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Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1968) also known as Vanilla Ice depicts the epitome of 15 minutes of fame. “Ice Ice Baby” became a smash hit in the early 1990s making him an instant star. The stardom soon faded as rumours spread regarding the rapper’s false image and dishonesty. Yet Van Winkle must be acknowledged for his committed persistence in the music industry, often reinventing himself as both a rapper and a rocker.

The Dallas, Texas born rapper made his debut with Hooked which was released in 1989 on an independent label. The album sold a mere 4 Continued...

8 000 copies creating only a small fan base for the artist. The release of To The Extreme in 1990 experienced major commercial success due to the notorious “Ice Ice Baby”. The album sold over 11 million copies and spent 16 weeks at the number one position on the charts. Van Winkle soon encountered several problems one of which was the accusation of sampling Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” without permission. He was also sued by Alpha Phi Alpha, the first African-American fraternity, arguing that he was using similar words and dance moves to their step-show routines. Rob Parissi, frontman of Wild Cherry, also sued him for not crediting him as a writer on “Play That Funky Music”. Vanilla Ice soon disappeared from the spotlight as word got out that his tough and violent street image was a farce.

Following his movie debut in Cool As Ice and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle II: The Secret of the Ooze, the rapper made a second music effort with his 1994 album Mind Blowin’. He displayed his brand new appearance as a dreadlocked tattooed “gangsta”, an image fitting the current trend at the time. The album failed miserably marking the beginning of Van Winkle’s dependency on abusive drugs and suicide attempts. Hard To Swallow was released in 1998 offering a nu metal sound referred to by Ice as “skate rock”. Once again, he managed to revamp his image, this time as a pierced rocker. The album, which sold 100 000 copies, featured a metal version of “Ice Ice Baby” called “Too Cold”.

In 2001, he released Bipolar (under the name V-Ice) which was considered nu metal with a stronger hip hop influence. The album featured several collaborations with several well-known rappers such as La The Darkman from Wu-Tang Clan, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and Insane Clown Posse. In January of the same year he was arrested for assaulting his wife. He pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to probation as well as obliged to attend family therapy sessions with his wife and two children. In 2005, he released Platinum Underground which consists mostly of remakes of his older songs, as well as a cover of Destiny’s Child hit “Survivor”. Although no longer commercially successful, he continues to hold a loyal fan base.