Vanilla Ice Totally Explained

Everything about Vanilla Ice totally explained

Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967 in Dallas, Texas), best known as Vanilla Ice, is a Grammy Award nominated, American Music Award winning American rapper and singer known for the 1990 smash hit "Ice Ice Baby."
He found major mainstream success, but his success lasted only about two years, and his rapid fall from popularity remains one of the most notorious in American music of recent decades. Though Van Winkle has continued making music, he's yet to recapture anything approaching the level of mainstream success which he once enjoyed in the early 1990s.

Career

Early life

Van Winkle was born at Baylor Hospital to Camilla Beth Van Winkle (née Dickerson), a secretary and part-time private music teacher, and Dallas-born William Basil Van Winkle, who left the family when Rob was four years old.
   Van Winkle attended R. L. Turner High School in Carrollton, a suburb of Dallas. He became interested in breakdancing. Practicing on cardboard in his early teen years, he earned the nickname "Vanilla Ice." In the late 1980s, Van Winkle was the main attraction of many predominantly black local clubs with his freestyle rapping and dancing. He and his group of friends, consisting of Floyd "DJ Earthquake" Brown and several dancers, opened shows for rap heavyweights Public Enemy and M.C. Hammer.
   In 1989, Van Winkle was represented by Jay King of Dallas as part of the rap group Vanilla Ice, Chante, Ambiance, LaRue and New Choice. Van Winkle's first foray into the music industry was the little-known album Hooked, released in 1989 on Atlanta-based independent label Ichiban Records. Selling 38,000 copies in three years, the album is now considered a collector's item among fans due to its limited production.
   His single from the record, "Play that Funky Music," failed to catch on with listeners, and both Van Winkle and the album remained in obscurity until a Georgia DJ decided to flip the twelve-inch single and play the B-side, which was "Ice Ice Baby," a track about Van Winkle's rhyming skills, the Miami street scene, and a gunfight on A1A/Beachfront Avenue. The virtual overnight success of the single was enough for SBK Records to sign Van Winkle and buy the rights to the song for $300,000.

Mainstream success and failure (1990-1993)

SBK released Van Winkle's next album, 1990's To the Extreme, which was basically a repackaging of Hooked, as it consisted mainly of new versions of the same songs. Van Winkle's manager and financier, Tommy Quon, chose a limited release for the single, which nonetheless became the first rap single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. SBK rushed Van Winkle onto the road to promote the album, with a sixteen-year-old Alanis Morissette as his opening act. To the Extreme wasn't released on vinyl so that fans bought the pricier CD instead, therefore becoming the first #1 album in the U.S. without a vinyl counterpart release; it went on to sell over 11 million copies. On November 1, 1990, To the Extreme ended M.C. Hammer's sixteen-week run at the top of the Billboard Top 200 en route to serving a sixteen-week stay of its own.
   Van Winkle's success also brought legal and personal problems. "Ice Ice Baby" sampled the 1981 Queen and David Bowie collaboration "Under Pressure" without permission, acknowledging credit or paying royalties. There was no public court case over the issue, but the copyright holders of "Under Pressure" considered a lawsuit and settled out of court with Van Winkle for an undisclosed sum. Van Winkle later stated "What happened is I was trying not to get sued and it didn't work. So yeah, they're the same songs, in case you were wondering." According to his appearance on Behind the Music, Van Winkle and his ex-manager explained that it took a few phone calls to settle the matter. At this time, his management pressured him into using a pop-star image, consisting of flashy jackets and large pants much like that of MC Hammer. Van Winkle acknowledged that he never had much time to stop and enjoy his fame, because the critics started hounding his credibility and criticizing his image.
   Members of the national black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha accused Van Winkle of using the fraternity's chant "Ice ice baby, too cold, too cold," without credit or permission. Van Winkle later denied any knowledge of Alpha Phi Alpha.
   Meanwhile, Van Winkle's debut single, "Play That Funky Music," sampled the 1976 Wild Cherry hit of the same name; however, Wild Cherry singer-guitarist Rob Parissi wasn't credited as the writer of Van Winkle's version of the song, which was instead credited to Ice and DJ Earthquake. According to an interview for VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders in 2002, Parissi called his local record store and asked if he was credited as a writer on Play That Funky Music; they told him no. Later he was awarded $500,000 in damages.
   In 1991, the biography Ice by Ice: The Vanilla Ice Story in His Own Word was released by his management. The book chronicled a false background story in an attempt to give Van Winkle street credibility. The biography claimed that he was a gang member who had been raised in the ghetto of Miami Lakes, Florida, and had attended the same predominantly black high school as 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell. The biography also erroneously claimed that Van Winkle, an actual Motocross enthusiast, had been a national champion. Although attributed to Van Winkle, he later stated that it had actually been written by ex-manager Tommy Quon and that he'd no part in the book's authorship.
   The same year, he starred in the 1991 motion picture Cool as Ice, which was a very loose update of Rebel Without a Cause, starring Van Winkle as Johnny, a biker gang member modeled on the Vanilla Ice character. Johnny falls in love with a preppy girl he meets while riding through a small town. The soundtrack featured several new tracks, including a duet with Naomi Campbell. The film was both a commercial and critical flop, and Van Winkle won the "Worst New Star" award at the 1991 Golden Raspberry Awards. Cool as Ice lasted less than a month in U.S. theaters and slipped into obscurity with only a limited VHS release. The film was also the centerpiece of his eponymous second studio album. Van Winkle also made a cameo appearance in, where he performed a self-penned song named "Ninja Rap" during one of the film's climatic battle scenes.
   Revisiting his songs for a third time, Van Winkle's next album was a live version of To The Extreme titled Extremely Live. Though he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist and Extremely Live was certified gold, his fame had faded significantly by the time the record was released in 1991. People were mostly fed up with his image, which consisted of his flashy stage costumes, corny dialogue used in interviews, etc. Van Winkle had now become a regular subject of parody and was regularly mocked by his peers, most notably in 3rd Bass' 1991 hit single "Pop Goes the Weasel". The music video featured Henry Rollins dressed like Vanilla Ice and being assaulted by the members of the group. Van Winkle later stated "I loved what they did. It showed how I was having an impact. I sold 17 million albums. Let them do whatever they want to me." Van Winkle also appeared in Madonna's book Sex, which was released in 1992.

