Vanilla Ice

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, professionally known as Vanilla Ice, was born in Dallas, Texas, on October 31, 1967. Growing up in Texas and South Florida, he became interested in breakdancing and motocross in his early teens. He honed his dance moves at a Dallas nightclub called City Lights, where he gained the attention of the club's owner, who would become his manager.

Rise to Fame and "Ice Ice Baby"

In 1989, Vanilla Ice released his debut album, "Hooked," on an independent label. The album featured the song "Ice Ice Baby," which used the bass line from the Queen and David Bowie song "Under Pressure." After a Georgia radio station began playing the track, he signed with SBK Records. The label re-released a version of his first album under the title "To the Extreme" in 1990. The album and the single "Ice Ice Baby" both topped the charts, with the single becoming the first hip-hop song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "To the Extreme" became the fastest-selling hip-hop album at the time, selling millions of copies and spending 16 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200.

Controversy and Decline

Vanilla Ice's rapid success was met with controversy. He initially did not credit Queen and David Bowie for the "Under Pressure" sample, leading to a lawsuit that was settled out of court, with the original artists receiving credit and royalties. He also faced criticism for his fabricated biography, which was distributed by his record label without his knowledge, and for making hip-hop more mainstream. His popularity began to wane, and his 1991 film "Cool as Ice" was a commercial failure. A follow-up album, "Mind Blowin'" (1994), was unsuccessful. During this period, he struggled with substance abuse.

Later Career

Music and Television

After a break from the music industry, during which he focused on motocross and jet skiing, Vanilla Ice returned with a new rock-oriented sound. He released albums such as "Hard to Swallow" (1998), "Bi-Polar" (2001), and "Platinum Underground" (2005). In the 2000s, he began appearing on reality television shows, including "The Surreal Life" and "Dancing with the Stars." He also hosted the successful home renovation show "The Vanilla Ice Project" on the DIY Network, which ran for nine seasons.

Acting and Other Ventures

Vanilla Ice has appeared in several films, including a cameo in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze" (1991) and a role in the Adam Sandler movie "That's My Boy" (2012). He has also invested in real estate and wrote a book on the subject. He is a father to two daughters from his marriage to Laura Giaritta, whom he married in 1997.