Female rap emerged in the 1970s. However, during the 1990s, it became the heart of pop culture. Popular female rappers, such as Foxy Brown, Lil Kim, Eve, and Trina, dominated the 90s and early 2000s, showing the world that women can be fashionistas with sex appeal and still rap with men!
Female Rap Evolution
From fashion trends to beauty trends, female rappers have inspired pop singers, magazine editors and creative directors, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, nail technicians, fashion designers, and much more! However, despite female rappers’ contribution to popular culture, female rap wasn’t considered “commercial” or mainstream, causing it to decline in the late 2000s.
On November 22, 2010, Nicki Minaj released her debut album “Pink Friday,” ultimately breathing new life into female rap. Thanks to Minaj, female rap is a commercial success, making it no surprise that she earned the title “Queen of Hip-Hop.” For over a decade, Minaj inspired numerous female rappers on a global scale by becoming a music mogul in a male-dominated industry. One of those female rappers is Ice Spice.
When Nicki Minaj’s name is mentioned in an interview, Ice Spice expresses her admiration and respect for the mogul, but make no mistake, Ice Spice is here to show the world why The New York Times crowned her “Princess of Hip-Hop.” With her unique sound and style, Ice Spice breathes life into modern female rap.
In her rookie season, she has garnered more than 17 monthly listeners on Spotify! As a new artist, that’s impressive. What’s even more amazing is that her most popular song on Spotify, “Boy’s A Liar Pt.2,” has accumulated more than 47 million streams in less than a month!
Who Is Ice Spice?
Ice Spice was born and raised in Bronx, New York, which is known as the birthplace of Hip-Hop. On Oct. 26, 2022, Billboard crowned the rapstress as its ‘R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month.’ In addition, according to Billboard, the 23-year-old rapper scored a $3 million dollar deal with independent record label “10K Projects.”
Before fame, Ice Spice began making a name for herself by uploading music videos on YouTube. Her debut music video for her hit viral song “No Clarity” has garnered more than 7 million views, and 100K likes on YouTube since its release in 2021.
Like..?
On Jan. 20, 2023, Ice Spice released her surprise debut 6-track EP “Like..?.” Two weeks after its release, the EP debuted at No.37 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, selling 15K total. Since then, it has surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify. All six tracks from the EP are a massive success, opening the door for Ice Spice to become the “Princess of Hip-Hop.”
Starting from the top of the EP, “In Ha Mood” as a single has sold over 100,000 units in the US, garnered more than 22 million streams on Spotify, accumulated more than 300K video posts on TikTok, and has recently peaked at No.85 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In addition, the official music video for In Ha Mood has gained more than 7 million views on YouTube! The second track, “Princess Diana,” pays homage to the late Princess Diana, ultimately becoming a TikTok viral sensation, accumulating more than 26K video posts on the platform.
The official lyric video for Princess Diana has garnered more than 705K views on YouTube. The third track, “Gangsta Boo,” featuring Lil Tjay, debuted at No.95 on the US Spotify chart with 366K streams, accumulated more than 35K video posts on TikTok, and has gained more than 11 million streams on Spotify. The official visualizer for the fourth track, “Actin A Smoochie,” has gained over 164K views on YouTube.
The fifth track, “Bikini Bottom,” has accumulated more than 24 million streams on Spotify, and the official music video has surpassed 12 million views on YouTube. The last track, “Munch,” has played a vital role in Ice Spice’s rise to fame. Rap superstar Drake reached out to the Bronx rapper via Instagram, giving her the validation she needed to keep going.
Since receiving recognition from Drake for her hit viral single Munch, the song has accumulated more than 47 million streams on Spotify, gained more than 580K video posts on TikTok, and the official music video has surpassed 29 million views on YouTube.
What’s Next For Ice Spice?
Ice Spice kicked off 2023 on the right track. But as we know, it’s never about how you start. It’s how you finish. Can the raptress keep the momentum? Since the beginning of the year, Ice Spice has gained fame, wealth, and access to industry events. The Bronx rapper made several public appearances for New York’s February Fall/Winter 2023 Fashion Week. In addition, Ice Spice is the new face for Beyonce’s clothing line “Ivy Park.”
Nonetheless, becoming known in the fashion industry is a great marketing strategy for the Bronx rapper. You never know which famous designer will want you to wear their exclusive designs in a music video! Ice Spice may be a new artist, but there’s more than meets the eye. She is definitely the female rapper to watch out for in 2023! Add Trill Mag to your favorites, bookmarks, reading list, and/or home screen to stay updated on the latest news in pop culture, sports, music, and more!
