Vanilla Ice Biography

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

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.
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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", an ego-centric rap song which discusses his fame and talents. 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 arguably the most commercially successful rapper of his time.

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) and 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 an all-black high school and led a crime-riddled life were revealed to be disingenuous, and had been manufactured to lend his image street credibility; he had actually attended R. L. Turner High School in Carrollton, 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.

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, performing "The Ninja Rap". He also appeared in the 1991 star vehicle Cool as Ice. 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.

Van Winkle returned to music in 1994 with Mind Blowin'. His image had been changed to a dreadlocked, marijuana-obsessed gangster, 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 Ice 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, Ice 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 later altered his story, now insisting that the incident was nothing more than a non-violent formal business dispute, a story backed up by former manager Tommy Quon. Van Winkle's initial 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.

It wasn't until 1996 that Ice made his next appearance (credited as "Rob Van Winkle"), on the song "Boom" by suburban Philadelphia rappers 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 KoЯn. 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", reimaged as a stomping heavy metal anthem.

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.

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, Psycopathic 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. Van Winkle appeared on an MTV special called "MTV's 25 Lamest" in which MTV retired some of its lamest 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, 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.

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. 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."

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 Port St. Lucie, Florida.

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VANILLA ICE BIOGRAPHY