On This Day

Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife's hair during a row

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host.

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas and raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success, following the 1990 release of his best-known hit "Ice Ice Baby". He is credited with breaking down racial barriers in rap and hip-hop for future white rappers, most notably Eminem.

Ice released his debut album, Hooked, on the independent Ichiban Records before signing a contract with SBK Records, a record label of the EMI Group, which released a reformatted version under the title To the Extreme; it became the fastest-selling hip hop album of all time and "Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts.

Historical Significance

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host.

Key People

Vanilla Ice

rapper

American rapper

– present

Events Before

  1. Gisborne, New Zealand, with a population of approximately 32,754, is the first city in the world to welcome the new Mill

    Gisborne, New Zealand, with a population of approximately 32,754, is the first city in the world to welcome the new Millennium

  2. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates steps aside as chief executive and appoints company president Steve Ballmer as his success

    Microsoft chairman Bill Gates steps aside as chief executive and appoints company president Steve Ballmer as his successor

  3. NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5132.52, signaling the beginning of the end of the dot-com boom

    NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5132.52, signaling the beginning of the end of the dot-com boom

  4. South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is charged by Delhi police with fixing One Day International matches against

    South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is charged by Delhi police with fixing One Day International matches against India

  5. Metallica files a lawsuit against the peer-to-peer sharing platform Napster, accelerating a movement against file-sharin

    Metallica files a lawsuit against the peer-to-peer sharing platform Napster, accelerating a movement against file-sharing programs

Events After

  1. Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states

    There are eight denominations of euro coins, ranging from one cent to two euro (the euro is divided into a hundred cents). The coins first came into use in 2002.

  2. 29th American Music Awards: Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz win. Michael Jackson receives Artist of the Century award.

    29th American Music Awards: Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz win. Michael Jackson receives Artist of the Century award.

  3. US President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an "Axis of Evi

    US President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an "Axis of Evil," which includes Iraq, Iran, and North Korea

  4. "Blue" country and pop singer LeAnn Rimes (19) weds backup dancer Dean Sheremet (21) at Perkins Chapel in Dallas, Texas

    "Blue" country and pop singer LeAnn Rimes (19) weds backup dancer Dean Sheremet (21) at Perkins Chapel in Dallas, Texas

  5. US invasion of Afghanistan: US conventional forces first deployed as part of Operation Anaconda

    Shortly after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States declared the war on terror and subsequently led a multinational military operation against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

More from the 2000s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 4, 2001?
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas and raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success, following the 1990 release of his best-known hit "Ice Ice Baby". He is credited with breaking down racial barriers in rap and hip-hop for future white rappers, most notably Eminem.
Why is Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of h... significant?
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host.
Who was involved in Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of h...?
Key figures include Vanilla Ice (rapper).

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