Ice Spice knows how to stay cool. Two years ago the rapper from the Bronx otherwise known as Isis Gaston was an unknown preparing to release her first global hit, the innuendo-fuelled “Munch (Feelin’ U)”. She’s since done alright for herself, collaborating with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj and getting together with PinkPantheress to conquer TikTok via sparkly smash, “Boy’s a Liar Pt 2”.
As she releases her debut album, Y2K! , the pressure on the 24-year-old to continue that winning streak is considerable. But if Ice S piceis feeling the heat she doesn’t let on. Flexing her chops as a rhymer and moving away from the pop zing of “Boy’s a Liar”, Y2K! is a hard-punching and assured debut.
It’s musically adventurous, too, with her blending the bass-heavy style known as Jersey club rap with the frenetic cut-and-thrust of UK drill. But it isn’t flawless and, amid the barrage of beats, Y2K! – a reference to her birthday, 1 January 2000 – cries out for bigger pop pay-offs. Again and again, tracks appear to build towards a unifying hands-in-the-air climax.
Yet these never arrive, and it quickly becomes apparent that Ice Spice feels her swagger-filled wordplay is reward enough. Who needs hooks when you have world-class flow? Subject-wise, the record is one-note with a vengeance. The topic at hand is the pain of being a blockbusting rapper – with Ice Spice reminding the listener repeatedly that she’s the best newcomer around and that the competition can .