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Vanilla Ice
File:Vanilla Ice-To the Extreme (album cover).jpg
Background information
Years active1990- present

Robert Matthew "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle (born October 31, 1968 in Dallas, Texas) is an American rapper, known today for the single "Ice Ice Baby" that topped the charts beginning in the early-1990s (see 1990s in music). At the time, he was also one of the very few successful white rappers.

Early career

Van Winkle's first foray into the music industry is the little-known album Hooked, released in 1989 on an independent label. Just 48,000 copies were sold, making it a rarity and something of a collector's item among fans.

His next album fared better: To the Extreme, released in 1990, contained mostly the same songs as Hooked. The album featured his best-known single, "Ice Ice Baby", a rap song about his MC skills, the Miami scene, and a gun-fight on A1A/Beachfront Avenue. Van Winkle's manager and financier, Tommy Quon, shrewdly chose a limited release for the single, and no vinyl release for the album, so that fans bought the more expensive CD instead; this led to To The Extreme becoming the first #1 album without a vinyl counterpart release. It went on to sell over 11 million copies, making him one of the most commercially successful rappers of all time. In fact, "Ice Ice Baby" was credited by Casey Kasem's top 40 radio show as being the number one rap single in history.

But Van Winkle's success was met with problems. "Ice Ice Baby" had sampled the Queen and David Bowie collaboration "Under Pressure" without permission (the matter settled out of court). Van Winkle was sued by a California undergraduate chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first African-American fraternity claiming he was using words and moves similar to the fraternity's step-show routines. He was also sued by Wild Cherry frontman, Rob Parissi, for not crediting him as the writer of Ice's cover of the disco classic, "Play that Funky Music."

Van Winkle's image also began to falter. His claims that he had attended a Miami, Florida all-black high school and led a crime-riddled life were revealed to be false, and had been manufactured to lend his image street credibility; he had actually attended R. L. Turner High School in Farmers Branch, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. His flamboyant stage outfits and over-stylized grooming also eventually led to great ridicule. Van Winkle could not shake the perception that he embodied the white mainstream's commercial appropriation and watering down of traditionally African-American music, and the backlash from the hip hop community all but turned him into a pariah.

Van Winkle has been mocked in other rappers' lyrics, most notably by the later (and more successful) white rap artist Eminem, but perhaps most famous contemporary critique was 3rd Bass' song Pop Goes the Weasel, where the music video also featured Henry Rollins dressed like Van Winkle being beaten up by the members of the group. The African-American sketch comedy In Living Color also mocked Vanilla Ice with a sketch where the rapper was portrayed (by Jim Carrey) as a bumbling phoney, the backing singers chorusing "He's so white-white baby!"

Re-hashing his songs for a third time, Van Winkle's next album was a live version of To The Extreme titled Extremely Live. Though Extremely Live was certified gold, Ice's fame had faded significantly by the time it was released in 1991, and sales of the album never approached those of its predecessor.

Ice's film debut came in the 1991 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, appearing as a performer in a night club performing "Ninja Rap," a song he wrote for the film.

Ice starred in the 1991 cult classic "Cool as Ice" often referred to as 'the Vanilla Ice movie'. Ice plays 'Johnny', a street-wise rebel without a cause who, while traveling with his 'posse', gets stuck in a small town for several days while one of his 'homies' gets his motorcycle fixed. Johnny falls in love with an upper-class girl who he impresses by jumping his motorcycle over a fence upon meeting her on horseback. The film features such memorable quotes as, 'Drop the zero and get with the hero,' 'I'm gonna go across the street and, uh, schling a schlong', and 'Where are you from? Around. Around? Yep.Yep.', at one point Johnny flips up the collar on his leather jacket to reveal the words 'Yep.Yep.' on the underside. The soundtrack to Cool as Ice featured several new Vanilla Ice tracks, including a duet with Naomi Campbell. But the film was both a commercial and critical failure. For his performance, Van Winkle won the "Worst New Star" award at the 1991 Golden Raspberry Awards. For the next several years, Van Winkle kept a low public profile and became a motocross racer using his real name.

