Ice Spice definitely gets people talking. And not just the pundits you’d expect—she’s sparked intense reactions from commentators as randomly wide-ranging as hip-hop godmother Nikki D to standup comic Godfrey. Her outfits, stage performance, lyrical bonafides, a beef with a certain rapper from the Atlanta area — it’s all come under scrutiny as her star has risen.
From the moment her breakout single “Munch” became a viral sensation, the Bronx-born star has been the subject of constant scrutiny. She’s praised as an upstart as much as she’s criticized as a one-trick pony. She’s either part of a brash new wave or a harbinger of hip-hop’s nadir — depending on who you ask. With her new album Y2K! finally out and generating reactions, everybody has an opinion on Ice Spice.
Obviously, this isn’t new. There is a laundry list of artists who have been branded “the problem” with rap music at any given moment; the backlash against Iggy Azalea’s appropriative posturing; the handwringing over what the major label signing of Trinidad James “meant” just a few years earlier; the genuine fear that accompanied Chief Keef becoming a household name with music born of the all-too-real violence in Chicago — Ice Spice is the latest in a long line of polarizing rap stars.
It’s almost taken for granted that Y2K! is a thoroughly enjoyable project. A sonically dark set of bubblegum drill, Spice’s seductive shit-talking persona takes center stage. “Phat Butt” starts things here — singles like “Phat Butt” and “U the Shit (Fart)” set the table for Y2K!’s style and feel; with highlights like the Sean Paul-flipping “Gimme the Light” and the Gunna-featuring “Bitch I’m Packin” serving as Fordham-on-a-Friday anthems.
This set isn’t made for 50 year old Wu-Tang fans — and that should be ok. Ice Spice’s perspective and experience speak to a generation of bodega girls. And they deserve their hero.
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