Vanilla Ice

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, more commonly known as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host from Dallas, Texas. He first rose to prominence as the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success with the hit song "Ice Ice Baby" from his debut album "Hooked." This album, along with his subsequent album "To the Extreme," earned him considerable recognition in the music industry, the latter becoming the fastest-selling hip-hop album of all time. Vanilla Ice also showcased his acting skills through a cameo in the film "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze," where he performed "Ninja Rap," and later starred in the film "Cool as Ice."

Over the years, Vanilla Ice ventured into television, appearing on reality shows including "The Surreal Life" and hosting "The Vanilla Ice Project" on the DIY Network since 2010. He has since continued to pursue his passion for music, releasing albums like the dark nu metal "Hard to Swallow," despite the commercial failure of his second studio album, "Mind Blowin'." In 1991, Vanilla Ice published his memoir, "Ice by Ice: The Vanilla Ice Story in His Own Words." Alongside his music and television careers, Vanilla Ice has also been involved in motocross racing, having won three championships before launching his music career, and has also dabbled in real estate. In recent years, Vanilla Ice has taken on new projects such as "The Vanilla Ice Home Show" in 2022 and participated in the 'I Love the 90s Tour' between 2015 and 2016.