Rebranded image

Van Winkle returned to music in 1994 with Mind Blowin'. His image had been changed to a dreadlocked, marijuana-obsessed, tattooed gangsta, insisting that his former sound and image had been pressed on him by his record company. Shifting public tastes in music and fashion, the perception that he had shifted his image to suit current trends, as well as the fallout from negative press in the interim between albums, led to the commercial failure of the album. On July 4, 1994, Van Winkle attempted to commit suicide; failing, he made another attempt later that same year, citing drug abuse and anxiety surrounding his flagging career.

During this period, Van Winkle claimed in a television interview that he had been threatened and assaulted by Marion "Suge" Knight, founder and CEO of Death Row Records, for royalties demanded by a former associate who claimed that he had, in fact, written "Ice Ice Baby." According to Van Winkle, Knight dangled him by his ankles over a hotel balcony until he agreed to sign over the royalties from the track. Knight denied the allegations. Van Winkle's account of the incident was parodied in the 2005 movie Be Cool, in which Vince Vaughn's character — a street-talking, white record producer named Roger — was partially based on Van Winkle. And also in a 2006 episode of Entourage where Johnny Drama is held in the same fashion.

Van Winkle also can be seen in an early 1990's MTV interview denying allegations that he plagarised the rhythm to his hit single "Ice Ice Baby" from the band Queen's song "Under Pressure." In a subsequent party involving extensive drug use Van Winkle was overheard telling members from the band Sugar Ray that he did, in fact, steal this beat in an extraordinarily lucky attempt at gaining enough money to sustain his drug habit for the rest of his projected lifetime.

It wasn't until 1996 that Ice made his next appearance (credited as "Rob Van Winkle)," on the song "Boom" by suburban Philadelphia comedy rock group The Bloodhound Gang. The track's deep bass groove and Van Winkle's uncharacteristic tough guy flow on the first verse led to a quasi-ironic underground revival in popularity, and the first new Vanilla Ice CD in four years.

Hard to Swallow found Ice in a musically similar idiom to the track from the Bloodhound Gang, using a contemporarily popular nu metal sound his press kit referred to as "skate rock" that could be described as musically similar to early Limp Bizkit or Korn. Van Winkle once again revised his image, and was now a tow-headed, pierced and tattooed headbanger. The disc also included a revamped version of "Ice Ice Baby," renamed "Too Cold," and reimaged as a stomping heavy metal anthem. (Current Velvet Revolver rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner and current Weezer Bass player Scott Shriner were part of Van Winkle's act at this time.)

2001's Bipolar, a two-CD set, contained nu metal material and more contemporary hip-hop songs. It did little to rekindle public interest. On the album Van Winkle collaborated with many artists such as Wu-Tang Clan affiliate La The Darkman, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and Insane Clown Posse (which earned him the following of Insane Clown Posse's famously dedicated fan base known as Juggalos). Van Winkle and the Insane Clown Posse have supposedly remained great friends. Van Winkle briefly appeared in the JCW, the Insane Clown Posse's wrestling federation to replace Shaggy 2 Dope when he was injured.

Recent career

Van Winkle's latest album is Platinum Underground, released in August 2005. Containing some new material, some remakes of his older works, and a cover of the Destiny's Child song "Survivor", the album has received mixed reviews and limited sales. Along with the album's release, Van Winkle performed with Insane Clown Posse at Hallowicked 2005, during which he announced that he was now signed to their record label, Psychopathic Records. He also held a series of European concerts in November and December of the same year.

His fame and notoriety have increased with a number of notable television appearances. In 1999, Van Winkle appeared on an MTV special called MTV's 25 Lame in which MTV retired some of its worst videos. Van Winkle accepted an invitation to appear and destroy the tape of "Ice Ice Baby" live on air. However, after being mocked by the hosts (Janeane Garofalo, Chris Kattan, Denis Leary, and Jon Stewart), he took the bat that he was given to destroy the tape, and started breaking down the set; the show quickly transitioned to a commercial. Van Winkle managed to cut Stewart's hand.

