Which song made Vanilla Ice the first rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100?

“Ice Ice Baby” made Vanilla Ice the first rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was released in 1990 and became a major crossover hit. Its bass line samples the opening pattern of Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” although the sample was initially not formally credited. The track first appeared as the B-side to “Play That Funky Music” before gaining attention through radio and club play.

“Ice Ice Baby” reached No. 1 in the United States in November 1990. Vanilla Ice therefore became the first rapper to lead the Hot 100, a landmark for hip-hop’s movement into mainstream pop. Rap had already appeared prominently on the chart, but no rapper had previously reached the summit as the principal performer.

A common mix-up is confusing this achievement with Blondie’s “Rapture,” which was the first song containing a rap by a lead artist to reach No. 1. Vanilla Ice’s record concerns a rapper topping the chart as the main act.