Vanilla Ice: 'Ice, Ice Baby' never gets old

One-hit-wonder Rob Van Winkle, formerly known as Vanilla Ice, spoke Monday night about his fleeting fame, the Ninja Turtles and sex with Madonna, and gave an impromptu performance of his 1990 hit "Ice Ice Baby."

Brought to Blackman Auditorium for Springfest by the Council for University Programs (CUP), the 40-year-old Van Winkle gave a frank summary of his life, answered questions from audience members and followed the session with a meet and greet.

"A lot of people, they see you, they listen to [your] music, they know the songs, they know the image, but they want to know what caused it all," Van Winkle said in an interview with The News.

The night was filled with banter and surprises for both the audience and Van Winkle, as students didn't hold back their questions for the former superstar and he didn't spare any details.

"Bust a move!" one audience member called out to Van Winkle near the beginning of his talk.

"I can still bust a move," he assured the student. "It just hurts more."

Van Winkle began the evening by talking about his start in music, from break-dancing at his hometown mall with friends and the timed he was drunk dared to rap in a bar in front of music executives, resulting in his record deal.

After finding fame and wealth practically overnight at age 16, and holding the record for the most sold debut and hip hop album ever, Van Winkle said he spent his money on anything he could buy.

"I did the whole rockstar thing. I remember I bought so many freakin' things. I thought I was going to be able to use all this stuff," he said.

But almost as fast as fame found him, depression did as well, and Van Winkle said he realized many people around him only liked him for being a celebrity.

"I couldn't buy myself happiness," Van Winkle said. "I really thought there was no escape. I tried to commit suicide with 50 million bucks in the bank. … Here I am, a super celebrity that everyone thinks they want to be like. But I wouldn't wish my life on anyone."

Lightening up the tone, Van Winkle said he cleaned up his act and moved on to put out the theme song for the second Ninja Turtles movie in 1991 - receiving raucous applause from the audience.

"I made it through ... and now I'm doing reality shows with Ron Jeremy," he joked.

During the Q&A, one audience member asked Van Winkle to sing his favorite lyric from his song in the movie, to which he rapped in reply, "Go Ninja Go Ninja Go."

With his openness to answering questions and his assertion of no longer being "bitter" about his past, students quelled the frankest of their curiosities.

Laura Colberg, a junior marketing major, asked Van Winkle to rap "Ice Ice Baby." At first he seemed unlikely to perform, but then busted into the first half of the song.

"I love that song," he said afterward. "It never gets old. It's timeless."

After the show, Colberg said she was ecstatic that he complied.

"When I asked Vanilla Ice to sing to me, he sang to me. It was probably the most exhilarating moment of my life," she said.

When another student asked for Van Winkle to explain the difference between his song and Queen's "Under Pressure," the song he copied and got sued for, he laughed.

"What happened is I was trying not to get sued and it didn't work," he said. "So yeah, they're the same songs, in case you were wondering."

Van Winkle was even prompted to divulge his experiences of his fling with Madonna.

"She taught me a few things. … Wasn't the best I've ever had," he said.

Afterward, students said they were surprised at how the show went.

"It went much better than I was expecting," said Stephen Atherton, a sophomore history major. "I kind of didn't expect him to be that introspective about his early life. But his ego is a little large. … He kind of thought he had way too much of an influence on everybody else."

Currently living in Florida, Van Winkle owns a few businesses, among them an exotic car rental shop. He is working on a record, which he described to The News as "molten hip hop," and said he is also working on collaborations with groups like Insane Clown Posse and Slipknot.

He has a wife and two daughters, and said his family is the most important thing to him now.

"Life is about family and friends," he said during his talk. "It sounds simple but it's the damn truth."