Acker Records

Acker Records is associated with Robert Matthew Van Winkle, the American performer known as Vanilla Ice. His career spans rap, rock-influenced recordings, film and television, with a public profile built first around the 1990 breakthrough of “Ice Ice Baby.” Born in Dallas and raised in Miami, Vanilla Ice became the first solo white American rapper to achieve commercial success. “Ice Ice Baby” became the first hip-hop single to top the Billboard Hot 100, while To the Extreme was described as the fastest-selling hip-hop album of all time.

Before that success, Ice released his debut album, Hooked, through the independent Ichiban Records. SBK Records, part of EMI, later issued a reformatted version as To the Extreme. The period also brought Extremely Live in 1991, a performance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and a starring role in Cool as Ice. His rapid rise was accompanied by media controversy surrounding his background, including fabricated biographical information published by SBK without his knowledge, arrangements he later regretted.

His later music moved well beyond the pop-rap image attached to his early hit. Mind Blowin’ arrived in 1994 with a major image change, followed by underground rap-rock performances and time playing in a local grunge band. Hard to Swallow, released in 1998, took a darker nu metal direction. He subsequently issued the independent albums Bi-Polar in 2001 and Platinum Underground in 2005.

The label’s associated artist roster includes Gunnar Zander, Mioche, The Oddness, Timboletti, Sob, Matt Dwellers, Faber Italy and Coyara. Outside music, Vanilla Ice has worked as an actor and television host, led DIY Network’s The Vanilla Ice Project for nine seasons between 2010 and 2019, and began hosting The Vanilla Ice Home Show in 2022. He is also involved in motocross racing and real estate.