Vanilla Ice recently shared intriguing anecdotes about his unexpected friendship with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and members of the Medellín Cartel. In an exclusive interview with Vlad TV, the “Ice Ice Baby” singer reminisced about the wild hangout sessions that took place at his Star Island mansion in Miami Beach, providing a unique insight into his connections with the infamous crime boss and his associates.
Vanilla Ice revealed that he had spent numerous occasions with Pablo Escobar, Juan Almeida, Pepe Nunez, Ralph “Cabeza” Linero, and other members of the Cocaine Cowboys. Describing their camaraderie, he emphasized, “We were all friends.” The gatherings at Vanilla Ice’s mansion were nothing short of extravagant, involving adrenaline-pumping activities like racing boats and cars.
In the absence of internet search engines like Google, Vanilla Ice acknowledged his limited knowledge about the backgrounds of his new acquaintances. “I didn’t ask questions. We didn’t have Google back then. I thought they were businessmen,” he admitted. The singer went on to describe the surreal experiences, including helicopters landing at his house on Star Island, with the cartel members making themselves at home. “I had food just for them in the refrigerators,” he shared.
Detailing his interactions with Pablo Escobar, Vanilla Ice portrayed the cartel leader as a surprisingly affable individual. “Pablo was a great person in person — this sounds ridiculous!” he exclaimed. Given the lack of online information at the time, Vanilla Ice saw Escobar as a wealthy individual who enjoyed activities like boat racing. “I have no idea, bro. The guy’s loaded, he has a [Ferrari] Testarossa, I had a Porsche that’s smoking. We raced. I raced Pablo Escobar. I smoked him,” he recalled.
Vanilla Ice’s recollections also highlighted the Cartel’s penchant for extravagant events and boat races. “We would go out and race boats. We were always on boats. There were always a bunch of bikinis floating around everywhere,” he added.
