Ice Ice Baby
Encyclopedia
"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop
song written by American
rapper
Vanilla Ice
and DJ
Earthquake. The song samples the bassline
of "Under Pressure
" by Queen
and David Bowie
, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit. Originally released on Vanilla Ice's 1989 debut album Hooked and later on his 1990 national debut To the Extreme
, it is his most famous and popular song. It has appeared in remixed form on Platinum Underground
and Vanilla Ice Is Back! A live version appears on the album Extremely Live
, while a rap rock
version appears on the album Hard to Swallow
, under the title "Too Cold".
"Ice Ice Baby" was initially released as the B-side
to Vanilla Ice's cover of "Play That Funky Music
", but the single was not initially successful. When a disc jockey played "Ice Ice Baby" instead, it began to gain success. "Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard
charts
. Topping the Australian
, Dutch
, Irish
, Italian
and UK
charts, the song helped diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.
Robert Van Winkle, better known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, wrote "Ice Ice Baby" at the age of 16, basing its lyrics upon his experiences in South Florida. The lyrics describe a drive-by shooting
and Van Winkle's rhyming skills. The chorus of "Ice Ice Baby" originates from the signature chant of the national African American
fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha
. Of the song's lyrics, Van Winkle states that "If you released 'Ice Ice Baby' today, it would fit in today's lyrical respect among peers, you know what I'm sayin'? [...] My lyrics aren't, 'Pump it up, go! Go!' At least I'm sayin' somethin'."
The song's hook samples the bassline
of the 1981 song "Under Pressure
" by Queen
and David Bowie
, who did not receive credit or royalties for the sample. In a 1990 interview, Van Winkle said the two melodies were slightly different because he had added an additional note. In later interviews, Van Winkle readily admitted he sampled the song and claimed his 1990 statement was a joke; others, however, suggested he had been serious. Van Winkle later paid Queen and Bowie, and Mercury and Bowie have since been given songwriting credit for the sample. In December 1990, Van Winkle told Smash Hits
magazine where he came up with the idea of sampling "Under Pressure":
Van Winkle described himself as the first rapper to cross into the pop
market, and said as a result he "had to take the heat for a lot of people" for his music's use of samples, but the criticism he received over sample use allowed sampling to become acceptable in mainstream hip hop.
"Ice Ice Baby" was initially released by Ichiban Records
as the B-side
to Van Winkle's cover of "Play That Funky Music
". The 12-inch single
featured the radio
, instrumental
and a cappella
versions of "Play That Funky Music" and the radio version and "Miami Drop" remix
of "Ice Ice Baby". When a disc jockey
played "Ice Ice Baby" instead of the single's A-side, the song gained more success than "Play That Funky Music". A music video
for "Ice Ice Baby" was produced for $8000. The video was financed by Van Winkle's manager, Tommy Quon, and shot on the roof of a warehouse in Dallas, Texas
. In the video, Van Winkle is shown rapping the lyrics while he and others dance to the song. Heavy airplay of the video by The Box while Van Winkle was still unknown increased public interest in the song. "Ice Ice Baby" was given its own single, released in 1990 by SBK Records
in the United States, and EMI Records
in the United Kingdom. The SBK single contained the "Miami Drop", instrumental and radio mixes of "Ice Ice Baby" and the album version of "It's A Party". The EMI single contained the club and radio mixes of the song, and the shortened radio edit. The single was quickly pulled from the American market soon after the song reached number one, in a successful attempt to drive consumers to buy the album instead.
charts
. It has been credited for helping diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.
Entertainment Weekly
reviewer Mim Udovitch wrote that "[Vanilla Ice] probably would have scored with his hit rap single 'Ice Ice Baby' even if he hadn't been white. There's just something about the way its hook — a sample from Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure' — grabs you and flings you out onto the dance floor."
