Ice Spice’s fans have Taylor Swift to thank for the recent rush of new music from the New York City rapper.
Ice Spice, 24, dished on her new friendship with Swift, 34, when speaking with Billboard for its 2024 Women in Music series. Ice Spice (born Isis Naija Gaston) teamed up with Swift in 2023 for a remix of the latter’s “Karma.” Since then, they’ve made a handful of public appearances, the most recent being at Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.
In the interview Billboard published on Monday, March 4, Ice Spice shared the piece of advice that Swift gave her when they were in the studio together. “I’ll never forget, [Taylor] told me, ‘No matter what, just keep making music and everything’s going to be fine,’” she recalled.
After the “Karma” remix dropped, Ice Spice released the deluxe version of her Like..? EP and shared three new singles: “Deli,” “Pretty Girl” and “Think U the S–t (Fart).” She’s also preparing her debut studio album, Y2K, the title of which is a nod to her January 1, 2000, birthday.
Ice Spice’s friendship with Swift also connects her with one of her favorite artists (and fellow Swift pal), Lana Del Rey. As Billboard’s 2024 Women in Music Hitmaker honoree, the publication asked Ice Spice about her favorite fellow hitmakers. “I would say Lana Del Rey,” said the rapper. “I’m obsessed with her, and I feel like all of her songs are hits, even the ones that aren’t as big as the others.”
Ice Spice also gave love to Rihanna, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Minaj, 41, jumped on the remix of Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana,” and the young rapper remains incredibly grateful for that. “I felt like ‘Princess Diana’ was already my best song on [Like..?], but then it didn’t chart or anything until Nicki got on it,” she explained. “I was just so happy to have both of those worlds where I felt like it was culturally a great song, but also it charted. And then I had my dream collab fulfilled at the same time.”
Swift told Variety in 2023 that she relates to Ice Spice “in many ways,” but specifically, the rising rap star’s dedication to her career “blew me away from the very start.” Swift praised how Ice Spice could be “professional without being cold” and “playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize.”
“She knows what is and isn’t ‘her’ and sets those boundaries with grace,” added Swift. “She studies the industry and other artists’ careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It’s her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”
