Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice, born Robert Matthew Van Winkle, is an American rapper, actor, and television host best known for his groundbreaking 1990 hit “Ice Ice Baby,” the first hip hop single to top the Billboard Hot 100. With his debut studio album To the Extreme becoming the fastest-selling hip hop album of all time, he helped push rap into the mainstream and opened doors for future white rappers, including Eminem. Despite initial commercial success, Ice faced backlash over his image and the commercialization of hip hop, which led to a shift in his career. He later experimented with rap rock and nu metal in albums like Hard to Swallow and Bi-Polar, earning a cult following in underground music circles. In the 2000s, he transitioned into television, gaining renewed visibility through reality shows such as The Surreal Life and his long-running renovation series The Vanilla Ice Project, which aired from 2010 to 2019. In recent years, he returned to television with The Vanilla Ice Home Show in 2022. Outside of entertainment, he is also known for his work in real estate and motocross.

Vanilla Ice’s early life was shaped by his love for hip hop culture and a passion for performance that eventually led him to mainstream success.

• Born Robert Matthew Van Winkle on October 31, 1967, in Dallas, Texas.
• Exposed to hip hop at a young age, he described it as a passion rooted in his love for poetry.
• Began breakdancing at 13, earning the nickname “Vanilla” for being the only white dancer in his group.
• Started rapping at parties and developed the stage name “Vanilla Ice” during his time with a breakdancing troupe.
• After moving back to Texas, he performed as a street dancer with his crew, The Vanilla Ice Posse, and wrote “Ice Ice Baby” at 16.
• Competed in motocross and won three championships before an injury redirected his focus to music and dance.
• Gained local fame after performing at City Lights nightclub in South Dallas, eventually opening for artists like N.W.A., Public Enemy, and MC Hammer.
• Signed a management deal in 1987 after surviving a stabbing incident outside the nightclub.\
• Released his first album Hooked in 1989, featuring “Ice Ice Baby,” which became a breakout hit after unexpected radio play.

Vanilla Ice’s family life was marked by instability and frequent moves, which fueled his early independence and deep connection to music and street culture.

• He was raised by his mother, Camilla Beth Dickerson, who worked to support the family while moving between Dallas and Miami.
• He never knew his biological father and was given the last name of his mother’s then-husband.
• His father left when he was four, and he was later raised by several stepfathers, one of whom worked at a car dealership in Miami.
• He has German and English ancestry through his mother’s side.
• He briefly dated pop icon Madonna for eight months between 1991 and 1992.
• He married Laura Giaritta, who owned a sports store, on March 30, 1997. They had two daughters together: Dusti Rain (born 1998) and KeeLee Breeze (born 2000).
• The couple divorced in November 2019.