Following the song's success, California rapper Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, an associate of record producer
Suge Knight
, claimed that he had helped in writing song, and had not received credit or royalties for the song. Knight and two bodyguards arrived at The Palm
in West Hollywood
, where Van Winkle was eating. After shoving Van Winkle's bodyguards aside, Knight and his own bodyguards sat down in front of Van Winkle, staring at him before finally asking "How you doin'?" Similar incidents were repeated on several occasions before Knight showed up at Van Winkle's hotel suite on the fifteenth floor of the Bel Age Hotel, accompanied by Johnson and a member of the Los Angeles Raiders
. According to Van Winkle, Knight took him out on the balcony by himself, and implied that he would throw Van Winkle off unless he signed the rights to the song over to Knight. Ice did not give the rights to Knight and the dispute was settled in court.
states that when he first heard "Ice Ice Baby", "I felt like I didn't want to rap anymore. I was so mad, because he was making it real hard for me." Van Winkle lost some credibility among hip hop fans, but later began to regain some success, attracting a new audience outside of the mainstream audience that had formerly accepted him, and then rejected him. "Ice Ice Baby" continues to be the song that Van Winkle is best known for internationally, although Van Winkle states that his American fans like his newer music better.
A live version appeared on the album Extremely Live
. "Ice Ice Baby" was rerecorded in a rap rock
version titled "Too Cold". Originally intended to be released as a hidden track
or B-side, "Too Cold" was featured on Van Winkle's 1998 album Hard to Swallow
, and became a radio hit in some markets. In 2000, a remix titled "Ice Ice Baby 2001" was released in Europe as a single, with a newly-produced music video. The remix generated new international interest in Van Winkle's music.
Blender
ranked "Ice Ice Baby" fifth on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". In 1999, the song's music video was "retired" on the MTV
special 25 Lame, in which Van Winkle himself appeared to destroy the video's master tape. Given a baseball bat, Van Winkle ended up destroying the show's set. In December 2007, the song was ranked #29 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's.
There have been various versions of the songs for NHL Hockey Teams including the Boston Bruins
, Chicago Blackhawks
, Vancouver Canucks
, Pittsburgh Penguins
and more.
In 2011 he "starred" in UK Show "Dancing on Ice"
12" maxi – U.S.
12" maxi / CD maxi – U.S.
CD maxi – Europe
12" maxi – Europe
12" maxi – UK
Cassette
German CD Maxi
CD maxi
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
and DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Earthquake. The song samples the bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
of "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit. Originally released on Vanilla Ice's 1989 debut album Hooked and later on his 1990 national debut To the Extreme
To the Extreme
To the Extreme is the major label debut studio album of American rapper Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle. Released in 1990, it is Van Winkle's best selling album. The album was initially released in 1989 by independent record label Ichiban Records under the title Hooked. Van Winkle signed to SBK...
, it is his most famous and popular song. It has appeared in remixed form on Platinum Underground
Platinum Underground
Platinum Underground is the fifth studio album by American rapper Vanilla Ice. Released on August 16, 2005, it is the rapper's third independent release, after Hooked and Bi-Polar...
and Vanilla Ice Is Back! A live version appears on the album Extremely Live
Extremely Live
-Charts:...
, while a rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
version appears on the album Hard to Swallow
Hard to Swallow
Hard to Swallow is the third studio album by American rapper Robert Van Winkle under the name Vanilla Ice. Released by Republic Records in 1998, the album was the first album the performer recorded after a four year hiatus following the 1994 release of Mind Blowin...
, under the title "Too Cold".
"Ice Ice Baby" was initially released as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to Vanilla Ice's cover of "Play That Funky Music
Play That Funky Music
"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
", but the single was not initially successful. When a disc jockey played "Ice Ice Baby" instead, it began to gain success. "Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. Topping the Australian
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, Dutch
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
, Irish
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
charts, the song helped diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.
Lyrics and music
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
and Van Winkle's rhyming skills. The chorus of "Ice Ice Baby" originates from the signature chant of the national African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
. Of the song's lyrics, Van Winkle states that "If you released 'Ice Ice Baby' today, it would fit in today's lyrical respect among peers, you know what I'm sayin'? [...] My lyrics aren't, 'Pump it up, go! Go!' At least I'm sayin' somethin'."
