The Untold Truth Of Ice Spice

Few performers have burst onto the music scene and made it to the top as quickly as Ice Spice. Releasing her first single, "Bully Freestyle," in 2021, she followed up with more, building a fanbase that grew with each new song she unveiled. It was 2022's "Munch (Feelin' U)" that broke through, kicking off an incredible run of hits, including "Bikini Bottom," "In Ha Mood," and "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2," a collaboration with PinkPantheress. From there, she became the queen of collabs, teaming up with Nicki Minaj for "Princess Diana," and again for "Barbie World," and then joining Taylor Swift for "Karma." Within the span of about a year or so, Ice Spice had become one of the hottest names in the music biz, charting more top-five singles in the Billboard Top 100 chart than any other artist — male or female — in 2023.

Born Isis Gaston, this native of the Bronx is of Nigerian and Dominican descent, and is the oldest of five children. That, she explained in an interview with Elle, proved to be a factor in her success. "It definitely influenced me in, like, my career, because I feel like it just really made me a leader," she said. "I feel like as the, like, role model for my siblings, I just really need to show them that you could do anything you want."

To find out more about this extraordinary talent, read on to discover the untold truth of Ice Spice.

Ice Spice's rise to fame was fast, propelling her from anonymity to instant fame in the span of months. So quickly did it happen, in fact, that she never really entered the workforce before hitting it big in the music industry. Sure, there were the typical cashier gigs — for Wendy's and The Gap — but her primary job was something altogether different. 

Speaking with The Cut, she revealed that she'd held just one main job before her music career exploded, working as a babysitter for a "Jewish family upstate" in Westchester, New York. "Shout-out to them," she told the outlet. "They was cool."

Of course, had Ice Spice not skyrocketed to music stardom, she might have pursued a different vocation entirely. "As a child, like, when I was in pre-K, I thought I was gonna be a doctor," she told Elle. "I used to walk around with the stethoscope, right, and just take people's heartbeat." As she explained, medicine wasn't particularly a passion, but simply one of the few jobs that she was actually aware of as a child. "I didn't really know a lot of professions as a kid, you feel me?" she added. "You only know, like, firefighter, doctor, police officer. I never really saw myself being, like, an artist until I got a little older.

Back in January 2021, TikTok exploded with videos of people attempting the Buss It Challenge. That particular challenge was a two-parter: the first featured participants wearing comfy clothing while dancing along to a snippet of Nelly's "Hot in Herre." As soon as the song gets to the part in which Nelly sings, "Girl, I think my butt gettin' big," participants then drop down low before cutting to a second video, in which they're all dressed up in their snazziest finery while twerking along to Erica Banks' single "Buss It."

Among the numerous people who filmed themselves for this challenge was Ice Spice. Although she'd yet to become famous, the video she recorded wound up going viral. "It was crazy, like, I really put in, like, seven hours into that video, 'cause I didn't know how to use TikTok at that time," she told Elle. "It paid off." As she recalled, she was hanging out with her mother and sisters when she refreshed TikTok. She received a huge surprise when she saw how many times it had been viewed and how many likes it had amassed. She refreshed the app again, and another 10,000 or so likes had been added. "We was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is getting crazy,'" she said. "Yeah, it was a time."

Interestingly, that same video wound up going viral a second time after she'd become a star and the video resurfaced. 

Ice Spice's stage name has an interesting origin story, stemming from her longtime nickname. "Yeah, my name is Isis, so my nickname always been Ice my whole life," she explained in an interview with Billboard. "And the Spice came from Instagram, I was just trying to come up with a username when I was like, 14," she added.

She had even more details to add about how she came to become Ice Spice in her "Ask Me Anything" interview with Elle. "I chose Ice Spice because it literally rhymes, and I was 14 coming up with, like, a Finsta name," she said, referring to the handle she used for her "fake Instagram" account. "And I was like, 'What rhymes with Ice? Spice.' Plus, I love spicy food ... I put hot sauce on everything." 

