Ice Spice’s Y2K! arrived on July 26 as one of the most anticipated rap debut albums in recent memory. The 24-year-old — born on Jan. 1, 2000 — has packed a career’s worth of accolades for most artists into the last two years since becoming the face of New York’s drill scene.
While she could’ve attacked the project in myriad different ways, Ice made the conscious decision of getting back to the essence of what made her a star. She crafted a drill-heavy project alongside right-hand producer RIOTUSA, who sharply laid the sonic foundation, then had Mike Dean come in from the bullpen to lend his mixing/mastering expertise. The Bronx princess continued to sneer at her opps and radiate unbridled charisma along with delivering some toilet-themed lyrics at the Spice Cabinet’s amusement throughout Y2K! .
“We wanted to make what we like,” Ice told Billboard . “I just love drill beats, and his specifically. We just locked in for a whole year and really got to it when we could.
We have the busiest schedules, but I think that’s why it’s important to have a close bond with whoever you’re collaborating with.” At times, she experimented with her voice and flows, but never steered off the highway to crash before her destination. With 10 tracks and 23 minutes of run time featuring cameos from Travis Scott , Gunna and Central Cee , Ice Spice kept her debut concise instead of opting to overstuff a burdensome project like some of her peers.
Y2K! began to take form at th.