WELLINGTON, Fla. — Vanilla Ice's hit song "Ice, Ice Baby" has made a remarkable return to the top of the music charts, reaching No. 3 on Billboard's rap songs chart, driven by politics and winter trends.
"I honestly had no idea. I could never imagine," Vanilla Ice told WPBF 25 News during an interview at his home in Wellington.
Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Rob Van Winkle, said the song often sees a spike during the icy months of winter, and this year's Winter Olympics has also increased attention.
"I'm just sitting here scrolling through social media, TikTok," he said. "And it's one after another. 'Ice Ice Baby.' I get it. It works well with the Winter Olympics."
Another factor contributing to the song's popularity is its association with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE.
Both supporters and opponents of ICE are using "Ice, Ice Baby" in social media videos related to the agency.
"I'll take anything that drives my songs. Whatever makes people laugh and have fun," Vanilla Ice said. "Because that's all they're doing is using it for little parodies and stuff like that."
Despite the political connections, Vanilla Ice prefers to remain neutral.
"I would never try and comment on how to run a country. I'm neutral. I don't do anything. I stay in my lane if that makes any sense, you know?" he said.
"Just woke up one day and found that my song is No. 1 36 years later," he said with a laugh. "And I'm like, 'Whoa!' So, I'm ready to go dancing again."