It's probably for the best that Ice Spice is using her rap moniker on social media instead of her real name. That became clear in April 2023 when she posted a screenshot of a message she'd received from Instagram. "Your post has been removed. Your post goes against our guidelines on violence or dangerous organizations," the message read, as reported by Newsweek, after the powers that be at Instagram had apparently confused her birth name with that of a similarly named terrorist organization. 

In addition to her pre-fame TikTok challenge, Ice Spice has regularly gone viral on social media. Usually, it's for her music, but once, it was when a blast-from-the-past photo resurfaced of her posing with the other members of her high-school volleyball team. 

She was apparently quite the athlete; her volleyball skills earned her a full-ride scholarship at SUNY Purchase in upstate New York, where she attended college. In fact, she can be seen on the roster of the school's 2018 women's volleyball team under her real name, Isis Gaston. "Isis appeared in seven matches as a freshman, starting once ... She finished with six points, two kills, three assists, four aces, and nine digs over 15 sets played," noted her volleyball bio, which also revealed that she was majoring in biology, her favorite actor was Matt Damon, and that her most beloved movie was "The Breakfast Club."

She wound up dropping out of college in 2020 to focus on her music career — a wise decision in hindsight — but still maintained an affection for the sport at which she excelled. "Aw I miss playing volleyball," Ice Spice tweeted in 2022. She reiterated that when she spoke to XXL in early 2023. "I feel like I had the most fun doing that," she said of playing volleyball. Not finishing college, however, was a no-brainer. "I left because I felt like I was in the wrong place," she explained.

After the release of her debut single, "Munch (Feelin' U)," a big moment came for Ice Spice when superstar rapper Drake played the song on his SiriusXM radio channel, Sound 42 . In fact, Drake was so impressed with the track that he sent her a DM to offer praise. "[Drake] complimenting 'Munch' brought even more attention to me and the song," Ice Spice told Complex. "It feels like all the hard work being put in is starting to pay off." 

She wound up meeting Drake in person when he invited her to perform at the 2022 edition of his OVO Fest, held in his hometown of Toronto. "He's mad nice and respectful," she told RapCaviar of her impression of Drake.

Another celebrity admirer was Lil Nas X, who demonstrated his fandom in the fall of 2022 by dressing up like her for Halloween, costumed as Ice Spice as she is in the "Munch (Feelin' U)" video. She was both honored and impressed by his costume. "He had the orange nails. He had the puff. He had everything to a T," she told The Cut. "He did me better than me." The following spring, Lil Nas X and Ice Spice hit New York Fashion Week together, sitting in the front row of the Coach show. "I'm so excited, this is so fun," Ice Spice told Women's Wear Daily of attending her first NYFW alongside the "Montero" rapper.

Ice Spice's career in rap shouldn't come as a surprise, given that her father, Joseph Gaston, was an underground rapper and MC of some repute (she hasn't revealed his stage name because her dad prefers to maintain his privacy). "He definitely inspired me to want to record," she told Paper Magazine, recalling that she was still a toddler when he first brought her into the studio with him. "Subconsciously, I ended up becoming an artist because I saw my father be one first," she mused.

She's also felt the influence of a who's who of female artists who came before her, a list she shared during an interview with Billboard. "I'm inspired by Nicki [Minaj], Lil Kim, Cardi B. All of the greats. I'm definitely inspired by Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu," she said. In fact, she told Variety, the very first songs she ever memorized were two of Minaj's, "I Get Crazy" and "Itty Bitty Piggy." "I remember being on the schoolyard, and girls was going crazy to that," she recalled. "So I was like, 'Wait — I need to get in tune. What is this?'"

While she's quick to credit those women for influencing her, Ice Spice is also determined to forge a sound that is 100 percent her own. "But I definitely want to like have my own lane," she told Billboard. "Where like, it's just it's mine. And not like really copying somebody."