The song's hook samples the bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
of the 1981 song "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, who did not receive credit or royalties for the sample. In a 1990 interview, Van Winkle said the two melodies were slightly different because he had added an additional note. In later interviews, Van Winkle readily admitted he sampled the song and claimed his 1990 statement was a joke; others, however, suggested he had been serious. Van Winkle later paid Queen and Bowie, and Mercury and Bowie have since been given songwriting credit for the sample. In December 1990, Van Winkle told Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
magazine where he came up with the idea of sampling "Under Pressure":
Van Winkle described himself as the first rapper to cross into the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
market, and said as a result he "had to take the heat for a lot of people" for his music's use of samples, but the criticism he received over sample use allowed sampling to become acceptable in mainstream hip hop.
Release
"Ice Ice Baby" was initially released by Ichiban Records
Ichiban Records
Ichiban Records was a hip hop record label founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985. Wrap Records and Nastymix Records were some of its subsidiary labels. Urgent! Records was distributed by Ichiban. Most of its discography is now out of print. Besides hip hop groups, Ichiban also released albums by...
as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to Van Winkle's cover of "Play That Funky Music
Play That Funky Music
"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
". The 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
featured the radio
Radio edit
In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
, instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
and a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
versions of "Play That Funky Music" and the radio version and "Miami Drop" remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of "Ice Ice Baby". When a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
played "Ice Ice Baby" instead of the single's A-side, the song gained more success than "Play That Funky Music". A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Ice Ice Baby" was produced for $8000. The video was financed by Van Winkle's manager, Tommy Quon, and shot on the roof of a warehouse in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. In the video, Van Winkle is shown rapping the lyrics while he and others dance to the song. Heavy airplay of the video by The Box while Van Winkle was still unknown increased public interest in the song. "Ice Ice Baby" was given its own single, released in 1990 by SBK Records
SBK Records
SBK Records was a record label of the EMI Group that was founded in 1988.Stephen Swid, Martin Bandier, and Charles Koppelman formed the production company SBK in 1989 after they purchased the music publishing division of CBS Records in 1986....
in the United States, and EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
in the United Kingdom. The SBK single contained the "Miami Drop", instrumental and radio mixes of "Ice Ice Baby" and the album version of "It's A Party". The EMI single contained the club and radio mixes of the song, and the shortened radio edit. The single was quickly pulled from the American market soon after the song reached number one, in a successful attempt to drive consumers to buy the album instead.
Reception
"Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. It has been credited for helping diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reviewer Mim Udovitch wrote that "[Vanilla Ice] probably would have scored with his hit rap single 'Ice Ice Baby' even if he hadn't been white. There's just something about the way its hook — a sample from Queen and David Bowie's 'Under Pressure' — grabs you and flings you out onto the dance floor."
Following the song's success, California rapper Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, an associate of record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Suge Knight
Suge Knight
Marion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
, claimed that he had helped in writing song, and had not received credit or royalties for the song. Knight and two bodyguards arrived at The Palm
The Palm (restaurant)
The Palm is an American fine-dining steakhouse that opened in 1926. It is located in New York City at 837 Second Avenue.Since its beginnings, management has opened additional restaurants throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico...
in West Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, where Van Winkle was eating. After shoving Van Winkle's bodyguards aside, Knight and his own bodyguards sat down in front of Van Winkle, staring at him before finally asking "How you doin'?" Similar incidents were repeated on several occasions before Knight showed up at Van Winkle's hotel suite on the fifteenth floor of the Bel Age Hotel, accompanied by Johnson and a member of the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. According to Van Winkle, Knight took him out on the balcony by himself, and implied that he would throw Van Winkle off unless he signed the rights to the song over to Knight. Ice did not give the rights to Knight and the dispute was settled in court.
Legacy
After audiences began to view Van Winkle as a novelty act and a pop star rather than a legitimate rapper, his popularity began to decline. Detroit-based rapper EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
states that when he first heard "Ice Ice Baby", "I felt like I didn't want to rap anymore. I was so mad, because he was making it real hard for me." Van Winkle lost some credibility among hip hop fans, but later began to regain some success, attracting a new audience outside of the mainstream audience that had formerly accepted him, and then rejected him. "Ice Ice Baby" continues to be the song that Van Winkle is best known for internationally, although Van Winkle states that his American fans like his newer music better.
