"Ice Ice Baby" is rapper Vanilla Ice's most famous and popular song, released from his second album To The Extreme. The song samples Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure". "Ice Ice Baby" was the second rap single ever to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, after Blondie's 1981 single "Rapture." The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1991 but lost to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This". The single, released by SBK Records, sold 15 million copies.
Vanilla Ice drew controversy by claiming that he owed no royalties for sampling "Under Pressure", citing one minor alteration to the bass line. Although no lawsuit was ever filed, the rapper supposedly settled out of court, and songwriting credits were made to members of Queen and to Bowie. This song also brought troubles for him years later, when convicted felon and famous CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight claimed his friend had written the lyrics to the song, and allegedly dangled him by the ankles over the balcony to get royalties from the song. Vanilla Ice has verified and denied this claim many times, first telling of it, then telling a toned-down version which involved him talking to Suge Knight calmly. He later said he has no regrets of the incident, because he claims it helped fund Snoop Dogg and 2pac.
Despite the song's success, Eminem has claimed that the song almost turned him off of rap music altogether, although this may or may not have been a ploy to defuse the many comparisons between the two artists.
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