It took me a while and a lot of hard times to figure out my purpose, I am so happy with my life. I just want to help make other people happy too.
Not everyone agrees on music. Some people like rap, some like country - it's all an opinion. F the critics.
I've never left music behind, but I've had success in television.
Another car is not going to help me out, a nicer car, I've already got it. A bigger house ain't gonna do anything for me, and you know, a yacht, it's not going to do anything for me anymore. So how can I find happiness?
My mom raised me to be clean, so it's in my nature. I have two little girls and I'm married but we've got a nanny and a maid.
I got caught up on drugs for a few years, I'm off it, I'm very happy, got two kids and a family and everything. And like I said I'm making the underground music, and keeping it real.
I will not say anything about my father. Period. I don't have a dad.
All my friends were black and Mexican. I was the only white kid in our group and had to work hard to be accepted. Year after year, we'd breakdance and we all became close and they labeled me "Vanilla" - like "Hey, Vanilla" and they knew I hated it, so of course they kept calling me it.
I'm the kind of guy who really likes a challenge. It's more rewarding.
I'm to trying to say I'm something I'm not. Black people understand that. I'm just doing my raps, my way. Rap is black. I recognize that and respect that. I'm just a white guy trying to rap, and I got lucky.
For three years between 16 and 19 I was the opening-act-for-the-opening-act-for-the-opening-act, you know? And then I was on tour with Ice-T, Stetsasonic, EPMD, Sir Mix-a-Lot--legends--and went on to sell 160 million records. It still baffles me.
It wasn't until '94 when I tried to commit suicide that I realized that it wasn't about the money.
When 'Ice Ice Baby' was selling a million records a day, I bought several properties: a home next to Michael J. Fox in L.A., a palace in Miami and a mountain cabin in Utah. Then, a few years later, I took a break from touring, saw that my properties had cobwebs, so I sold them, and - to my surprise - I made a huge profit!
As for music and my place in it, maybe things are changing a little bit. I know this: a good song is deeper than a tattoo. It'll remind you of the car you're driving and the girl you're going around with and the streets you're cruising. It's better than a photo album. A song is a tattoo that you never lose. 'Ice, Ice Baby,' man, you'll remember that when you're 90.
I've never met anybody in this world like me.
You can't please everybody, and basically I just decided to please myself first on this record. This record is more like my diary and I am expressing myself through my music. And that's what it should be about. That's why I didn't change my name or anything. It's not about the name; it's about the music. The old saying goes that video killed the radio star and it's very true. And now I'm just letting everything revolve around the music. There is no image; I am just being myself.
I do freestyle jumping. Been doing since I was eight years old and can't quit. I'm addicted. I've broken many bones, but I ride with confidence. It's my thing - there's no high on earth like it. It's my hobby and I really enjoy it.
I do a lot of TV stuff, but I also turn a lot down - it's got to be an adventure.
It doesn't sound anything like 'Under Pressure.'
I have been known to hang out and party back in the day. I had a weekend that lasted a few years.
I like Cleveland. I like the Cavaliers. Nothing wrong with Cleveland. I have lots of friends there.
I don't harp on what I could change about the past, because I can't go back and change it. But definitely a lot of things I would change.
Even in a bad market, location, location, location is a way to still buy and sell property.
I use the music to vent, and a lot of the stuff that I am writing about or was writing about contained a lot of anger and anxiety, stress and depression, so that's how the album came out so dark.
I didn't end up going bankrupt... I made some great investments and I held on to my money, which also enables me to have the freedom to do what I want now. But it's not about finances. No matter what, it's about keeping it real.
