Nineties rapper Vanilla Ice, real name Robert Van Winkle, has been arrested for allegedly burgling an empty home, said police in Lantana, Florida. Mr Van Winkle is believed to have stolen furniture, a pool heater and other items from a foreclosed property next to one that he was renovating as part of his reality show The Vanilla Ice Project.
Mr Van Winkle provided a sworn statement and taken into custody, said the police who returned the stolen property to the rightful owner. Mr Van Winkle will be charged with burglary and grand theft.
The Hollywood Reporter states that DIY Network, which airs The Vanilla Ice Project, have not responded to a request for a comment.
On Twitter, the rapper-reality TV star has made no mention of the impending charges. His most recent tweet:
Rise and grind, it's prime time. Actually it's coffee time, hee hee Time to get to work on the VIP
- Vanilla Ice (@vanillaice) February 18, 2015As the rapper Vanilla Ice, Robert Van Winkle is most famous for the 1990 single Ice Ice Baby in which he used the bassline from the song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie without at first giving them either credit or paying them royalties. Despite this dubious distinction, he is credited with being one of the first generation of white rappers and has been invoked in several songs by current rap superstar Eminem.
An Indipop version of Ice Ice Baby, titled Thanda Thanda Pani, helped Indian musician Baba Sehgal make it big.
Mr Van Winkle dated Madonna in 1990. Now 47, he is married with two daughters.
With inputs from AFP
