Vanilla Ice

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Vanilla Ice's Bio: Robert Matthew Van Winkle was born in Dallas, Texas. Because of his parents' divorce, he grew up moving between suburban Dallas, where he lived with his mother and stepfather, and Miami with his father. Between the ages of 13 and 14, Van Winkle practiced breakdancing, which led to his friends nicknaming him "Vanilla", because he was the only one in the group that wasn't African American. Although he disliked the nickname, it stuck. Shortly afterward, Ice started battle rapping at parties and because of his rhymes, his friends started calling him "Vanilla Ice". Van Winkle wrote "Ice Ice Baby" at the age of 16, basing its lyrics on growing up in the streets of South Florida. The lyrics describe a drive-by shooting and praise Van Winkle's rhyming skills.

In 1989, Vanilla Ice released his first album, Hooked, which featured a song called "Ice Ice Baby." This catchy rap used the bass line from David Bowie and Queen's hit single, "Under Pressure." After a Georgia radio station started playing the song, interest in Vanilla Ice grew, and he landed a deal with SBK Records. "Ice Ice Baby" then appeared on his first record for SBK, 1990's To the Extreme, and both the single and the album reached the top of charts later that year. He toured with another popular rap performer, M. C. Hammer, around this time.

Before long, Vanilla Ice became a pop idol, with his likeness on a variety of products. In 1991, his second single, "Play that Funky Music," reached the number four spot on the pop charts. The song borrowed its title and some of its content from Wild Cherry's 1976 hit. After spending 16 weeks at the top of the album charts, To the Extreme sold more than seven million copies.

He tried to revamp his image with 1994's Mind Blowin, taking on a funk-influenced rap style. Fans and critics were not impressed, and the album failed to make the music charts. In July 1994, after receiving a flurry of negative reviews, he tried to commit suicide by taking a drug overdose. He was shaken by this near-death experience, and stepped away from his Vanilla Ice persona for a time. Returning to extreme sports, the rapper started jet skiing competitively using his real name. In 1996, he even opened a sporting goods store called "2 The Xtreme" in Miami Beach.

In 1998, Vanilla Ice ended his self-imposed exile from the music scene with Hard to Swallow. He called the album "my much-needed therapy session" and even included a song about his troubled childhood called "Scars." Working with producer Ross Robinson of Limp Bizkit and Korn fame, Vanilla Ice moved toward a more hardcore rock style.

Despite lukewarm reviews, Vanilla Ice persevered with his music career. His next two efforts, 2001's Bipolar and 2003's Hot Sex, came and went with little notice or fanfare. He did, however, find an audience on television, appearing in several reality shows. In March 2002, Vanilla Ice took on Todd Bridges from the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes on Celebrity Boxing. Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice in three rounds. Vanilla Ice moved in with a group of other B-List stars for the second season of The Surreal Life.

Around this time, Vanilla Ice also returned to the world of motocross. He auditioned for the 2002 X Games in the freestyle division and placed seventh at the 2003 Suzuki Crossover challenge, according to Sports Illustrated. He told the magazine that the track "is where I'm happiest."

Vanilla Ice, once described as "one of the most ridiculed performers of all time," did not abandon his music. In 2005, reality television helped boost his next album, Platinum Underground. He appeared on an episode of Hit Me Baby One More Time, which had former pop stars competing against each other. For the program, he sang "Ice Ice Baby" as well as his own take on Destiny's Child's big hit "Survivor." … Read more