Stop. Collaborate and listen. Ice is back with a brand new invention. No, really! He is. Rob Van Winkle, who you know as ‘90s rap sensation Vanilla Ice, has a major role in this summer’s new Adam Sandler comedy That's My Boy, in which he plays himself, Vanilla Ice. The set-up: Donny Berger (Sandler) became famous in the ‘80s for having an affair with his hot teacher. Donny knew Ice from the flash in the pan/has-been circuit, and goes back to hang out with Ice when he reunites with the grown son (Andy Samberg) he fathered.
Winkle joined the stars of That’s My Boy at a press conference over the weekend, and he stole the panel right from Sandler and Samberg. He’s still dropping mad rhymes, and they’re full of wisdom from his 20 years of growing up and self-reflection on the Vanilla Ice days. We could all take a lesson from Vanilla Ice, so start with some of these.
1. No slippin’ on your pimpin’.
“You keep your hustle tight and you never get caught slippin' on your pimpin',” Winkle said when the panel was asked how they deal with failures in their careers. Our takeaway is that he has not been slippin’ on his pimpin’, since Winkle keeps working, even on reality shows like Surreal Life and Celebrity Bull Riding. “If you get caught slippin' on your pimpin' you're up sh*t creek without a paddle.”
2. Well, just in case you need that paddle...
If you end up paddle-less in a creek, all is not lost. “Learn how to swim through the trenches and get to the other side and when you get there it'll be paradise for you. I was in the trenches, trying to get to the other side. Sh*t creek, I found a paddle. [Sandler] helped me with the other paddle and here we are.”
3. Embrace the past.
“We are who we are because of who we were, which I had to accept, and there's a little truth to that,” Winkle said when we asked if he’s always thinking in deep wisdom and mad rhymes.
4. Look to the future.
“Yesterday's history, tomorrow is a mystery,” Winkle said when asked if this movie comeback could lead to a Cool As Ice 2. Not only would a Cool as Ice sequel be awesome, it’s also good advice in general. “Take it day by day, man. Get in where you fit in and enjoy the ride. You never know about it.”
5. These mad rhymes matter.
These slogans kept the press laughing, but Winkle explained he truly uses them to get through life. “That's one thing I've learned, I live off these little phrases. It's not all jokes, but these little phrases, they're more valuable than thousands of dollars worth of therapy to me. They make sense.”
6. Love yourself.
“Be yourself, enjoy yourself,” was another one of Winkle’s life lessons. More specifically, find the place that’s right for you, whether it’s rapping or starring in an Adam Sandler movie. “I just get in where I fit in.”
7. Be happy.
In a genre of music that can often spiral into anger and violence, positivity is important. “Show me a smile and I'll show you one back. They're contagious. So, it works for me. Stay positive, good things happen. Look where I'm at.”
8. Mind the company you keep.
It also matters who you let in your life. The Sandler crew was good for Winkle, but be careful of your entourage. “Show me who your friends are and I'll show you who you are. Karma, believe in it. It's real. It comes back to you.”
9. Listen to your mother (and word to her!)
Since the film is about an embarrassing parent, the panel was asked what they learned from their parents. Winkle shared his mother’s lesson. Maybe mad wisdom runs in the family. “My mom always told me, 'Act smarter than you are. Always know where your exit is in case you get into too much trouble.'”
To borrow from the immortal popular words of Mr. Van Winkle: If there was a problem, yo, he'll solve it. That’s My Boy opens June 15.