The Wolfpack Files

My Life in My Words

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Anniversary

An anniversary of mine passed back in December and I neglected to
even think about it. But today, being the (almost) birthday of an old
friend of mine, reminded me of what happened back then. December
13th, 2005 was not only my birthday, but it was the 15th anniversary
of the day I received the gift that will go down in history as one of
the greatest gifts I have ever gotten. It is a gift that many people
that day were envious of, a gift I used over and over again for many
days, nay, weeks. A gift that has, sadly, been all but forgotten. But
it is a gift that deserves respect and one that I need to speak about
since I missed the anniversary 4 months ago.

What is this gift I speak of? What is this single item, given to me by
the first friend I ever made in college? What is so important I'm writing
about it here today for the world (or one or two of you) to see? At the
time back in 1990, it was something that everyone wanted, and
seemingly everyone had, or knew someone who had it. It was, at the
time, the biggest selling album on the planet.

Yes, that's right, on December 13th, 1990 for my birthday
I received... To The Extreme, by Vanilla Ice. On cassette even.

Who among us today, when hearing the bass line from Queen/David
Bowie's Under Pressure don't wish, just for a moment, that the song
about to be played on the radio was instead, Ice Ice Baby (too cold,
too cold)? I know I do. No other song has captivated a nation quite
like it since, and no other song every will. Ice (as I like to call him)
singlehandedly allowed white men to rap. For all you Eminem fans
out there, do you really think he would exist today were it not for
the Ice Man (as I like to call him)? Vanilla (as I like to call him) broke
down barriers of race and talent. He spoke to a generation in ways
that only groups like Nirvana and Sonny and Cher had in the past.
He ushered in a new decade with dope rhymes and a stolen melody.
He made us want to learn, to be a better people.

He made us want to live.

Granted, I don't remember any other songs from the album, and
there is a slight chance I burned my cassette many years ago, but
I could not let another day go by without honoring the man who made
us all what we are today. Too cold, too cold. Here's to you, Vanilla
Ice. Here's to you.

Download Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rollin in my five point oh...

10:14 PM  

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