<P>It has been 20 years since Vanilla Ice first broke onto the music scene with the tidal wave of a single that was "Ice Ice Baby." In the two decades in between, the man born Rob Van Winkle has seen enough highs and lows to fill a half-dozen "Behind the Music" specials.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Vanilla Ice Gives The MTV Newsroom Some Design Suggestions" id="vid:583328" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>But he's on a bit of a winning streak recently, and a lot of it has to do with real estate. Van Winkle has been flipping houses for close to 15 years, and his quest to fix up and turn a profit on a 7,000-square-foot mansion will be captured in his new show, "The Vanilla Ice Project," which premieres Thursday night (October 14) at 9 p.m. on the DIY Network.</P><P>Though "The Vanilla Ice Project" will certainly show a new side of Van Winkle (his business savvy and trade skills are impressive), his main goal is simply to show people a good time. "I think this show is going to entertain a lot of people, whether you like Vanilla Ice or if you just like the home-improvement aspect of it," he told MTV News. "I get in there and swing a hammer with these guys. It's not just an investment. I take a lot of pride in what we do. And I put my signature on it."</P><P>Those custom details include an attic home theater, electric curtains and mood lighting that actually changes with your mood. "There's a lot of eye candy," Van Winkle said. And no matter what the results are this season, he has already started on a new home for next season, where he plans to build a river in the backyard. And to prove that he can improvise, he took a walk around the MTV Newsroom to make some design and decorating suggestions.</P><P>In the meantime, Vanilla Ice also has a new album coming out titled <i>WTF.</i> "It means what you think it means, but to put it in Wal-Mart, we put a thing at the bottom that says 'Wisdom, Tenacity and Focus,' so that's what it really means," he joked. "It's got techno on it &#8212; it's like Lady Gaga meets Prodigy meets Vanilla Ice." And 20 years after "Ice Ice Baby," he's still brushing up against the top of the charts: Irish pop duo Jedward borrowed the song (with Van Winkle providing new vocals) earlier this year and turned it into a chart-topping hit in the U.K.</P><P><i>What do you think of Vanilla Ice: the handyman? Let us know in the comments!</i></p>

• Vanilla Ice

<P>It wasn't all that great of a week for Vanilla Ice. A movie called "Cool as Ice," in which the rap star made his starring debut, opened at 393 theaters across the U.S. the previous weekend and took in only $638,000, placing it down at #14 among the week's new releases, nine places below the latest Ernest movie, "Scared Stupid."</P><P>The hottest rock band in the country this week in 1991 was a group called Nirvana, the latest export from the thriving Seattle music scene. The band's latest album, <I>Nevermind,</I> featured the great lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a reference to a feminine deodorant spray. MTV News hung out with the bassist then known as <I>Chris</I> Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl to find out the scoop.</P><P>"[It's] Black Sabbath meets the Knack," Novoselic said of Nirvana's sound. "It all started in 1987 in the small costal town of Aberdeen, Washington," he explained. "We were just jamming in this shack and moved out of town, started playing gigs in Seattle, made a tape, Sub Pop heard it, and the rest just keeps snowballing."</P><P>Sub Pop Records is the Seattle record label which gave Soundgarden their start and also signed Nirvana and released their debut album, <I>Bleach,</I> in 1989. Drummer Dave Grohl joined the band a year later and the trio released their major-label debut, <I>Nevermind,</I> a collection of raw, punkish, guitar-driven rock that took only three weeks to record. The first video was for the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a wild, dark, depraved look at high school featuring audience members from an actual Nirvana show.</P><P>"We played a show a couple nights before and we invited everyone to come down and watch us do the video," Grohl said. "And I don't know if they knew what to expect, so like 300 kids showed up and just hung out. It was pretty cool."</P><P>"The song can be about anything, really," Novoselic said. "You put your mind to it. Creativity is such a beautiful human attribute so we just like, leave it to the fans."</P><P>New York rap duo Kid 'N Play were back in action with a new album called <I>Face the Nation</I> and a new movie, "House Party 2."</P><P>"What we wanted <I>Face the Nation</I> to represent was to equate it with looking in the mirror at yourself, looking at who you are, where you've been, and where you're headed and by what means are you getting there," said Kid, who was no longer sporting his trademark high-top fade haircut.</P><P>As with other rap releases at the time, the new Kid 'N Play album featured forays into jazz and R&B. The first single was the very catchy "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody."</P><P>"We tried to design it as sort of a weekend anthem," Kid explained. "I think those are words to live by. I think it epitomizes what Kid 'N Play is all about. People see us as having fun and goofing around and all of that, but we looked at what we had to do to get to this point."</P><P>"Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" was also one of the featured songs on the soundtrack to "House Party 2."</P><P>"It looks like a party that you would want to go to," Kid said of the flick. "You've got some great musical performances. It's so colorful. People got pajamas on. It looks like a rocking party, you just wanna be there. It's a legal party too. I mean, what could be more exciting than that?"</P><P>For more "This Week In ...", check out the <a href="/news/topics/f/this_week_in/index.jhtml">This Week In Archive</a>.</p>

