Rapper Vanilla Ice, born Robert Van Winkle, has disclosed that he was on the brink of joining the "27 Club" due to a severe drug addiction that nearly claimed his life.
In an episode of "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" released on Thursday, Vanilla Ice recounted the intense struggles he faced during the peak of his fame in the early 1990s. The rapper, known for his hit "Ice Ice Baby," described how the sudden end of his meteoric rise led to an identity crisis and a spiral into drug use. At the age of 27, he reached a breaking point and wrote a suicide note.
"I almost joined the 27 Club, and it was right there," Vanilla Ice told Hannity. "Twenty-seven years old. I couldn't figure out what I was doing. I never got to be a kid. I had to be a responsible adult, and I wanted to just enjoy being twenty-something. I never got to enjoy that."
He explained that his friends intervened after reading his suicide note, prompting him to make significant life changes. These included cutting ties with unhealthy influences, changing his phone number, and relocating to Florida.
Vanilla Ice reflected on the pressures of transitioning into adulthood, particularly for those thrust into the spotlight at a young age. He noted that age 27 can be a difficult period as the freedom of one's twenties wanes, and adult responsibilities loom.
He admitted that for years, he resented the success associated with "Ice Ice Baby" because the period of his life surrounding the song's phenomenon had nearly "killed" him. However, conversations with evangelist Tammy Faye Messner and actor Erik Estrada helped shift his perspective. They advised him to accept his past as part of his identity.
"You are who you are because of who you were," he recalled them saying. "Accept it. You can't go back and change it. You have to be yourself now. That makes you who you are today."
This realization allowed him to embrace "Ice Ice Baby" and the memories fans associated with it. He also credited his mother for helping him adopt a more positive outlook, encouraging him to "dance your way" through problems rather than succumbing to misery.