FEATURE:
Spotlight
has seen me doing a wide range of Spotlight features looking at artists who will be defining this year. Ice Spice is someone who has already been tipped for big things. The New York-born Bronx Drill artist is someone who should be known to all. Real name Isis Gaston, because her parents were frequently busy working, she spent much of her time with her grandparents and cousins growing up. It was at age seven that Gaston formed a love of Hip-Hop after listening to rappers like Lil' Kim. She started rapping in 2021 after meeting producer RiotUSA while the two were attending SUNY Purchase. I will end this feature with all the social media links for the amazing Ice Spice. First, and as I do with these features, there are interviews that I need to bring in. The first, from DJ Booth was a chat from one of the rawest and realest artists from The Bronx:
“In March 2021, the two released their first song, right after Ice went viral for doing Erica Banks’ “Buss It” challenge. Since then, they’ve dropped four more tracks and have garnered a significant buzz very quickly; some skeptics have even deemed Ice Spice an industry plant. But after seeing where she grew up and studying her appeal, I can assure you she’s not. Ice Spice simply has all the tools for success and knows how to use them.
The 22-year-old pairs her appearance with the cleanest and catchiest production coming out of the Bronx, grabbing listeners' attention before she even speaks. (She and RIOT found a formula in “Name Of Love” and “No Clarity,” sampling popular EDM earworms to soften the traditionally menacing drill production.) Once her vocals come in, listeners’ interest is solidified—she’s a natural who raps with an attitude shaped by the bustling borough she was raised in. She walked us through her old stomping grounds, leading us to the steps of her childhood apartment complex so we could speak in the shade.
This is my first time in the Bronx. What are some things I need to know? The rules of thumb, if you will.
Mind your business, that’s number one.
Number two, you gotta really stay on your toes, you always gotta look over your shoulder—just be very aware. Don’t always be on your phone; look behind you, look around you.
Third, don’t be too flashy, unless you’re ready to fight or tryna get robbed.
And lastly, you gotta be tough. You can’t be pussy. You gotta just put on your gangsta face, especially if you’re by yourself.
“Bully” is the first song you dropped. Was it also the first song you ever recorded?
Yeah, so actually it was both. I got the beat from my producer RIOT. We met in college and he had been giving me beats for a while, but I wasn’t feeling them yet. But once I heard the beat for “Bully” I was like, “Nah, this is the one.” I listened to it for about a month before recording to it. I was just trying to find the vibe, just waiting, waiting.
But then, I did the Erica Banks “Buss It” challenge and it got a million views. So after that, I was like, “Nah, I gotta hurry up and put this song out.” So we recorded and finished the song the same week that it went viral, then we released it a bit later in the month. So I waited until I had a little moment to put it out.
Since then, you’ve built a pretty big buzz with just five songs. Did you expect things to move this fast for you?
I expected things to move faster, to be honest. I just believe in myself so much. But I think things are moving at a good pace.
Your dad was a rapper, right?
Yes, but he was an underground rapper. I wanna make that clear, ‘cause they tryna say that I’m a plant, and I’m not.
Has he given you any wisdom about the game?
He just basically tells me to continue to be myself and to be careful, ‘cause it can get grimey.
Why do you think Bronx drill is so hot right now?
Because Cardi B put the Bronx on the map AGAIN, especially for females. But also because it’s the last authentic borough. I think people are interested in how it truly is, in how everybody from here is really from here. Our parents are from here, our grandparents are from here, you know? People are just really interested in our culture. They’re fascinated by how raw it is.
Other than drill, what types of music do you wanna explore in your career?
I wanna do Latin music at some point. I’m actually working on some Spanish songs right now. I wanna get into more pop stuff, just fun vibes, but later on down the line when that makes more sense.
What would you say to the people who think you’re a plant, or are just riding the drill wave?
That I don’t really care, ‘cause I know what it is. I know what it took to get me here, and I know how much work I’m putting in. I also feel like when they say stuff like that, they don’t really mean it. I truly feel like they know I’m not a plant. I think they just say stuff like that ‘cause they’re mad that I’m going up faster than their fave… If anything I would say stream your fave more”.
I am quite new to American Drill. I think the best examples are coming from New York. It seems that Bronx Drill is particularly fertile and innovative. I feel Ice Spice is going to hit the big leagues before too long. Someone who can join her Hip-Hop heroines. For Interview Magazine Ice Spice and the legendary Erykah Badu (who were joined by Badu’s daughter, Puma Curry) were in conversation. Among other things, they discussed the state of female Rap:
“BADU: Speaking of school, can you tell me a little bit about your up bringing? What was your home life like?
SPICE: My parents would be at work a lot so I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I have so many cousins, and after school, we’d all link up at my grandparents’ house. We’d chill, eat, laugh, watch TV. I went to after-school a lot, too. Actually, I shot the “Munch” video at the park that I went to after school. Then when I finally went to Catholic school, things started changing. I didn’t go to church a lot at home growing up, I was never even baptized. But I’m still religious in the sense where I strictly pray every day, all the time.
BADU: Yeah.
SPICE: My parents were separated when I was two, and I have five siblings. I’m the oldest. It’s all separated. My parents had me and then they split up and had their own kids.
PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Kern
CURRY: I can relate to that. I have five siblings and I’m the only baby my mom and dad had together. What does that feel like?
SPICE: Growing up I would get jealous that my other siblings had siblings that came from the same mom and dad, but now that I’m older I just feel special. Don’t you feel special?
CURRY: Yeah.
