Vanilla Ice released “Ice Ice Baby,” the first rap single to top the Billboard Hot 100, in 1990.
The song began as a B-side to “Play That Funky Music” before becoming a major hit. It was built around a prominent bass-line interpolation associated with Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” leading to a later songwriting credit and royalty agreement for those composers.
“Ice Ice Baby” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1990. Its success made Vanilla Ice the first rapper to lead that chart with a single, a milestone often confused with the first rap album to top the Billboard 200.
The track appeared on the album To the Extreme, which became one of the best-selling rap albums of its period. The single’s chart achievement helped demonstrate how far rap had moved into the center of American pop music.