Given the relatively short length of time that Ice Spice has been on the scene — and the fact that she turned 23 in January 2023 — the number of collaborations she's already recorded with other artists is beyond impressive. In 2023 alone, she teamed up with PinkPantheress, Lil Tjay, and twice with Nicki Minaj.

She also collaborated with Taylor Swift on "Karma." Ahead of the song's release, Swift took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to promote the single — and Ice Spice's artistry in it. "I'm a massive fan of this brilliant artist and after getting to know her I can confirm: she is THE ONE to watch," wrote Swift. So how did a new artist like Ice Spice wind up working with arguably the world's most popular pop superstar of 2023? As Ice Spice told Variety, it all happened after she watched the 2020 Netflix documentary about Swift, "Miss Americana." "What I took away from Taylor's documentary is you really do need to work hard, and not everything is going to be as easy as it seems," she explained. "And my manager heard me talking about that and had reached out to her team, and then they had a song for me."

In an email she sent to Variety, Swift continued to praise Ice Spice. "I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start," Swift wrote. 

Ice Spice's rise to stardom came so rapidly and so explosively that there are some who've theorized that she didn't get there on her own, that she's an industry plant (i.e., artists who position themselves as independent when, behind the scenes, they're secretly being backed by a music label that has created and fueled that fictional narrative).

Ice Spice has heard those whispers but is quick to dismiss them. "I know what it took to get me here, and I know how much work I'm putting in," she told Audiomack. In her opinion, that kind of talk is simply sour grapes from fans of other artists who haven't experienced the level of success that she has. "I truly feel like they know I'm not a plant," she added.

That kind of gossip, in fact, has been so prevalent for so long that it's become meaningless to her, and she's come to the point that she now just shrugs it off. "A lot of people have thrown that in my face — like 'Oh, I've never seen anything happen so quickly. She needs to be studied,' or 'She's a plant,'" she told Variety. "I just let people believe whatever they want to believe, to be honest. I don't really mind all the rumors. At first I did, but now I'm at a point where I understand that just comes with this lifestyle."

Ice Spice has never been shy when it comes to her sexuality, which isn't easily categorized. As she shared in a September 2021 tweet, "What's it called when you're attracted to masculinity in women and femininity in men." During a conversation with radio host Ebro Darden for Hot 97's "Ebro in the Morning," she indicated that she was bisexual. When he asked if she dated "squares," she responded. "Not squares, but I like ... good boys and girls."

She discussed her sexuality even more explicitly in a short video she made for Genius. In that video, she discussed the underlying meaning of her single, "Bikini Bottom," in which she raps that she's attracted to both men and women. "They need to know — we're here and we're queer!" she declared. "So, period."

She's also recognized that she's attracted a large fanbase from within the gay community. Interviewed by Teen Vogue, Ice Spice was asked who she's making her music for. "I wouldn't say girls, specifically, because the gays love me and I love the gays," she said. "I'm just making [music] that I like, honestly ... Everybody could really vibe to the beats. The beats is the most important thing ... So I feel like everything else complements it."

Ice Spice is rarely seen without a piece of jewelry that's become part of her look: a large, heavily bejeweled pendant featuring a face — presumably hers — designed to look like one of the cartoon Powerpuff Girls. In an interview with The Cut, she hadn't yet received the custom-made pendant, but was about to pick it up in order to wear it in the music video for "In Ha Mood."

The piece was created by Benny the Jeweler, who displayed his handiwork in an Instagram post. In that post, he revealed that the Afro hair is made from rose gold and that the entire pendant contained more than 80 carats in diamonds. According to another post, the pendant set Ice Spice back a cool $100,000. 

And while she may hit the red carpets adorned with her $100,000 bling, Ice Spice is insistent that fame and money have not fundamentally changed her. "I'm most proud of staying grounded so far, because I've already been through so many things that I know a lot of people would've lost their f***ing minds," she told Teen Vogue of her rapid climb to the top. "The whole lifestyle change is super drastic, especially coming from where I come from, not coming from s*** and not having a lot growing up, to now — it's the complete opposite," she added, admitting, "Even though it's a positive change, it's still a change."

