Ice Spice

Bronx rapper Ice Spice delivers sharp flows and plentiful swagger atop hard-hitting drill productions. She first picked up the mic in 2021 and secured a contract with Virgin’s 10K Projects imprint the following year after her breakout single “Munch (Feelin’ U)” exploded online. Building on that instant momentum, she gathered earlier tracks plus fresh cuts for the January 2023 EP Like..?, which quickly earned widespread attention. A high-profile collaboration with PinkPantheress on “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” became a global smash, while additional features alongside Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and Rema set the stage for her July 2024 debut studio album Y2K!.

Born Isis Gaston and raised in the Bronx, she absorbed rap throughout her youth yet waited until her early twenties to begin writing her own material, teaming with producer Cook Babes during their shared time at SUNY Purchase. Babes handled the beat for her first release, “Bully,” which surfaced in early 2021. The follow-up “Munch (Feelin’ U)” arrived in August 2022 and earned praise from Drake after he spun it on his Sirius XM station; the track’s rapid spread online prompted 10K Projects to sign her. “Bikini Bottom” followed in September 2022. When Like..? dropped in January 2023 it contained three prior singles plus three new songs, one of which featured Lil Tjay on “Gangsta Boo.” The project entered the Billboard 200 at number 37.

Ice Spice added a verse to PinkPantheress’s remix of “Boy’s a Liar,” propelling the track to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. A Nicki Minaj-assisted version of “Princess Diana” also reached the top five, while the pair’s Aqua-sampling “Barbie World,” included on Barbie: The Album, climbed into the top ten. She appeared on Taylor Swift’s “Karma” remix, which peaked at number two. A deluxe edition of Like..? spawned the single “Deli,” which approached the top 40, and October brought the Rema duet “Pretty Girl.” Nominations at the Grammys included Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Karma.” Early 2024 saw the first singles from her forthcoming Y2K! album, ultimately issued in July and featuring guest appearances by Gunna, Central Cee, and Travis Scott.