i heard/read way back when that Vanilla Ice was loaded ... that he invested his royalties wisely and shit. if it's true, it doesn't make his music better or his musical persona any less pathetic -- but unlike Hammer, he's at least avoided visiting the bankruptcy court (AFAIK).

i always thought 'ice ice baby' was a terrible single. too long, plodding, repetitive to no good effect, bad flow.

'u can't touch this' on the other hand is great: unforgettable hook, funny, bouncy, everything a classic single should be.

Bo Jackson, maybe some trickster had gone and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhmiR18iGVg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Woops, pressed send too early. Anyway you get the idea

Flavor Flav & MC Hammer To Join Charlie Sheen At Insane Clown Posse Festival

besides, i still i love this
http://s1.directupload.net/images/110710/temp/l2x8fmar.jpg

"Ice Ice Baby" is fantastic. You play that song when DJing and it's like you're the second coming of ... i dunno... the second coming of someone really awesome.

this is still true 7 years later. very very popular song at nightclubs, weddings, parties, i get requests for this every time i play out. i understand the songs weaknesses, and also what a complete goof mr. winkle is, but this song is a classic. and frankly i don't think it would still be as popular if v ice hadn't been so stupid looking and unintentionally funny either, that's built into it's ongoing appeal.

same goes for "can't touch this" but tbh i don't think it's quite as good a song, and it's still popular but not on the level of ice ice baby. however hammer does still get consistent props from any and all bay area rappers to this day

Ice Ice Baby is one of my Dad's favourite songs, and he's 64.

Still like "Ice Ice Baby." Remember the first time I heard it. I was driving around Detroit with Mr. Fine Wine and some DJ just kept playing it over and over and wouldn't play anything else.

ha ha - oh my that seriously made me laugh!

xpost to dog latin

HAMMER takes it. U Can't Touch This >>>>>>>>>> Ice Ice Baby

Flavor Flav & MC Hammer To Join Charlie Sheen At Insane Clown Posse Festival

O_O

Hammer - cos it's Hammer yo Hammer MC Hammer Go Hammer

and the rest can go and play

When Hammer grunts 'YEEEAAH, BOYYYYEEEEE' in 'Let's Get it Started' it sounds like he's pinching one off.

If I'm honest in reappraising his skills, he's really not that much better an MC than Blazin' Hazen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXb6bjCCtuY

that's unfair

you missed the part where he smoothed out his rapping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haxYckO6-ok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFCv86Olk8E

the video for "2 Legit 2 Quit" is beyond insane and is LEGIT amazing. yes it features James Brown throwing Hadoukens of energy at Hammer.

It took me forever to notice it for some reason but, once I did, Hammer's tendency to randomly sprinkle his rhymes with rolling 'r' sounds (often when there was no 'r' to roll) started driving me batshit. It's all over this track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwshr5uAlOA

yea the 2 Legit video is pretty awesome - love how it's a not-so-subtle attempt to one-up Michael Jackson

OL i definitely picked up on the rolling r's

btw the Rifftrax crew has tackled "Cool As Ice" and it is hilarious. it really is one of the great bad movies.