Rock N' Roll...

The story of Vanilla Ice's nu-metal reinvention in 1998. Podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rock-n-roll-true-stories-podcast/id1876614383 My second YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@RockNRollTrueStories2 In 1990, Vanilla Ice was the biggest name in pop music. By 1998, he was screaming over down-tuned guitars on a record made by the producer behind Korn. This is the story of Vanilla Ice's failed metal reinvention, and of the album almost nobody remembers: Hard to Swallow. "Ice Ice Baby" was the first rap single ever to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and To the Extreme spent sixteen straight weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. Then everything fell apart. Questions about his street-tough biography, the "Under Pressure" bassline controversy, the box-office flop of Cool as Ice and a Golden Raspberry turned Rob Van Winkle into one of the most mocked men in music. By 1994, Mind Blowin' had reportedly sold just 42,000 copies, and he was struggling with depression and drug use. Meanwhile, nu-metal was taking over rock radio. Korn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit were mixing hip-hop bounce with heavy guitars, and at the center of it all was Ross Robinson, the producer many call the Godfather of Nu-Metal. Through Monte Lipman of Republic Records, and a shared love of motocross, Robinson agreed to produce a Vanilla Ice album. People warned him it could hurt his reputation. His answer: "Then I'm doing it." At Indigo Ranch in Malibu, Robinson put together a serious band, including drummer Shannon Larkin, later of Godsmack, guitarist Sonny Mayo of Snot, later of Sevendust, Scott Borland, and Doug Ardito, later of Puddle of Mudd. Robinson pushed Rob to dig into his past, and the result went to places nobody expected, with songs about childhood abuse, drugs and his own sellout years. The boldest move was "Too Cold," a nu-metal remake of "Ice Ice Baby." Hard to Swallow came out in October 1998, and critics tore it apart. Entertainment Weekly gave it a D-minus, and it later landed on Q magazine's list of the 50 worst albums ever. Yet in Miami, "Too Cold" reportedly sat at number one on a rock station for weeks, ahead of new singles from Korn and Marilyn Manson. Nationally, the album flopped. Years later, Ross Robinson gave a surprising take on what they'd really been doing, and it might change how you hear the whole record. Have a video request or a topic you'd like to see us cover? Comment below or send in your idea: https://bit.ly/3stnXlN CONNECT ON SOCIAL TIKOK:https://www.tiktok.com/@rocknrolltruestory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rnrtruestories/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RNRTrueStories Twitter: https://twitter.com/rocktruestories Blog: www.rockandrolltruestories.com #vanillaice #metal #numetal These videos are for entertainment purposes only. DISCLAIMER https://rockandrolltruestories.com/youtube-disclaimer/