Bronx native Isis Gaston, better known as Ice Spice, took the rap scene by storm this year with the release of her EP “Like..?” on Jan. 20. Initially known for her single “Munch (Feelin’ U),” rapper Ice Spice has proved she is more than a one-hit wonder. Following her album release, she was featured in PinkPantheress’ February hit “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” which peaked at No. #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and has skyrocketed in virality online, pulling Ice Spice further into the spotlight.
Ice Spice puts a fresh spin on Bronx drill. This style of music focuses on mixing pop, rap and R&B with features of bass and snares. Ice Spice shared with New Musical Express, “I feel like drill will become mainstream music at some point, and it won’t be so categorized. It’s already changing hip-hop, but we won’t notice until we look back.” Ice Spice opened the world to the sounds of New York drill while leading self-assurance and feminine confidence to the forefront of rap.
Flashback to August of last year, Ice Spice released her first big hit “Munch (Feelin’ U)” which launched her to the top of everyone’s radar. After its debut, Genius flew Ice Spice in to perform in their Open Mic segment. Her talent also caught the attention of Drake, who was impressed by her knack in rap and freestyle. Back in September, he flew her out to party in Toronto at the OVO Fest.
Ice Spice has garnered more fans than just Drake, prompting Lil Nas X to dress as her for Halloween and Billboard to name her October’s rookie of the month for R&B and Hip-Hop. Fans have amassed across YouTube, TikTok and other music platforms. Her songs, as well as their music videos, have millions of views. Thousands of TikToks feature her music, with a few of her songs landing on the app’s top trending list.
Her new album “Like..?” is a combination of six explicit songs: ““In Ha Mood,” “Princess Diana,” “Gangsta Boo (with Lil Tjay),” “Actin A Smoochie,” “Bikini Bottom” and “Munch (Feelin’ U).” In just the few weeks since their release, all six songs have each reached millions of streams, with “In Ha Mood” peaking at No. #10 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs this past week. These songs cater to pop, hip-hop and R&B listeners by blending elements of all with her own style of Bronx drill. Ice Spice is taking over the music industry by reinventing the age-old themes of sex appeal and boss energy.