lVanilla Ice is delighted as his 1990 hit single “Ice Ice Baby” has jumped to No. 3 on the Billboard Rap Songs chart.
The climb came as people on both sides of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement debate began using his songs in social media videos.
The Florida rapper had no idea his song was trending again until he started browsing TikTok and other platforms.
“Honestly, I don’t know. You know, I can’t imagine,” Vanilla Ice told WPBF 25 News. “You know, I just woke up one day and my song was No. 1. 36 years later, I thought, wow. So I’m ready to dance again,” he said.
Protesters against ICE operations have been dressing up as “Ice Ice Baby” at rallies across the country. Video shows masked activists blasting the song through loudspeakers at demonstrations in Bristol and other cities.
A widely circulated video shows a black pickup truck driving past immigration advocates while playing the song at full blast.
Meanwhile, ICE supporters created their own content using the same song. Social media users on both sides of the immigration debate have turned the 1990 hit into a soundtrack for political videos and memes.
Vanilla Ice said he welcomes any attention that will further his music but wants to stay away from political battles.
“Hey, man, I’ll take anything that drives my songs. You know, anything that makes people laugh and have fun, because all they do is do little parodies and stuff like that with it,” he said.
The rapper made it clear he won’t be taking sides in the immigration debate.
“I would never try to comment on how a country is run, so I won’t. I’m neutral, you know, I don’t do anything. I stay in my lane, if that makes sense,” Vanilla Ice explained.
The neutral stance is consistent with his approach to other political situations. Vanilla Ice performs at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party on December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2025.
However, he blasted Amber Rose and Forgiato Blow for copying his hit song for their terrible pro-Trump song “Trump, Trump Baby.”
“Ice Ice Baby” originally sampled the bass line from Queen and David Bowie’s 1981 hit single “UnderPressure” without permission. Unauthorized sampling prompted legal action by the artist and his representatives.
Vanilla Ice initially denied plagiarizing the bassline in interviews. He claims that his version is different because it has an extra note. This interpretation does not stand up to legal scrutiny.
The rapper eventually settled the lawsuit out of court. Years later, he revealed that he had spent $4 million to purchase the publishing rights to “Under Pressure.” He said it was cheaper to buy the rights than to fight in court.
The purchase gave the Queen members and Bowie songwriting credit for “Ice Ice Baby.”
This means Vanilla Ice can now make money from his original rapping and the underlying composition of the song “UnderPressure” as long as the song is played or streamed.
The current political renaissance has created a larger revenue stream for Vanilla Ice, who says he’s surprised that his 1990 work continues to find new audiences.
