You hear the song “Ice Ice, Baby,” and you are whisked away to the 1990’s where music ranged from angst alternative rock, a bubblegum pop takeover and the rise of golden age hip hop.
His name is Robert Van Winkle, or as he is famously known, Vanilla Ice. He made a name for himself during the decade in which he stood out for his hit song that made you stop, collaborate and listen.
You could also hear the term “Word to Your Mother” as a catch phrase that late-night talk show hosts used over and over again to sign off at the end of their monologues. It’s the era in which he calls: “The last of the great decades, the ’90s.”
Van Winkle detailed his love for America in an extensive interview with The Atlantic’s Spencer Kornhaber.
Vanilla Ice Describes Love for His Favorite Era in America, the 1990’s
The 58-year-old displays his admiration for the ’90s even now with a ‘Mortal Kombat’ console, telling Kornhaber his favorite of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Raphael) and the “cult following” of the 1991 film, ‘Cold As Ice,’ in which Van Winkle stars.
He portrays himself as a nomadic rapper named Jazz who performs at nightclubs and falls for a smart, beautiful scholar as he waits for his broken-down motorcycle to be repaired.
While many called it a flop due to only grossing $1.2 million at the box office ($6 million budget), he begs to differ. He refers to it as a “timeless classic.”
His collection of artifacts goes deeper when a pole on his back patio is discovered. It’s an homage to 9/11. The pole comes from a fire station that responded to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. He also possesses a plaque that is displayed on the wall in honor of the firefighters lost that day.
Vanilla Ice Pays Homage to His Love for United States and 1990’s Pop Culture
“Never forget,” he said.
The love for America had Van Winkle using his platform to perform at The Great American State Fair during the America250 events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States signing the Declaration of Independence.
While publicly criticized due to its support of President Donald Trump, Van Winkle maintained his love for his country and the event itself.
“Well, I can only speak for myself, and this is a huge honor for me to come here and play this event for the birthday of our country, man, that I grew up in, you know?” he told Fox News’ Raymond Arroyo. “It’s really about an entertainer coming to entertain all the people of America for the birthday of America.”
GettyThe National Mall performance, in which Van Winkle was a scheduled performer, was ultimately canceled due to inclement weather. Many artists also backed out ahead of time, including country music singer Martina McBride.
Van Winkle still remained proud to be a part of the event as he dubbed America, “the only place you can really achieve your dreams.” And of course, gave a hat tip to the ’90s, the timeline when his success flourished.
“I am complete American through and through all my bones, to every TV show, to Blockbuster videos, to ripping our back seats out and putting in subwoofers, to having Z. Cavaricci pants, to even having a bolo—you remember what a bolo was?” he told Kornhaber.
