Rapper Vanilla Ice has revealed that he wrote a suicide note at the age of 27 while struggling with drug addiction, coming close to joining the so-called "27 Club" before he quit drugs and rebuilt his life. Speaking on an episode of "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" released on Thursday, the musician described how the abrupt collapse of his rapid rise to fame left him grappling with his identity and turning to drugs. His candour adds to a wider conversation about the toll that sudden celebrity can take on young performers.

The artist, best known for his 1990 hit "Ice Ice Baby", said his fame had felt like riding a wave that suddenly crashed, leaving him unable to work out who he was and mourning a youth he never got to enjoy. He recounted that friends found and read his suicide note and came to his aid. Following this, he cut ties with his "party guys", changed his phone number and moved to Florida to start afresh. He also reflected on the particular pressures faced by people in their late twenties.