When you think about Vanilla Ice, chances are that your mind immediately goes to “Ice Ice Baby.” Hey, you're not alone. His music was a staple of most of our youth and his funky style, dance moves, and music had our hands in the air and our asses moving to the beat. Fast forward time like a cassette (look it up kids) and these days, Vanilla Ice (aka Robert Van Winkle) is sooo much more than music. He's a force to be reckoned with in the building and real estate industry and since his show The Vanilla Ice Project has been such a hit on the DIY Network, they decided to add another series to his roster.
This time it's Vanilla Ice Goes Amish and starting this Saturday (October 12th), you can get in on the fun as Ice kicks it old school in another way–very old school. That being said, he hasn't left his musical root too far behind and if you want to showcase your best running man skills, he'll also be at the Nokia Theatre on November 9th for the Old School Reunion with a line-up that you won't want to miss. But seriously, why would you want to miss any of this?
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OC Weekly (Ali Lerman): First of all, I'm so excited to talk to you. I had your CD's and cassettes…and now I'm just showing my age by throwing out the word cassette.
Vanilla Ice: [Laughs.] Thank you, that's awesome! Hey, there are a lot of young ones out there that still listen to it so you could be young!
OK let's pretend I'm young then. We'll get back to the music in a minute but I have to know about your new show “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish.” I mean, where did that idea come from?
[Laughs.] Well I just wanted to do something kind of crazy since I've been a licensed builder and I've been building homes for eighteen years. I really enjoy craftsmanship and carpentry work and I know that the Amish pride themselves on that. So I kind of wanted to go out there and intern with them. It just started off as a joke but then we sent one the network guys out there to talk to the bishop to see if it was OK. We weren't even sure if it was going to happen. After it was cleared with the bishop, the neighbors, and a whole gang of people, they accepted me and I actually went in with a true Amish family. We just wanted to assure them that we wanted to showcase what they love, their lifestyle, their heritage, and learn why they've held on to it this long. We wanted to find out why they don't have electricity, cell phones, TV's, and all of the luxuries. I found out all of that and you'll see it on the show. My other show “The Vanilla Ice Project” is all of the latest and greatest in technology and this one meets the old world with the Amish, so it was a great thing. They're very sweet people and we had a great time. It was a gift to be approved and I think everyone is going to enjoy the adventure that I went on!
I can't wait to check it out! I love The Vanilla Ice Project. What you do to houses is insane. Will it be back for a fourth season?
Oh thank you! Yeah I'm one month into filming season four now. This season is going to knock your socks off! It's amazing. It's on the water, palm trees, tiki huts, crazy swimming pools, and all of these things that I'm putting in this house. It's going to blow your mind away, it's so cool! I love showcasing all of the coolest stuff because it inspires people to go out and do some projects themselves.
Well the Amish one sounds polar opposite but I'm all in.
It's the same thing with “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish” too but instead of using my team of ninja's in Florida, we put a team together of Amish builders. It was a really cool time, I didn't even know what to expect. [Laughs.] It was all just freestyle because there is no script, it's all real. We came up with some really cool projects. We built five different things and it just turned out amazing!
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Well props on being well rounded, it's truly awesome. I'm also pretty excited for this “Old School Reunion” show you're doing at the Nokia Theatre. It has quite the line-up!
Oh it's a trip down memory lane! That's what it's all about! You can enjoy all of the stuff on the charts from some acts in the 80's and then it carries over into the 90's. It's going to be an awesome time! We're going to play some of the new stuff too so it's not going to be just old school. We're definitely going to take them back though with Ice Ice Baby, Ninja Rap, Play That Funky Music, and maybe a little Stop That Train. We're going to have a lot of fun and that's what it's all about. Just entertaining and smiles for everyone!
When you get on stage for something like that does ever make you want to do a solo tour again?
Yeah I probably would but right now, well I'm just too busy right now. It takes about eight months to film my show. And it's the number one show on the network so we're pretty busy you know? They're already booking the next season so there's a lot of attention going on. It's all timing and I think it's a time where people need to hear something good about the housing market. You know, if you can fix your house and stay there to raise your family, that's the dream!
It's so crazy because you inspired people to shave lines in their eyebrows back in the day and now you're inspiring on a whole other level. On a side note, we also all remember you for being a great dancer. Now that you're a little older, do you still have the moves?
Awww. Thank you. You know, we are who we are because of who we were. Yesterday's history and tomorrows a mystery so you just have to take life day by day and smile as much as possible and enjoy life. And yeah, I still have the moves but they hurt a little more now. [Laughs.] I can still do them though, it's like riding a bike, you don't forget. I did the “transformer” the other day and I popped it and I locked it, I went down to my knees and I spun around and then I got back up and was like, ouch! So it hurts more but I can still do it! [Laughs.]
Grab your tickets now to see the Old School Reunion show at Nokia Theatre and check out Vanilla Ice Goes Amish starting this Saturday October 12th on the DIY Network. For more info go to www.VanillaIce.com and follow him on Twitter @VanillaIce. You can also pick up one of his chandelier creations at www.VanillaIceLighting.com and if you'd like to learn how to get into real estate for investment purposes, check out www.VanillaIceRealEstate.com.
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Ali Lerman knows much about comedy, basketball, and celebrating Wu-Tang Wednesday. She’s been writing for sixteen years and still calls her mom with grammatical questions.