Finally. Eight years, four CDs, one T-shirt, three biographies, one movie, four collector cards and one doll later, I got to conduct a one-on-one, no interruptions interview with Vanilla Ice.

MTV Radio, a syndicated news circuit to which Ames’ KCCQ subscribes, features an artist each week who stations can request phone interviews from.

It just so happened Ice was last week’s featured artist, and my Backstreet Boy-lovin’ pal The Dark Knight was feeling generous.

So from the KCCQ studios early Wednesday morning, I spent 20 minutes powwowing with my boy Vanilla about everything from his new hardcore style to his drug days.

DK and I met up a few nights later and played a bit of the interview over the airwaves and chatted about some of the high points of the Vanilla hook-up.

In case you missed it, here’s a few of the memorable moments, which range from hilarious to depressing:

The latter occurred near the end of the interview when I asked Ice about the autobiography he wrote in 1991 that I have since memorized and read from in numerous classes.

“I didn’t write the biography back in the day,” Vanilla said. “It was written by the record company.”

When I heard this, my heart shattered. It was as if God himself came down to tell me the Bible was fake and written solely by his publicity department.

But I got over it. Much the same as when I found out Santa Claus wasn’t real, only I didn’t have Santa on the phone with only two minutes to go.

Earlier during the interview I asked the Iceman about his drug-endorsing “Mind Blowin'” record, which sold only a handful of copies when it was released four years ago.

Ice explained why he got into drugs and closed the topic with this: “But I can say it with a smile on my face now because of I’ve been four-years-sober, with the exception of a little bit of hootie mac every once in a while.”

Now — and I can only poke a little fun at Vanilla because we’re boys — can you really be sober and at the same time “roll up the hootie mac,” to quote a “Mind Blowin'” tune?

Yeah, and I’m 21-years-virgin with the occasional one-night-stand. Sorry sir, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.

Another one of Ice’s profound statements, and I say this with a smile, was “there’s probably a lot of people who don’t want to admit that they bought a Vanilla Ice record.”

You think?

In all seriousness, my interview with Vanilla was one I’ll never forget. He was kind, sincere, and most importantly, enthusiastic.

Basically, the man’s got balls.

Comebacks have always been wicked in the music industry, yet Vanilla is going at it with no fear.

Fortunately, he’s not the only one. Old-school rappers, black and white, East and West, are showing up all over the place.

Run DMC is doing Gap ads and touring through Iowa, Tone Loc is recording again and opening for the Backstreet Boys, The Sugar Hill Gang is selling thousands of copies of its greatest hits record every week and, of course, Vanilla Ice is doing interviews.

These rappers aren’t coming back for the money, as you’ll read in Thursday’s High Note profiles on Run DMC, Digital Underground and Vanilla, they’re doing it because they love music and they’re sick of the crap that’s out now.

We are the generation of old-school. If we don’t embrace it, it won’t come back.

So, stop, collaborate and listen.

---

Corey Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale. He is the Arts & Entertainment editor of the Daily.