A live version appeared on the album Extremely Live
Extremely Live
-Charts:...
. "Ice Ice Baby" was rerecorded in a rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
version titled "Too Cold". Originally intended to be released as a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
or B-side, "Too Cold" was featured on Van Winkle's 1998 album Hard to Swallow
Hard to Swallow
Hard to Swallow is the third studio album by American rapper Robert Van Winkle under the name Vanilla Ice. Released by Republic Records in 1998, the album was the first album the performer recorded after a four year hiatus following the 1994 release of Mind Blowin...
, and became a radio hit in some markets. In 2000, a remix titled "Ice Ice Baby 2001" was released in Europe as a single, with a newly-produced music video. The remix generated new international interest in Van Winkle's music.
Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
ranked "Ice Ice Baby" fifth on its list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever". In 1999, the song's music video was "retired" on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
special 25 Lame, in which Van Winkle himself appeared to destroy the video's master tape. Given a baseball bat, Van Winkle ended up destroying the show's set. In December 2007, the song was ranked #29 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's.
Cover versions and culture impact
- In 1990, 3 Local Boyz3 Local Boyz3 Local Boyz is a group famous for their parody songs such as "I'm a Filipino" and their hit "Me So Hungry" a parody of 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny" that played over Hawaiian local air waves...
released a parody of the song entitled 'Rice Rice Baybee' on their album "Rasta Revolution." - In 1991: AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated music group Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
released a cover entitled "Ice Ice Alvin" from their album The Chipmunks Rock the HouseThe Chipmunks Rock the HouseThe Chipmunks Rock the House is a music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released in 1991 by Quality Special Products.- Side one :# "Cradle of Love" # "Freedom! '90" # "Roam" ...
. - In 1991: Canadian-AmericanCanadian-AmericanA Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
actor and comedian Jim CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
parodied "Ice Ice Baby" with a song titled "White White Baby" in a sketch for In Living ColorIn Living ColorIn Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
.- In 2011: Carrey dances to the song in Mr. Popper's PenguinsMr. Popper's Penguins (film)Mr. Popper's Penguins is a live-action family comedy film distributed by 20th Century Fox starring Jim Carrey, based on the children's book of the same name. The film was originally slated for a release on August 12, 2011, but was moved up to June 17, 2011....
.
- In 2011: Carrey dances to the song in Mr. Popper's Penguins
- In 1992: American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
included the chorus as the final song of his polka medley "Polka Your Eyes Out" from his album Off the Deep EndOff the Deep EndOff the Deep End is the seventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's...
. - In 2006: American singer Richard Cheese released a comedic cover of the song, performed in a loungeLounge musicLounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
style, on his album Silent Nightclub. - In 2009: RussianRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
rapper Guf released a Russian version of the song. - In 2010: IrishRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
duo John & EdwardJedwardJohn Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
recorded a mashupMashup (music)A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Under Pressure" and "Ice Ice Baby" as their debut single, on which Vanilla Ice is featured. "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)"Under Pressure " is the debut single by Irish pop duo Jedward. The song is a mashup of "Under Pressure", originally recorded in 1981 by Queen and David Bowie, and "Ice Ice Baby", recorded by Vanilla Ice in 1989. Vanilla Ice also provides vocals for the track...
" was released in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2010 as a download and as a physical single two weeks later on February 15. Vanilla Ice rapped a part on his own and also with Jedward in the song. - In 2011: Detroit-based rap duo Bad Meets EvilBad Meets EvilBad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Royce da 5'9" and Eminem . They are best known for collaborating on a self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999, their early association with Dr...
(EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Royce Da 5'9) mentions the song in their single "Fast LaneFast Lane (song)"Fast Lane" is the lead single by hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, a group composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem, from their first EP Hell: The Sequel. It's their first single as a group since the 1999 hit "Nuttin' to Do" and the duo's major label debut single, due to a break-up in late 2000...
