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2023 Costume Institute Benefit - Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty© GettyImages

Meet Ice Spice: The Afro-Latina leaving a mark in the rap scene

Part of a new generation of artists trying to leave their mark in the music industry


Shirley Gomez
Senior Writer
JUNE 2, 2023 5:45 PM EDT

The rap scene is witnessing a new generation of artists trying to leave their mark in the music industry. Among them is Bronx native rapper Ice Spice. Although she began her career in 2021, music lovers immediately embraced her songs; and now she has become a familiar face in the game.

2023 Costume Institute Benefit   Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty© GettyImages
Ice Spice attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City.

Find interesting facts about Ice Spice below

Ice Spice is a New Year baby

Ice Spice was born Isis Naija Gaston on January 1, 2000, making her not only a New Year’s baby but also a new millennium baby.

She is an Afro-Latina

The American rapper grew up in the Bronx, New York City, as the oldest of five siblings. Her father, a former underground rapper, is African-American, while her mother is from the Dominican Republic.

Ice Spice started rapping in 2021

The star met record producer RiotUSA while attending the State University of New York at Purchase. Months later, she released “Bully Freestyle.”

2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards   Show© GettyImages
Ice Spice speaks onstage during the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2023 in Hollywood, California.

She took social media by storm

Weeks after her musical debut, Ice Spice went viral on Twitter after doing the “Buss It” challenge. Her song “Name of Love” gained popularity on SoundCloud, which led to her becoming famous on Instagram.

Her song “Munch (Feelin‘ U)” also became a hit after getting support from Drake, who played the music on his Sirius XM radio station, Sound 42. It went viral on Twitter and TikTok and charted on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts.

She already has an honorific nickname

While Aaliyah is known as the “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop,” and Romeo Santos is “The King of Bachata,” Ice Spice breakout star status has positioned as “rap’s new princess.”

She has released songs with heavy hitters

In February 2023, Ice Spice collaborated with Lil Tjay on the tribute single “Gangsta Boo.” The song became her first song on the Billboard Hot 100. She then appeared on the remix of PinkPantheress’s song, “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” months later, she released the remix of “Princess Diana” with Nicki Minaj.

Night Two Of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour   East Rutherford, NJ© GettyImages
Ice Spice and Taylor Swift perform onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at MetLife Stadium on May 27, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

After peaking at number four, the song became her second top-ten hit on the chart. On May 24, 2023, Taylor Swift’s “Karma” featuring Ice Spice was announced for release on May 26, 2023, as part of Swift’s tenth studio album, Midnights.