• Nirvana
• Vanilla Ice
• Kid 'N Play

<P>Nostalgia tours don't always have to feature Ringo Starr or hair bands.</P><P>More than 20 years after "Rapper's Delight" broke through to radio, hip-hop has its own legends &#151; and nothing befits a legend more than a comeback trek.</P><P>A healthy number of the rappers who first brought the genre to radio and video are still touring the country and releasing new music. Here's a rundown of who's doing what and why you should know.</P><P>(Tour dates are according to various booking agencies, artists' management and venues.)</P><P>Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock<br> Breakthrough single: "It Takes Two" (1988)<br> Catchphrase: "Don't cheer me, just hear me out, 'cause I got the clout &#151; shout!"<br> Famous fashion accessory: Big gold chains, lots of 'em.<br> Forgettable moment: Cover of Edwin Starr's "War."<br> Most recent record: <i>Break of Dawn</i> (1994)<br> Current projects: Unknown.<br> Tour dates: <LI>10/16 - Las Vegas, NV @ Center Stage</P><P>Run-DMC<br> Breakthrough single: "Walk This Way" (1986)<br> Catchphrase: "You be illin'."<br> Famous fashion accessory: Unlaced Adidas.<br> Forgettable moment: "Ghostbusters" from the "Ghostbusters 2" soundtrack album.<br> Most recent record: <i>Crown Royal</i> (2001)<br> Current projects: Promoting new album with worldwide tour; Daryl McDaniels (DMC) will release his solo album in the fall.<br> Tour dates: <LI>8/1 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom (MTV's 20th anniversary) <LI>8/2 - Budapest, Hungary <LI>8/3 - Budapest, Hungary <LI>8/9 - Boston, MA <LI>8/15 - Cleveland, OH <LI>8/18 - Philadelphia, PA <LI>8/19 - Omaha, NE <LI>8/22 - Columbia, SC <LI>8/24 - Reading, England @ Reading Festival <LI>8/25 - Leeds, England @ Leeds Festival <LI>9/15 - Denver, CO <LI>10/13 - Louisville, KY <LI>10/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre (breast cancer benefit) <LI>11/1 - Las Vegas, NV <LI>11/17 - Atlanta, GA</P><P>Sir Mix-A-Lot<br> Breakthrough single: "Baby Got Back" (1992)<br> Catchphrase: "Look at that butt. It is sooo big."<br> Famous fashion accessory: Long fur coats.<br> Forgettable moment: Producing Rebecca from "The Real World &#151; Seattle."<br> Most recent records: <i>Beepers, Benzos and Booty: The Best of Sir Mix-A-Lot</i> (2000) and <i>Return of the Bumpasaurus</i> (1998)<br> Current projects: Playing occasional shows with members of the Presidents (formerly the Presidents of the United States of America) under the name "Subset"; recording a new album.<br> Tour dates: <LI>8/18 - Crow Agency, MT @ Crow Indian Reservation <LI>9/1 - Seattle, WA @ Naft Studios <LI>9/2 - Portland, OR @ Waterfront Park (KKRZ radio festival) <LI>9/3 - Springfield, OR @ Island Park <LI>9/14 - Las Vegas, NV @ Center Stage <LI>9/15 - Compton, CA @ Crystal Casino <LI>9/20- Stillwater, OK @ Tumbleweeds <LI>9/22 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's <LI>9/26 - Fort Walton Beach, FL @ The Swamp <LI>9/27 - Pensacola, FL @ Big Daddy's <LI>9/28 - Tampa, FL @ Empire <LI>9/29 - Tallahassee, FL @ Cow Haus <LI>10/3 - Cincinnati, OH @ Elektra <LI>10/4 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Banana Joe's <LI>10/6 - Youngstown, OH @ Varsity Club <LI>10/9 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Grotto <LI>10/10 - Davenport, IA @ Stars & Stripes <LI>10/11 - St. Louis, MO @ In Cahoots <LI>10/12 - Columbia, MO @ Jesse Auditorium <LI>10/13 - Omaha, NE @ Music Box <LI>10/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Quest</P><P>Sugar Hill Gang<br> Breakthrough single: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)<br> Catchphrase: "A hip-hop, the hi-be, to the hi-be, the hip-hip-hop, you don't stop rockin'."