![]() ![]() He even starred as himself in a romantic comedy, Cool as Ice, which hit theaters in 1991. Van Winkle even made cameos in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film sequel, The Secret of the Ooze, in 1991 and in the 1992 Sex coffee table book by Madonna, who he also briefly dated. Books and comics, Vanilla Ice dolls, a board game-and even a toy boombox. Upon its release, “Ice Ice Baby,” became the first rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100 and helped push the crossover of the genre into the mainstream. Van Winkle wrote “Ice Ice Baby” when he was 16, basing it on a weekend drug run in Miami that ends in a drive-by shooting. In 1990, Van Winkle was threatened with copyright infringement for sampling the song, but the matter was settled out of court. Bowie, nor Queen was initially credited with writing the song, which left Ice in hot water early on. The core rhythm and beat of “Ice Ice Baby” were based on John Deacon’s iconic bass line of the 1981 Queen and Bowie classic “ Under Pressure,” which was sampled in the track but used without license or consent. The album became the fastest-selling hip-hop album of all time, selling 15 million albums worldwide thanks to the success of “Ice Ice Baby,” which was also later credited to David Bowie and Queen. ![]() Later working with manager Tommy Quon, Ice recorded his 1990 debut, To the Extreme. Impressed more by his dance moves, at one point, Public Enemy‘s Chuck D even wanted to sign the young rapper. After competing in battle raps, his name evolved into MC Vanilla, then changed once more to Vanilla Ice when he joined a breakdance troupe.īecoming a regular performer at the Dallas nightclub City Lights, Van Winkle opened up for everyone from Paula Abdul, MC Hammer, and 2 Live Crew, among other artists. The only white kid in the group, Van Winkle earned the nickname “Vanilla,” and it stuck. First released as a b-side to his cover of the 1976 Wild Cherry hit “Play That Funky Music,” and on his self-released 1989 album Hooked, “Ice Ice Baby” was a Van Winkle original, which he co-wrote with Mario Johnson.īorn on October 31, 1967, in Dallas, Texas, Van Winkle started breakdancing when he was in his teens. ![]()
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