When it comes to her personal life, Ice Spice has kept it out of the spotlight. In an October 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she confirmed that she was dating someone, but wouldn't share any details. The reason, she explained, was because she desired her fans "to keep their focus on what I'm here for, which is music."

And while she may not have divulged who she's dating, she has opened up a bit about what it would be like to date her. Speaking with Erykah Badu and Puma Curry for Interview, she detailed what a "dream night out" would be, revealing it would actually be an evening in. "I'm a homebody," she explained. "I don't really like to be out in public doing things like that, especially now. My dream date is chilling at home by ourselves. We're just smoking, eating, watching movies. You get to know somebody better that way."

Speaking with Elle, Ice Spice shared some insight into her film-viewing habits when she was asked to identify the most recent thing that she'd binge-watched. "I try not to binge-watch, but the last series of, like, movies I binge-watched was A24," she said, referencing the film studio behind such hits as "Everything Everywhere All At Once," "Lady Bird," "Uncut Gems," and others. "I watched, like, three A24 movies back to back, like, in the span of 48 hours."

While Ice Spice is often seen in concert or on red carpets wearing various wigs, she's best known for her naturally curly, red-hued Afro. Her hairstyle, in fact, has become a big part of her signature look. "The hair is definitely iconic," she told the New York Times.

However, she also admitted that it's taken her a while to become comfortable with that look. "When I was in high school, I was straightening my hair, trying to be something that I'm not," she said. "Now it's flattering seeing a wave of Afros. I enjoy that. I feel like that's great for Black women especially, making Afros more like just a normal staple look, you know?"

Speaking with Interview, she credited her father for encouraging her to embrace her natural curls by telling her how beautiful she looked when wearing her hair that way. "I loved to straighten my hair and I loved to pretend it wasn't curly," she said. "I would literally pray to God before I went to sleep, like, 'Please let me wake up with straight hair.' Because at the school I went to, there were so many white girls and I was the only one with curly hair for a long time. But once I finally started doing it, it was like ripping off a Band-Aid."

While the demands of her increasingly successful career don't leave Ice Spice with a whole lot of free time to herself, when she does get some time off, she indulges in a hobby that keeps her fit and apparently, covered in bruises. "I have a stripper pole, so I've been getting into pole dancing," she revealed in an interview with NME. "I'll put music on and dance on the pole for hours. It's so fun but I have a bunch of bruises everywhere now," she added with a laugh. 

In fact, exotic dancers have been a source of inspiration for the moves she uses in her music videos, particularly twerking. Asked by Elle to identify the talent she wished she had, Ice Spice admitted she'd love to be a better dancer. "Like, there's just some twerk moves that I just be seeing the strippers hit, that I just, I want to do that," she said. "It's like, when they move their butt at different ... yeah, that."

When Ice Spice was attending SUNY Purchase, she met a fellow student who aspired to be a record producer, going by the name RiotUSA. The two worked together on her first song, "Bully Freestyle," sparking an artistic partnership that continued with her subsequent releases and ultimately propelled her to pop stardom. "We ended up clicking, and now having so much success with 'Munch,' I think that just makes us closer," she told Vogue. 

As Ice Spice recalled to NME, while attending SUNY Purchase, she was surrounded by creative types in various artistic disciplines, including various music producers. "I had other producer friends at Purchase but they wouldn't take me seriously or saw the potential like Riot did," she said. "I would try to ask for beats and they would never send them. It's so funny because now they try to send them. Too late!"

As she told Interview, she writes her own music but remains open to RiotUSA's ideas while they're working on the track. "My producer helps me when we're in the studio together and we're bouncing ideas back and forth," she said, offering him high praise for his musical contributions. "Best producer in the city," she declared.