<br> Famous fashion accessory: Shiny jump suits.<br> Forgettable moment: "Kids' Rapper's Delight," a sing-along version of their hit, and just about everything else on their kids album (see below).<br> Most recent record: <i>Jump On It!</i> (1999)<br> Current projects: Unknown.<br> Tour dates: <LI>8/11 - Fresno, CA @ Big Fresno Fairgrounds</P><P>2 Live Crew<br> Breakthrough single: "Me So Horny" (1989)<br> Catchphrase: "Banned in the U.S.A."<br> Famous fashion accessory: Thongs (see cover of <i>As Nasty as They Wanna Be</i>)<br> Forgettable moment: "Bill So Horny," a topical remake with new lyrics about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.<br> Most recent record: <i>Private Personal Parts</i> (2000)<br> Current projects: Raising hell in a town near you.<br> Tour dates: <LI>8/4 - Omaha, NE @ Music Box <LI>8/6 - Vail, CO @ 8150 Club <LI>8/7 - Breckenridge, CO @ Sherpa & Yeti's <LI>8/9 - West Hollywood, CA @ The Arena <LI>8/10 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rock <LI>8/16 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Cajun House <LI>8/17 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theatre <LI>8/24 - Bend, OR @ Club 97 <LI>8/28 - Spokane, WA @ Double Dribble <LI>9/7 - Starkville, MS @ Remington's Hunt Club <LI>9/8 - Pensacola, FL @ Big Daddy's <LI>9/14 - Athens, GA @ Athens Music Factory</P><P>Tone Loc<br> Breakthrough single: "Wild Thing" (1988)<br> Catchphrase: "I need $50 to make you holler."<br> Famous fashion accessory: None.<br> Forgettable moment: "Hit the Coast" from the "Surf Ninjas" soundtrack album.<br> Most recent record: <i>Cool Hand Loc</i> (1991)<br> Current projects: Recording first album in a decade, new single set for fall release; starring in new John Stamos TV show, "Thieves"; and developing the animated TV show "Dog Years."<br> Tour dates: <LI>9/1 - Everett, WA @ Jimmy-Z <LI>9/2 - Portland, OR @ Waterfront Park <LI>9/3 - Springfield, OR @ Island Park <LI>9/7 - Las Vegas, NV @ University of Nevada <LI>9/21 - Pensacola, FL @ Big Daddy's <LI>9/22 - Tallahassee, FL @ Cow Haus <LI>9/27 - Statesboro, GA @ Legends <LI>9/28 - Starkville, MS @ Remington's Hunt Club <LI>9/29 - Nashville, TN @ Bar Nashville <LI>10/31 - Columbia, MO @ Jesse Auditorium <LI>11/1 - Stillwater, OK@ Tumbleweeds</P><P>Vanilla Ice<br> Breakthrough single: "Ice Ice Baby" (1990)<br> Catchphrase: "Drop that zero and get with the hero."<br> Famous fashion accessory: Spray-painted jeans, neatly elevated bangs, shaved line in eyebrow.<br> Forgettable moment: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze."<br> Most recent record: <i>Hard to Swallow</i> (1998)<br> Current projects: Recording new album; raps about his manliness on Betty Blowtorch's "Size Queen."<br> Tour dates: <LI>8/10 - Essington, PA @ The Lagoon <LI>8/11 - Joliet, IL @ Tuck Away Tavern <LI>8/17 - Greensburg, PA @ Bobby Dale's <LI>8/18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Rock Jungle <LI>8/19 - Austintown, OH @ The Mill <LI>8/23 - Lake Tahoe, NV @ Caesars Tahoe <LI>9/7 - Odessa, TX @ Daddy's Place</P><P>Young M.C.<br> Breakthrough single: "Bust a Move" (1989)<br> Catchphrase: "Standing on the wall like you was Poindexter."<br> Famous fashion accessory: None.<br> Forgettable moment: <i>Return of the 1 Hit Wonder</i><br> Most recent record: <i>Ain't Going Out Like That</i> (2000)<br> Current projects: Raps on "Cadillac," the first single from Mest's August 14 album, <i>Destination Unknown.</i><br> Tour dates: <LI>8/25 - Springfield, MO @ University of Missouri <LI>9/2 - Portland, OR @ Waterfront Park <LI>9/3 - Springfield, OR @ Island Park <LI>9/7 - San Diego, CA @ San Diego Street Scene <LI>9/14 - Las Vegas, NV @ Center Stage <LI>10/17 - Harrison, AR @ University of Arkansas</p>

