Ice Spice

Isis Naija Gaston, known professionally as Ice Spice, was born on January 1, 2000, in the Bronx, New York City. Her mixed ethnicity background, with an African American father and a Dominican mother, exposed her to varied cultural influences. Her father was an underground rapper, which introduced her to hip-hop at an early age. Ice Spice attended Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers, graduating in 2018, and later enrolled at the State University of New York at Purchase, where she played volleyball and studied communications. She eventually left college, citing the commute, and worked at various jobs, including at Wendy’s and The Gap, before pursuing her music career. Her early exposure to artists like Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj, and Jay-Z shaped her musical interests, leading her to write poetry and freestyle raps from an early age.

Ice Spice began her musical journey in 2020 after connecting with record producer RiotUSA. Their collaboration led to her debut song, “Bully Freestyle,” released in March 2021. The song gained initial traction after a viral video on Twitter. Her track “Name of Love” further increased her visibility on SoundCloud and Instagram. Her breakthrough moment arrived in August 2022 with the release of “Munch (Feelin’ U).” This song quickly went viral on TikTok and received support from Drake, leading to its appearance on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. Following this success, she signed a record deal with 10K Projects and Capitol Records in September 2022, solidifying her entry into the mainstream music industry.

In 2023, Ice Spice released her debut EP, “Like..?”, which featured hit singles such as “Munch (Feelin’ U),” “Bikini Bottom,” and “In Ha Mood.” The EP achieved commercial success, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard 200. Her collaborations proved particularly impactful, including “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the remix of “Princess Diana” with Nicki Minaj, which peaked at number four. She further extended her reach through a remix of Taylor Swift’s “Karma,” peaking at number two on the Hot 100. This made her the only rapper to have four top-ten songs in 2023. Her debut studio album, “Y2K!,” released in July 2024, included the single “Think U the Shit (Fart).” Ice Spice has received several awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist and four Grammy Award nominations, marking her as a significant artist in contemporary music.