Rebranded image (1994-2001)

Van Winkle returned to music in 1994 with a new album titled Mind Blowin. His image had been changed to a dreadlocked, marijuana-obsessed, tattooed hardcore rapper with a G-funk style similar to that of Dr. Dre. Mind Blowin failed to crack the Billboard Top 200 and led to SBK dropping Van Winkle from the label. On July 4, 1994, Van Winkle attempted to commit suicide, and made another attempt later that same year, citing drug abuse and depression surrounding his flagging career.
   It was widely reported that Van Winkle had been threatened and assaulted by Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight, who had demanded that royalties for "Ice Ice Baby" be paid to Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, a Dallas rapper and former associate of Knight who claimed that he'd co-written the single. Van Winkle later stated that Knight "took me to the balcony and talked to me... but it's funny how the story gets turned around... I'm wondering how that story got changed around."
   In 1996, he appeared on the Bloodhound Gang track "Boom" under his real name, which led to a moderate revival in popularity and thus the first new Vanilla Ice material in four yearsHard to Swallow, released in 1998 and produced by Ross Robinson, known for his work with bands such as The Deftones, Korn and Limp Bizkit. The album was radically different from Van Winkle's previous works as it featured nu metal rather than hip hop. The album also included a new version of "Ice Ice Baby," renamed "Too Cold," and reinterpreted as a stomping nu metal anthem. Guest artists on the album included Doug Ardito of Puddle of Mudd and Scott Borland, brother of guitarist Wes Borland. Though the record eventually went gold, it soon slipped from public consciousness. During this second coming in his career, Vanilla Ice had several semi-lucrative endorsements including a commercial for Sprite (soft drink) as well as a notable appearance selling Slim Jim (snack food)s.
   In 2000, he co-hosted the car tuning program Ice with Jordan on the UK Men & Motors channel, alongside glamour model Jordan; the title was also a pun on the term "ICE" (in-car entertainment).
   In 2001, Van Winkle released Bi-Polar, which was packaged as a double album (albeit on one CD) of alternative metal and contemporary hip-hop. The album featured collaborations with the likes of Wu-Tang Clan affiliate La Tha Darkman, Chuck D, and the Insane Clown Posse. Van Winkle also briefly appeared in the JCW, the Insane Clown Posse's wrestling federation, to replace an injured Shaggy 2 Dope for a match.

Reality TV (2002-present)

In 2002, Van Winkle participated in the reality show Celebrity Boxing, in which he was defeated by actor Todd Bridges. Two years later, he starred in the second season of VH1's hit series The Surreal Life. On the show, despite his vow not to sing his past hits, Van Winkle eventually agreed to sing a karaoke version of "Ice Ice Baby" at a bar with Trishelle Cannatella and Traci Bingham.
   Van Winkle appeared on the British reality show The Farm, in which he came in second place. He also starred in The Helix...Loaded, a parody of The Matrix.
   In June 2005, Van Winkle won the second round of NBC's 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 preparing for the release of his new album Platinum Underground. Van Winkle also appeared on the series Damage Control on MTV2 to promote the album. Platinum Underground was released in August 2005. It was a combination of some new material along with tracks from Bi-Polar and some covers of his older works; the album received mixed reviews and limited sales. Promotional work for the album included performing with Insane Clown Posse at Hallowicked 2005 and held a series of European concerts in November and December of the same year.
   Van Winkle also starred in in 2007, which pitted stars from various seasons of The Surreal Life against each other in competitions; during a concert at Virginia Tech, Van Winkle claimed he beat up pornography icon Ron Jeremy on the show, but "still has love for him." On February 2, 2007, the two appeared on The Tyra Banks Show and claimed they were once again friends.
   Van Winkle is currently a contestant on Ty Murray’s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge on CMT.
   Van Winkle has made efforts to buy back his entire catalog and royalties. He has stated that he owns almost 85% of To the Extreme and 100% of Mind Blowin.

