The Unexpected Second Life of Vanilla Ice

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits down for an in-depth conversation with one of the most iconic figures of the 1990s, multi-platinum recording artist Rob Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice. After being raised in the Dallas, Texas area, Rob found his way into the drastically different worlds of motocross racing and breakdancing. These uncommon interests helped fuel a competitive nature in his teenage years, and he would soon pivot to an interest in poetry and hip hop. Rob explains that he developed performing skills at a local mall where he’d breakdance and freestyle rap for shoppers and onlookers. His dancing abilities and daredevil nature would eventually land him on stage at a local hip hop nightclub in Dallas called City Lights, where he won over the club’s management and audiences alike.

Rob would sign on with a manager and record label and record his iconic song “Ice Ice Baby”, which he had originally penned at age 16. By age 20, he had sold six million records and had the best-selling hip hop recording at that time. But international stardom had its price, and Rob fell into the clutches of drug abuse and was taken advantage of by several professionals around him, including his old record label. Rob would step away from the music industry for some time and thrust himself into the world of real estate, where he discovered a love for home renovation. This passion would eventually morph into the long-running television show “The Vanilla Ice Project”, which he reveals was just recently picked up by HBO. Dale and Rob’s conversation covers his redemption arc, his wild car collection, which includes a 1970s Dale Earnhardt Sr. dirt car, and how the rewards of fatherhood outweigh the riches of fame.

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