• Tone-Loc
• Run-D.M.C.
• Sir Mix-A-Lot
• Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
• 2 Live Crew

<P>Where else but in the sick and twisted world of the Insane Clown Posse would the thought of fans beating each other senseless with oversized boxing gloves, getting body slammed by grapplers of the Juggalo Championsh-- Wrestling circuit and virtually drowning in almost 2,000 gallons of soda be viewed as a fun-filled three-day weekend? Scheduled for July 13-15 at the Seagate Center in Toledo, Ohio, the Insane Clown Posse fan convention, better known as the Gathering of the Juggalos 2001, will feature performances by those horrorshow harlequins Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J, as well as ICP label mates Twiztid, Marz, Vanilla Ice, Suicide Machines, Myzery, Dark Lotus, Organ Grinders, Psychopathic Rydas and Three 6 Mafia, according to ICP's publicist.</P><P>As was the case last year &#151; and as continues to be the case with the allure of ICP themselves &#151; music is only half the total package. Championsh--Wrestling matches, BMX and skateboard demos, Bizaar Bizzar beauty contests, and the joining in (un)holy matrimony of a Juggalo and a Juggalette are slated as non-musical attractions. Fan participation in the form of "Faygo Armageddon," in which fans blast the contents of 4,000 two-liter bottles of the clowns' favorite beverage at each other through four giant water cannons; a 50-person skatepark; and an auction of rare ICP merchandise and memorabilia are also planned.</P><P>Panel discussions and Q&A sessions, dubbed Hype-Ass Seminars, featuring ICP, Twiztid, Marz, Blaze, JCW stars and Psychopathic Records execs Alex Abbiss, Jumpsteady and Bill Bill, are among the festivities as well.</P><P>More info on the festival can be found at <a href="http://www.juggalogathering.com"target="_blank">www.juggalogathering.com</a>.</p>

• Insane Clown Posse
• Twiztid
• Vanilla Ice
• Three 6 Mafia

<P>All-femme hard rockers Betty Blowtorch are living every under-30 recording artist's dream: to have the world's most famous pre-Eminem white rapper bust a rhyme about his supposedly substantial privates on your own song.</P><P>"Size Queen," a track on the Los Angeles band's forthcoming album, <I>Are You Man Enough?,</I> includes a rapped interlude from Vanilla Ice regarding his allegedly impressive manhood.</P><P>Bianca Butthole, Betty Blowtorch's lead vocalist and bassist, said the Iceman "was recording in the same studio that we were. We bonded a little, and we asked him, 'Do you wanna talk about how big your di-- is on our record?' He said, 'Sure.' "I asked him if he could rap over [the track]," she continued, "and he said he can rap over anything. And he could!" "He describes it as almost 10 inches tall," Butthole said. She then recited an excerpt of Ice's verse for "Size Queen": "'Open your legs, I'll make you cream/ I'm like a waterfall/ You know I've got it all/ A long white di-- almost 10 inches tall." Vanilla Ice couldn't be reached for comment.</P><P>Betty Blowtorch are a more hard rock and heavy metal-oriented version of the strictly hardcore punk Butt Trumpet. Butthole is joined by fellow former Trumpeters Sharon Needles (guitarist/vocalist) and Blare N. Bitch (lead guitarist). Drummer Judy Molish joined from the band Bobsled With Needles.</P><P>A year and a half ago, Butthole and Needles decided to regroup as Betty Blowtorch. "Since we didn't have the name Butt Trumpet, we didn't have to follow any sort of punk-rock thing, like what we were stuck in before," Butthole said. "The humor is still there, because we're a bunch of funny gals. But we have guitar solos now! We wanted to play rock: Growing up, we were into Black Flag, but also into Kiss and AC/DC." <I>Are You Man Enough?</I> is due May 15 on Foodchain Records.</P><P></p>

• Vanilla Ice

<P>Vanilla Ice spent a night on ice in Florida after being arrested Wednesday following a dispute with his wife, according to the <i>Associated Press.</i> He was released from Broward County Jail in in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday on $3,500 bail.</P><P>The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper's night in the cooler came after he put his hand over his wife Laura's mouth to "shut her up" while the two were driving on Interstate 595, according to the news service. Vanilla Ice (born Robert Van Winkle) told police he pulled out some of his wife's hair to prevent her from jumping out of their truck's window, the report said.</P><P>"We had a heated argument," he told the news service. "That's about it. I would never hit my wife or any girl or anything like that. I love my wife, I love my kids, my life's fine, everything's good, no hitting, no drugs." <i>AP</i> reports that Laura Van Winkle told police she was afraid for her safety, and that their children witnessed the incident. Police told the news service that prosecutors have three weeks to file charges.</P><P>After his 1990 smash, <i>To the Extreme,</i>, which featured the ubiquitous "Ice Ice Baby," Vanilla Ice came out with 1994's <i>Mind Blowin',</i> on which he adopted a pot-smoking gangsta persona. A late-2000 effort, Skabz, has yet to find a label.</p>

• Vanilla Ice

• Vanilla Ice

• Insane Clown Posse
• Vanilla Ice

• The Offspring
• Vanilla Ice

• Vanilla Ice

Ice, Ice, Baby

• Artist: Vanilla Ice
• Label: SBK
• Director: