Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice, who's owned the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart for two months, is being challenged by Madonna. Her "Immaculate Collection" moved up two notches to No. 3. Greatest-hits collections rarely crack the Top Five, but this one may even make No. 1. The big attraction is one of the two new tracks, "Justify My Love," which is No. 2 on the pop singles chart. Debbie Gibson's "Anything Is Possible" (No. 46) is on its way down--peaking at No. 41--after one month on the chart.

Vanilla Ice is no stranger to reality TV, but his latest venture may be his strangest one yet. "Vanilla Ice Goes Amish" is actually a series and it will be debuting on DIY Network later this year. The title pretty much says it all. Ice (real name Robert Van Winkle) will embed himself in the Amish community, which prides itself in a strong work ethic and some awesome barn raisings. And they accomplish their master craftsmanship without the aid of electricity. The series, which was announced as part of DIY's Upfront presentation to advertisers Tuesday, is currently in production.

Arraignment was delayed Monday for rapper Vanilla Ice, who faces misdemeanor gun charges in a June 3 incident involving a transient outside a 24-hour grocery store in Studio City. Robert Van Winkle, the singer's real name, faces misdemeanor counts of possessing a loaded weapon, possessing a concealed weapon in public, and allowing a car passenger to possess a gun. If convicted, the 23-year-old singer faces up to two years in jail.

Say what you want about Jerry Jones -- he's a great team owner, he meddles too much in the Dallas Cowboys coaches' business, he spent way too much on that palace of a stadium, he built one heck of an amazing stadium ... whatever you want. Just don't say he's a good rapper. Please. I beg of you. Even if you're joking. We don't want to encourage more commercials like the Papa John's spot above. The advertisement is a follow-up to what was apparently a successful Papa John's bit featuring Jones, or at least his likeness, break dancing . But this hip-hop commercial is Jones all the way. After all, if they were going to fake it, you'd think they'd get someone with at least a little rhythm.

The glare of success has started to melt the mysterious facade of Dallas-based rapper Vanilla Ice, whose rap single "Ice Ice Baby" hit No. 1 on the pop chart. The Dallas Morning News described numerous contradictions in Vanilla Ice's record-company biography and interviews in a story in Sunday's editions.

Rap music star Vanilla Ice pleaded no contest Friday to a weapons violation and was ordered by a Van Nuys Municipal Court judge to make a public-service video and pay a $1,782 fine as punishment. The singer, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, also was placed on two years' unsupervised probation. He did not attend the court session Friday. The charges stem from a June 3 incident involving transient James Gregory outside a 24-hour grocery store in Studio City.

Rap star Vanilla Ice was charged Friday with carrying a concealed weapon and other offenses stemming from a Studio City incident in which he allegedly pulled a gun on a transient trying to sell jewelry to him. The 23-year-old rap singer, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, was charged with possession of a loaded weapon, carrying a concealed weapon in public and allowing another person to have a weapon in his vehicle.

Rapper Vanilla Ice's "To the Extreme" looks like it will hang on to the top spot of the Billboard magazine pop album chart for at least another week. In the next few weeks, his strongest competition will come from Paul Simon, whose "Rhythm of the Saints" inched up to No. 4. The Traveling Wilbury's "Vol. 3" traveled up to No. 12 in just two weeks. The Cure's album of remixes, "Mixed Up," is nearly as hot, reaching No. 14 in that same short span. Buoyed by her hit single, "From a Distance"--No.

Vanilla Ice's phenomenal "To the Extreme," which has sold more than 6 million units in less than five months, continues to dominate the Billboard magazine pop chart. Its strongest competitor, M. C. Hammer's "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em," has finally faltered, slipping from its perennial No. 2 slot down to No. 4. On the chart nearly a year, Hammer's album has sold more than 9 million copies.

As if his earlier music wasn't. . . . Ice returns with a mix of hard-core hip-hop sentiments and heavy-metal-like musical backing. The rapper, whose 1990 single "Ice Ice Baby" made him one of the biggest-selling and most-ridiculed performers the genre has ever produced, scream-raps pitifully over angry tracks from Korn producer Ross Robinson about his numerous struggles. In stores Tuesday.

Open the windows and turn on the fans -- it's time to present the Alewife Awards to those cultural/entertainment figures who've left the year's biggest stench. Celebrities make the best dads, Part 1 Celebrity confessionals reached a new level of ickiness as Mackenzie Phillips made endless talk show appearances to hype her memoir, "High on Arrival," and its revelation that she carried on a drug-fueled sexual relationship with her father, singer John Phillips. (Mick Jagger makes a gross cameo as well.

Kevin Craft went from a New Kid On The Block to Vanilla Ice in a matter of months. Recruited to be the Bruins' third-string quarterback, Craft is now in charge after injuries thrust him into the starting job. His stature in the locker room has similarly risen. "We tease him a little bit, call him Vanilla Ice sometimes," senior wide receiver Marcus Everett said. "He will start to groove a little bit when the music comes on." Said kicker Jimmy Rotstein: "His salsa is great.

Make no mistake: Rob Van Winkle is pure gangsta! He's thugged-out in the Knitting Factory in his tattoos and his cholo shorts; he's spewing expletive-laced hip-hop epistles to weed and coke in a metallic rap-rock roar; he's stepping back to let his DJ recut Terminator X's famous Public Enemy break, "Hear the drummer get wicked." And if Van Winkle were anyone other than Vanilla Ice, it might all be working.

DEAR SOS: I was born and raised in New York. I've not been able to get a really good malted milk here. All I get is a thick shake with malt powder added. The only time I get a good one is when I visit New York. ADA ESTELA Los Angeles DEAR ADA: I found recipes in our files for thick malted milk shakes. Then I called Kevin McCafferey, the owner of Soda Jerks in Pasadena. He said he thinks what you want is a New York malted, which has the consistency of an egg cream. Here's his recipe.

Unless you were standing near the Galaxy Concert Theatre stage, it was nearly impossible to get a good look at Vanilla Ice as he performed Thursday night in Santa Ana. Shrouded in smoke and dim lights for most of his one-hour show, the rapper-vocalist was a shadowy figure prowling the stage and bobbing up and down to throttling music that merged rap, punk and heavy-metal influences.

The Ventura County chapter of the hip-hop nation will descend upon the venerable Ventura Theatre for a pair of weekend shows. According to the venue staff, the Q104 Cupid Concert featuring Voices of Theory and Third Storee will probably sell out by the day of their show, which is Saturday, so act accordingly. Vanilla Ice will headline the Valentine's Day gig Sunday.

Is Vanilla Ice the future of rap? "Hey, man, I don't know about that," replied the Miami native with the streaked blond hair, the first white rapper to break into the Top 10 album charts since the Beastie Boys in 1986. "I'm not trying to start any white movement. I'm not starting any wave." But this normally cocky young man may be underestimating his impact in the copy-cat pop world.

Rap singer Vanilla Ice was arrested early Monday for investigation of pulling a handgun on a man who tried to sell him a piece of jewelry in a supermarket parking lot, police said. Vanilla Ice, whose legal name is Robert Van Winkle, was booked for investigation of brandishing a weapon and released on his own recognizance after the 2:15 a.m. incident, said Lt. Michael Ranshaw. The case was referred to the city attorney's office for possible prosecution.

A shared immersion in popular culture gives most Americans the linguistic shorthand to crack wise in a matter of syllables. "Take my wife, please"--four bytes of verbiage likely to raise a snicker, or at least a grimace. "Vanilla Ice" is even better: again four syllables, but just two telegraphic words, summoning a ridiculous pop artifact more current, if less fondly regarded, than Henny Youngman.

As if his earlier music wasn't. . . . Ice returns with a mix of hard-core hip-hop sentiments and heavy-metal-like musical backing. The rapper, whose 1990 single "Ice Ice Baby" made him one of the biggest-selling and most-ridiculed performers the genre has ever produced, scream-raps pitifully over angry tracks from Korn producer Ross Robinson about his numerous struggles. In stores Tuesday.