Vanilla Ice on Being 1st Rapper to Go #1 on Billboard, 'Ice Ice Baby', Selling 50M Copies (Part 2)

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Vanilla Ice discussed his early career, starting with his first album, "To the Extreme." The album was repackaged by SBK Records and included tracks produced by Bay Area legend Khayree. Despite the lack of funding for marketing materials and videos, Vanilla Ice’s music gained traction through live performances and radio play, particularly on Khayree network K104. His single "Ice Ice Baby" was a major hit, especially in the South, topping black radio charts for nearly a year before crossing into pop audiences. Vanilla Ice also noted how the format transition from cassette to CD helped his sales. Vanilla Ice highlighted the historical significance of "Ice Ice Baby," which was the first rap song to top the Billboard 200 chart, and "To The Extreme" became the fastest-selling hip-hop album of all time -- spending 16 weeks at number one and selling 50 million copies worldwide.