Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), best known by his stage name
Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper. Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Van Winkle released his debut album,
Hooked, in 1989 through Ichiban Records, before signing a contract with SBK Records, which released a reformatted version of the album under the title
To the Extreme. Van Winkle's single "Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the
Billboard charts, and has been credited with helping to diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream white audience.
Although Van Winkle was successful, he later regretted his business arrangements with SBK, which had paid him to adopt a more commercial appearance and had published fabricated biographical information without his knowledge. After surviving a suicide attempt by drug overdose, Van Winkle was inspired to change his musical style and lifestyle. Further albums by Van Winkle, including
Hard to Swallow,
Bi-Polar and
Platinum Underground, featured a less mainstream rock-oriented sound, and did not chart.
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