Man oh man is 10-year-old Rob a happy guy! I just freaking saw Vanilla Ice!!!
The I Love the ’90s Tour brought Vanilla Ice, Montell Jordan, Young MC and Rob Base to the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, on September 12, 2025. It was basically one giant ’90s hip-hop nostalgia party—and for me, Vanilla Ice was absolutely the reason to be there.
Even before the show started, they had a DJ blasting 90s tunes (and some 80s & 2000s) as well as a musical comedian. The music continued all night in between sets so there was never a break in action.
Young MC Opens the I Love the ’90s Tour
Young (old?) MC kicked off the show and I don’t really know what he opened with. But it didn’t matter because it was just good ole nostalgic fun! He for sure performed his hit Bust A Move though. Plenty of singing along opportunities for the crowd! He only did 3 or 4 songs and was done.
Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
Next up was Montell Jordan. I was surprised by this choice as I thought he was the bigger name and would be 3rd to perform but that’s ok! Of the 4 acts, I’d say he was the only singer of the bunch as others were rappers. This Is How We Do It was his big hit of the 90s and he sort of opened with it, just a slower different version, using tracks from more modern songs, and then closed with a version a little truer to form. I’m no hip-hop expert, but sampling tracks from other artists and mashing up songs to make something new yet classic seems par for the course. It was fun. Montell did say he’s now a pastor, but also battling prostate cancer which apparently he only just made public on September 3rd. So, he’s using his platform to bring awareness to screenings. Good for him!
Rob Base – It Takes Two
Rob Base was next. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock (I’m pretty sure) make up this duo. They were energetic and seemingly just did short snippets of a bunch of hip-hop songs throughout the decades. It was just a good ole dance party kind of vibe for their whole set which ended with their huge hit It Takes Two.
Vanilla Ice Live in 2025
But for me, the draw was the Ice Man himself, Vanilla Ice! If you were alive in the 90s, you knew his song Ice Ice Baby, likely loved it, and then he quickly faded away for most…but not this guy! I’ll admit it, I’m a fan! It’s not that I WAS a fan, I remained a fan. I had his “Mind Blowin” album, the “Cool As Ice” soundtrack, his hardcore/metal album “Hard to Swallow,” and his “Bi-Polar” album. I even had all 3 Vanilla Ice action figures for the longest time. But as they were collecting dust, I sold them within the last 2 years. Bummer.
Anyway, he opened with a rap that consisted of what I believe was a few different songs pieced together. He definitely had lines from Prozac from his “Hard to Swallow” album at the beginning. He then did a a version of Play that Funky Music that was closer to the original than his 90s version, a different version of Ninja Rap from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (part 2), and of course he did a version of Ice Ice Baby. He did a bunch of other songs that again were pieces of other songs, he DJ’d a bit, and ultimately ended with Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry which he described as, “one of the greatest songs ever written.”
Throughout the night he talked about the 90s being the best time to be alive, last generation to remember what it’s like to live without computers, before smartphones, with Blockbuster video, and before lame Fortnite dances which he demonstrated to plenty of laughter. Oh yeah, he also had a Ninja Turtle on stage to dance.
He invited a ton of people to come up on the stage and dance while he just partied with them. They danced while he weaved in and out of the crowd, took selfies while performing, and really seemed to just be enjoying himself. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t smiling ear to ear the whole time.
There aren’t a lot of new music stars these days so seeing an icon was pretty sweet. 90s hip-hop star, cheesy 90s movie star, later on he did movies with Adam Sandler like “That’s My Boy” where he played “Uncle Vanni,” he’s had home renovation TV shows, probably several celebrity reality shows, and more. It was pretty sweet and I took a ton of videos and pics. At this point in his career, he knows how to entertain and put on a good show. Good to see him cashing in on the nostalgia. Such a good time. And because we’re old, we were out of there by 10:30.
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