In 2002 he had surprise bit part as the paranoid and short-tempered Music Store Employee in Ed Decter's teen comedy The New Guy.

Actor Todd Bridges demolished Van Winkle during a Celebrity Boxing event, also in 2002. Ice was knocked down several times during the event, and was soundly defeated.

In 2004, Van Winkle starred in the second season of The Surreal Life on VH1. This brought some interest in him from the public, and a website was launched. In the same year, he appeared on British television in the first season of the Reality TV show The Farm on five in which he came second. He was also cast in the film The Helix...Loaded, a parody of The Matrix.

In June 2005, Van Winkle won the second round of NBC's hit TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing "Ice Ice Baby" and covering Destiny's Child's hit "Survivor". He also appeared on a VH1 special entitled "Remaking Vanilla Ice", which featured the revamped Van Winkle in preparation for his new album "Platinum Underground", released August 16, 2005. Ice also appeared on the series Damage Control, on MTV2.

Controversy broke out on the G4 Forums website on September 19, 2005 when, in the heat of the co-hosting auditions, Attack of the Show! claimed on their website that they had discovered a new, permanent cohost who wasn't going to be required to audition . They claimed that "You’ve seen him in music videos, in his own film, and on reality TV. He’s ice cold, goes to the extreme, and really knows how to play that funky music. And we’ve got him signed exclusively to AOTS." "(Ice Cold" and "Play That Funky Music" were both tracks on Vanilla Ice's 1990 album To the Extreme). Adding to the prank, Ice personally appeared on the show on September 20, 2005 as the "new permanent co-host." After co-hosting a brief segment, Ice publicized his new album, and left. Kevin put an end to the prank with the announcement, "Unfortunately, Vanilla Ice is not our new co-host."

Ice will soon be seen on reality television again as part of "Surreal Life Fame Games." This show will pit stars from various seasons of "Surreal Life" against each other in competitions. An "Osbournes" style show called "Meet the Van Winkle's" is scheduled to tape near the end of 2006. This has not been confirmed as of yet.

Legacy

Vanilla Ice has recently been viewed as a mild influence on the furthering of the hip hop movement. By allowing a once taboo'd rap style to re-enter the popular music scene, Vanilla proved that the game was a constantly changing trend, subject to manipulation. Being one of the first successful white rappers, it's noted that he also brought to light the white breakdancing movement. Though rarely recognized today as a popular artist, his title is far from ignored. His music lacked any serious subject matter, as his skills were far from lyricism and more directed toward his emceeing abilities.

Trivia

File:Vanilla-ice-mugshot.jpg
Mug Shot

In 1992, Van Winkle dated Madonna for 8 months, and he appears in her controversial Sex book. When asked about his relationship with the singer by USA Today in 1994, he said "She would call me at strange hours, 'Are you in bed with another girl?' At 6 in the morning, man, I'm like, 'I'm fucking sleeping all alone. What the fuck? Why do you keep doing this?'" "But is she a sexual animal?" "Nah, she's like every normal girl, man. She's very sexy, she's hot, she's romantic. She's got a great body for her age (35),"

Van Winkle was arrested in January 2001 for assaulting his wife, after pulling her hair and covering her mouth during an argument. He pled guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to probation and ordered to attend family therapy sessions.

He briefly attracted the attention of the media when his pet wallaroo, Bucky, and pet goat, Pancho, escaped from his Port St. Lucie, Florida home. After wandering around local streets for over a week, the animals were caught, and returned to Ice. He had to pay a $220 fine for expired pet tags, and an undisclosed fine for the escape of the animals.

He currently lives in Davie, Florida. He has two children, Dusti Raine and Keelee Breeze.

Discography

Albums

Guest Appearance

References

External links

Videos

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