" from EP Hell: The SequelHell: The SequelHell: The Sequel is the debut extended play by Bad Meets Evil, an American hip hop duo composed of Royce da 5'9" and Eminem. It was released on June 13, 2011 in some countries by Shady Records and Interscope Records and on June 14, 2011 in the United States. The EP focuses on hardcore hip hop and...
. Eminem mentions the song in the first verse, "Catch me in my Mercedes, bumping Ice Ice Baby". - In 2011: mashupMashup (music)A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
The Glee ProjectThe Glee ProjectThe Glee Project is an American reality television series from Oxygen. It serves as an audition for the FOX TV series Glee. Although originally planned to begin broadcasting in late May 2011, The Glee Project premiered on June 12, 2011...
OxygenOxygen (TV channel)Oxygen is an American cable television specialty channel with television programming marketed towards women, with a format similar to Lifetime.- History :...
The 7 remaining contestants made a music video mashup of Under Pressure and Ice Ice Baby.
There have been various versions of the songs for NHL Hockey Teams including the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and more.
In 2011 he "starred" in UK Show "Dancing on Ice"
1990 release
7" single- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix) – 4:29
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix edit) – 3:49
12" maxi – U.S.
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix) – 4:28
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami drop mix) – 4:59
- "Play That Funky Music" (radio mix) – 4:39
- "Play That Funky Music" (instrumental mix) – 4:36
- "Play That Funky Music" (acapella mix) – 4:32
12" maxi / CD maxi – U.S.
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix) – 4:28
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami drop mix) – 4:59
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami drop instrumental) – 4:59
- "Ice Ice Baby" (acapella mix) – 3:46
- "Play That Funky Music" (radio mix) – 4:39
- "Play That Funky Music" (instrumental mix) – 4:36
- "Play That Funky Music" (acapella mix) – 4:32
CD maxi – Europe
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio edit) – 3:46
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami drop mix) – 5:00
- "Play That Funky Music" (radio mix) – 4:41
12" maxi – Europe
- "Ice Ice Baby" (club mix) – 5:02
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix) – 4:30
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix edit) – 3:49
12" maxi – UK
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami drop mix) – 4:58
- "Ice Ice Baby" (instrumental mix) – 4:59
- "It's a Party" – 4:39
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio mix) – 4:28
Cassette
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio edit) – 3:46
- "It's a Party" – 4:39
- "Ice Ice Baby" (radio edit) – 3:46
- "It's a Party" – 4:39
German CD Maxi
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami Drop Mix)
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Acapella Mix)
- "Ice Ice Baby" (Miami Drop Mix Instrumental)
- "Play That Funky Music" (Acapella Mix)
2001 remixes
12" maxi- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Gigi D'Agostino remix) – 7:17
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Funky 9ers club dub) – 4:53
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (House of Wax club-mix) – 6:06
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Debart Style re-e-mix) – 6:42
CD maxi
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (House of Wax radio-mix) – 3:36
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Gigi D'Agostino remix-edit) – 3:45
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Silverwater & Shaw remix) – 3:42
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Prepay remix) – 3:54
- "Ice Ice Baby 2001" (Steve Baltes remix) – 3:53
- "Everytime (album version) – 3:58
2008 remixes
12" maxi- "Ice Ice Baby 2008" (Mondo Electro remix)
- "Ice Ice Baby 2008" (7th Heaven House remix)
- "Ice Ice Baby 2008" (Rico NL Jumpstyle remix)
- "Ice Ice Baby 2008" (Mendezz & Andrew remix)
Peak positions
| Chart (1990/91) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
11 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 10 |
| German Singles Chart | 2 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 8 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
28 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
6 |
| Chart (2004/05) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Ringtones | 11 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| French Singles Chart | 65 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Ringtones | 32 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 45 |
| End of year chart (1991) | Position |
| Australian Singles Chart | 22 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 31 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 9 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Gold | March 18, 1991 | 15,000 |
| Canada | Gold | November 23, 1990 | 50,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 1990 | 250,000 |
| Sweden | Gold | January 15, 1991 | 10,000 |
| UK | Platinum | January 1, 1991 | 600,000 |
| U.S. | Platinum | October 29, 1990 | 1,000,000 |