BADU: She’s pretty amazing. Gen Z is just very mature. I’ll segue into hip-hop. You’re from New York, the birthplace of hip-hop. Do you consider yourself a rapper?
SPICE: I consider myself an artist. I know a lot of people try to categorize me but I just like to create things.
BADU: What you’re doing, the spoken word, is in the category of rap, which originated from hip-hop. Are you familiar with or do you have any ties to New York hip-hop? Do you know the history of it?
SPICE: I think it’s important to remember where everything started, but I don’t have a direct connection to the first people to do certain things. I do know about Roxanne [Shanté] and other legendary people. I just met the person that invented the scratch at the 50th hip-hop anniversary Nike shoot that I did.
PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Kern
BADU: Grandmaster Flash?
SPICE: Yeah.
BADU: [Laughs]
SPICE: [Laughs] Thank you for that. He was cool. And I just met Crazy Legs.
BADU: Even in hip-hop we, as B-boys and B-girls, consider ourselves artists. The teacher from the Boogie Down Bronx, KRS-One, he’s kind of like the prime minister of hip-hop. He keeps the culture informed and the guidelines in place. He once said, “Rap is something you do and hip-hop is something you live.” Hip-hop was break dancing, graffiti art, backpacking, DJing, MCing. And it came up out of a necessity. We didn’t have the entertainment industry to back that art. It was just something that we loved and did. What motivates you to keep expanding as a creative and an artist?
SPICE: It’s the urge that I have to impact the culture. I want to leave a cultural footprint like you did. I want a girl to want me to interview her years from now and just be like, “You’re the GOAT.” The crown you’re wearing, I want a crown, too.
BADU: What kind of imprint do you want to make?
SPICE: I want to make girls feel confident. Like the Marilyn Monroe impact or the Rihanna impact, the Erykah impact. You have a way of hypnotizing people, you cast a spell on them. I want to do the same thing”.
A new sound and sensation to my ears, so far Ice Spice has released singles. I am not sure whether a mixtape, E.P. or album is coming along this year. With huge momentum behind her, it is only a matter of time before this future titan releases something more explorative and expansive. Last year saw her drop some amazing singles. Billboard spoke to Ice Spice last year and asked her about women in drill her influences, and what it has been like playing some big festivals:
“What was your path to music like?
What’s funny is my mom sent me a video the other day – and I don’t even remember this of course, because I was like four. But I’m singing in the video. And I’ve never seen this video my whole life, I was shocked by that. So I was singing since [age] four, but I didn’t actually take music seriously until I was older. I was writing poems and little freestyle raps in my notes throughout all of elementary and high school. Once I got to college, I went viral on Twitter for the “Buss It” challenge. So then I was like, “Nah, I gotta take it seriously,” and I started putting out music.
Did you always go by Ice Spice?
Yeah, my name is Isis, so my nickname always been Ice my whole life. And the spice came from Instagram, I was just trying to come up with a username when I was like, 14.
You recently did two festivals, what was that like for you?
It was very fun. [Rolling Loud NY] was a little messier, but it still worked out. They showed mad love. I can’t wait for the next Rolling Loud. I never had a soundcheck for none of my performances, they just throw you out there. Everybody thinks that like you go in all prepared and s–t with your own mic, but you don’t get that until you’re like G.O.A.T. level.
My first performance ever was back in May at a college in New Jersey. That was lit, the crowd was actually pretty big. It’s hard to perform. Practice makes perfect for real. I’m sure in a year from now, my performance is going to look drastically different. I can’t wait to pop out and prove everybody wrong that’s been talking a lot of s–t.
You’ve been teasing a new song “Bikini Bottom” on socials. Tell us about that.
It’s called “Bikini Bottom” because it kind of gives a SpongeBob vibe. I was just having fun with that one. I was addressing a couple of things that’s been going on, you’ll hear it more in the second verse. But I feel like it’s a good follow up after “Munch.” I made it last week.
Why do you think there aren’t more women getting mainstream looks in the drill space?
I don’t know, honestly. I feel like there are a lot of girls coming up in the drill space and rap in general. Right now feels like the time for the ladies. Drill is such a new sub-genre that I feel like it just needs time for more girls to enter.
Are there any women artists whose careers you look up to?
I’m inspired by Nicki, Lil Kim, Cardi B. All of the greats. I’m definitely inspired by Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. But I definitely want to like have my own lane. Where like, it’s just it’s mine. And not like really copying somebody. With Nicki, Cardi and Kim, it’s them being from New York of course. That New York swag and aggression and bad bitchness. [Laughs.] When it comes to Lauryn and Erykah, they give a graceful angelic vibe of timeless beauty. All of them are icons.
You mentioned you’re half Dominican. Are we getting that dembow collaboration anytime soon?
Oh my gosh. Yes. You know what? I’ve actually been talking to a lot of Latin artists and I’m figuring it out. And I got this Spanish type of beat that I’ve been plotting on. I’m probably gonna lay that down soon.
What piece of advice would you give aspiring artists?
I feel like being independent is super lit, especially when you get the hit independently, like I did with “Munch.” I wrote that by myself, just me and my producer. That would be like my advice to any up-and-coming artists, definitely stay independent as long as you can”.
A fierce and insanely talented artist with a stellar career ahead, I would recommend anyone to dive into her music. Even though it is Drill, it is accessible and has this lasting impression. Someone I am hugely interested in, you will be hearing a lot of Ice Spice through this year. With her best days ahead, it will be exciting seeing this artist make big steps. Just sit back and…
WATCH her conquer!
__________
Follow Ice Spice
