Ice Spice is here to change the rap game – and she’s not waiting for her peers to catch up. On the 20th January, the rapper dropped her much-awaited debut EP, which was announced only hours before its release, and it’s far from disappointing. Sharp, sexy, fun, and fresh – Like… is bringing a feminine revamp to drill that the genre needed.
Those who have yet to hear of Isis Gaston, the 23-year-old rapper from NYC, will soon see her name popping up everywhere. She was featured on Vevo’s Artists to Watch in 2023 list and has already built a huge fanbase with 3M followers on Instagram and 2.7M on TikTok. She’s been likened to our fav rappers Saweetie and GloRilla by critics and has gained fans in the Weeknd who shared the track ‘Gangsta Boo’ on his story this week and Drake who played her single ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’ in his Sirius XM radio station. She first gained attention when a video of her doing the “Buss It” challenge went viral on Twitter back in 2021 and she’s been climbing the rap ranks ever since bringing her unique flare with her.
Like… encapsulates the gen Z sound to its core. The songs are short and snappy with looped high-pitched instrumentals, popping drill bass, and an unwavering nonchalance in Ice’s vocals – it’s no surprise that she has gained fans in the chronically online youth as her tracks sound deeply TikTok-inspired. The songs even begin with a short skit (“Grrah/Stop playin’ with ’em, RIOT/Grrah”) that mimics the rapid buzz of noise like that of scrolling through TikTok. At 13 minutes long Like… may be brief but those beats are memorable.
Despite her modern sound Ice Spice’s influences include time-honoured artists Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Foxy Brown, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill demonstrating she is well-versed in the world of R&B and rap.
The singles on the EP are the snappy playful ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’, the Spongebob-esque ‘Bikini Bottom’, and the hip-mover ‘In Ha Mood’, all released in the last half of 2022. ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’ was unsurprisingly a winner with the internet going viral on Twitter and TikTok as well as charting on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts.
A standout on the EP is fellow Bronx rapper Lil Tay’s collaboration with Ice on ‘Gangsta Boo’. His high-pitched fast-paced flow contrasts Ice Spice’s relaxed flow and deep vocals well. Ice Spice’s long-time collaborator RiotUSA, who produced the EP, sampled P. Diddy’s ‘I Need a Girl Part 2’ for the track creating an absolute earworm of a melody.
Ice Spice makes it clear she doesn’t care whether you like her or not with her ultra-cool relaxed attitude, which ironically is the reason we love her. Her lyrics express an aloofness as to what the haters think with her witty responses indicating she doesn’t take herself too seriously. In ‘Ha Mood’ she claps back at the haters who are jealous of her success, “Oh, she mad ’cause I’m takin’ her spot/If I was bitches, I’d hate me a lot”. She also hits back at internet trolls in ‘Bikini Bottom’ telling them, “I got two milli’ for usin’ a mic, bitch/Think about that when you type”. Ice compares herself with the much-loved Princess of Wales in ‘Princess Diana’ after a fan dubbed her “the modern-day Princess Diana” in a now-viral tweet suggesting she realises her own charm. In ‘Gangsta Boo’ Ice gets spicy singing “You got a gangsta vibe/ And I want a gangsta boo” in a chorus that won’t leave your head for days. Ice has her own lexis pool that we just want to dive into. She introduces us to the newest (and cutest) term for being a hoe in ‘Actin A Smoochie’ and that you just can’t help smiling at. Likewise, ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’ brings the ladies the NYC-originating diss “munch” aimed at men that get a bit too cocky.
So far, two of the tracks from the Like… have music videos both of which display Ice Spice’s unique tongue-in-cheek spirit. ‘Bikini Bottom’ features Ice Spice partying with hotties and rapping with a wry smile in the corner of her mouth in front of a garish green screen as money flows down on her. It’s a bombardment on the eyes as the video jaggedly cuts from shot to shot – and we can’t look away. The video for ‘Munch (Feelin’ U)’ has a similar vibe with cartoon butterflies and graphics of the lyrics flying across the screen whilst Ice Spice chills with her friends on a basketball court making us wish we were bad enough to dance with the newly crowned princess of drill.
With her signature orange afro, glossy lips, and on-point style that mixes y2k-inspired belts and chains with skin-tight bright dresses and co-ords Ice Spice’s look is seamless. Her Instagram is full of a variety of looks that whilst different all convey Ice’s cohesive style. We’ve pieced together some pieces that will help you replicate Ice Spice’s baddie look.
Retro fire red Jordan 4s, light blue skinny jeans, and a cropped silver puffer make up the staples of this throwback fit reminiscent of some of Missy Elliott’s looks in the noughties. Add a chunky chain, half a dozen rings, and starred white XL square nails to complete the look.
H&M Long-Sleeve Cotton Top
This colourful curve-hugging two-piece made from braided fabrics is super flattering on Ice Spice. She accessories the outfit perfectly with ripped white tights, a silver Balenciaga shoulder bag, white fluffy Demonia boots, her classic chunky silver chain, a bejewelled heart ring, and long black nails.
Ice glows in her chat with Genius about ‘Bikini Bottom’. She wears a black fluffy cardigan with a black bra peaking out, cute white moon leggings from Marine Serre, with a heart chain. Her tie dye patterned yellow, green, and orange nails are super cute too.
The green stilettos and yellow nails match perfectly with this orange, green, blue, and yellow striped skin-hugging maxi dress. And of course Ice’s orange mane is the perfect icing on top of the cake.
Ice gives Instagram the finger in a distressed red catsuit looking exceptionally snatched. She styles with a black Prada shoulder bag and black tabis. We love how she mixes chic accessories with a more racy look to bring together the fit.
Words By: Molly Sutherland
Graphics Header Image By Mia Washbrook
