As a chart aficionado in my high school and early college years, I was following closely, complete with subscription to Billboard, as Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" became the first rap single to top the Hot 100 singles chart--a feat it accomplished 20 years ago today. That distinction could easily have gone to MC Hammer for "U Can't Touch This" a few months earlier but for a marketing decision made by Capitol Records. Since this occurred, I have always wondered about the role race played in the situation, particularly as the events reenacted a history of white artists appropriating black popular music.
Reflecting on this, I wrote an entry on Tunesmate today that I encourage you to read for more of the story.
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