Personal life

Van Winkle had stopped using hard drugs and alcohol after 1994, but continued to smoke cannabis until 2005, when he was told by his throat doctor that it was a possibility that Van Winkle could lose his voice if he continued to smoke.
   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 in November 2004. After wandering around local streets for over a week, the animals were caught, and returned to Van Winkle. He had to pay a $220 fine for expired pet tags, and an undisclosed fine for the escape of the animals.
   On April 10, 2008, Van Winkle was arrested in Palm Beach County on a battery charge for allegedly kicking and hitting his wife, Laura. He was released the following day, after Laura declared that her husband had only pushed her. In court, the couple's neighbor, Frank Morales, stated that it was merely a verbal argument. According to the police report, Van Winkle had told police that his wife is bipolar and tends to get irrational and argumentative, despite being on medication. Van Winkle was ordered by a Florida court to stay away from his wife following his arrest, and to only communicate with his children as long as neighbor Frank Morales accompanies him. The judge told Van Winkle that he could only contact his wife via telephone.
   On April 29, 2008, his attorneys Bradford Cohen and Joseph LoRusso were able to get the entire case dropped, after providing the State Attorney's Office with evidence that was contrary to what was originally reported. Both attorneys have represented high profile clients in the past with positive results. On his website, Van Winkle released the following statement: "I love my wife and my family. We have been together for 14 years. Every now and then there's a bump in the road just like in most relationships, unfortunately mine is made public, and the media has a way of twisting things around. Don't believe what you hear. When I got out, we hugged and made up. We just want the whole thing to go away. My family means the world to me, and I'd never hurt anyone."

Discography

*Hooked* Released: 1989 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Play That Funky Music", "Satisfaction"
*To The Extreme* Released: October 16, 1990 Chart Positions: #1 US, #6 R&B/Hip-Hop Last RIAA certification: 7x Platinum Singles: "Ice Ice Baby", "Play That Funky Music", "I Love You"
*Extremely Live* Released: March, 1991 Chart Positions: #30 US Last RIAA certification: Gold Singles: "Rollin' In My 5.0", "Satisfaction"
*Cool As Ice* Released: October 8, 1991 Chart Positions: #89 US Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Cool As Ice", "Get Wit' It"
*Mind Blowin* Released: March 22, 1994 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Roll 'Em Up"
*Hard to Swallow* Released: October 20, 1998 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Too Cold", "Fuck Me"
*Bi-Polar* Released: 2001 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Elvis Killed Kennedy", "Insane Killas"
*Platinum Underground* Released: August 2, 2005 Chart Positions: N/A Last RIAA certification: N/A Singles: "Survivor", "Ninja Rap 2", "Ice Ice Baby"

Compilations

Back 2 Back Hits (April 10, 1998)

The Best of Vanilla Ice (February 23, 1999; reissued on March 13, 2001 and August 22, 2006)

Partial filmography

Saturday Morning Videos (1990)

Top of the Pops - Episode: December 6 (1990)

Saturday Night Live - Episode #16.10 (1991) Musical Guest

(1991)

Cool as Ice (1991) John 'Johnny' Van Owen

Teen Vid II (1991)

Circus of the Stars Episode: #16 (1991)

Sex Book Video (1992)

Alyas Boy Kano (1992) Performer

Beavis and Butt-Head - Episode: True Crime (1993) Performer

Behind the Music - Episode: Vanilla Ice (1999)

The Howard Stern Radio Show - Episode: April 3 (1999)

25 Lame (1999)

The 11 O'Clock Show - Episode #4.41 (2000)

Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Rob Reiner (2000)

Welcome to Death Row (2001)

Celebrity Boxing (2002)

After They Were Famous - Episode: April 6 (2002)

The New Guy (2002) Music Store Employee

The Surreal Life (2003)

Hollywood Squares - Episode: March 3 (2003)

Betty Blowtorch (And Her Amazing True Life Adventures) (2003)

The Sharon Osbourne Show - Episode: December 16 (2003)

Remaking Vanilla Ice (2004)

Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Get Old: The Afterlife of Vanilla Ice (2004)

The Farm (2004)

The Daily Buzz - Episode: August 15 (2005)

The Helix...Loaded (2005) Theo

Hit Me Baby One More Time - Episode #1.2 (2005)

Jensen! - Episode: November 29 (2005)

Attack of the Show! (2006)

The Bros. (2006)

Top of the Pops - Episode: March 13 (2006)

(2007)

The Tyra Banks Show - Episodes: February 2 and April 11 (2007)

Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge- August 10 (2007)
Footnotes

Further Information
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