It’s hard to believe Ice Spice arrived on the scene less than a year ago. In 9 short months, the artist cracked the code to today’s pop-rap.
The Rise Of Isis
The soft voice of PinkPantherss paired with a catchy 16-bar rap by Ice Spice, real name Isis Naija Gaston, has completely dominated social media and radio for months. And rightfully so.
“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” is a certified hit for both artists and a massive step in their careers. Currently sitting at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 after debuting at #14 back in February, the cutesy and smooth track has caught the eye of older casual radio listeners and young TikTok users.
At this point, it goes without saying. Ice Spice is one of the trendiest female rappers working. While many claimed her initial breakout hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” was just a fluke, the 23-year-old quickly put those claims to rest with her sophomore single “Bikini Bottom.”
Both songs gained millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days and easily built Isis a sizable fanbase. From there, the New York star capitalized on this newfound demographic by releasing her first EP, “Like..?,” in January. Singles from the tape like “In Ha Mood” and “Gangsta Boo” featuring Lil Tjay leaked on TikTok weeks prior to the drop, not only building up hype for Ice Spice but proving people are hungry for her unique, laid-back take on drill rap.
The release of “Like..?” only further propelled the artist into the spotlight, selling around 15,000 album units in its first week. This debut trailed closely after industry powerhouses like SZA, who sold 17,600 units of “Ctrl” during the first week after release.
“Like..?” had several standouts that went viral on social media, but none had the potential of “Princess Diana.”
The Queen And Princess
“Princess Diana” is the track on the “Like..?” album that arguably shows the best of Ice’s charisma and budding rap skill. With over 18 million streams on Spotify, Ice Spice’s fans obviously selected the song as a sleeper hit. Luckily, it wasn’t just the munchkins that saw the song’s capabilities.
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice released the official music video for “Princess Diana (Remix)” on April 17th and instantly broke the internet. If you were on Twitter that week you simply couldn’t escape the bright pink set accompanied by Nicki and Ice in matching pink outfits. Both rapper’s fanbases praised the song and its hyper-feminine visuals; the chart performance is nothing to scoff at.
Since the drop, Ice Spice’s and Nicki Minaj’s “Princess Diana (Remix)” has risen to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This makes Ice Spice the only artist in Billboard’s top 10 occupying two spots at once. This would be an accomplishment for any artist, but it’s nearly unheard of for one as recent as Isis.
“I was walking towards the car, or some s**t like that, and somebody was trying to take a picture of me! I’m just mad, confused [as to] why he’s trying to take a picture of me. Then I realized it was because “Munch” was out,” Ice Spice shared Paper Magazine on her newfound popularity. “At some point, any time you step out of the car, instantly people know you, instantly screaming your name.”
Ice Spice certainly has to get used to the limelight because the general public wants to see plenty more of this rap freshman.
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Written by Dreema Carrington
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