Ice Spice Claims ‘Girl’s Girl’ Narrative in Rap is Fake

In a recent exclusive interview, Ice Spice, the breakout rap sensation at the age of 23, opened up about her experiences in the music industry. Born as Isis Naija Gaston, she didn’t hold back when discussing the challenges she’s faced, including subtle hostility from fellow artists, while emphasizing the role of competition in her motivation.

Regarding her thoughts on the female rap industry, Ice Spice candidly remarked:

“It is a competition at the end of the day. People want to be all ‘I’m a girl’s girl,’ but then behind the scenes being b***hes,”

She went on to express her excitement about the accomplishments of female artists in the industry, even though she didn’t name anyone specific as the “b***hes” she mentioned earlier. Ice Spice has generally managed to steer clear of public feuds, although there was brief speculation earlier this year about a possible conflict with JT from City Girls over a Lil Uzi shout-out. Insiders later clarified that there was no actual feud.

Continuing her interview, the artist behind “Deli” delved deeper into her belief that competition is a driving force for everyone in the music industry today. With rap icon Nicki Minaj’s decade-long reign in the female rap scene, many talented artists like Ice Spice, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Latto, Coi Leray, and GloRilla have made significant names for themselves, selling millions of records and performing to sold-out crowds.

Speaking about her fellow female rap competitors, Ice Spice noted:

“I feel like the competition is what keeps us all excited because I think we all secretly enjoy competing and seeing who put that sh*t on better and who’s gon’ get the most views.”

She continues:

“I can be transparent, and I know the competition is checking on me too, which is why it’s OK to say that. Because it’s like, ‘Yeah, girl, I’m watching you and I know you watching me.’ And boys are watching too, because they be secretly haters…But everybody today is competing with everybody no matter if you a boy, girl, nonbinary, whatever it is. You still checking in on your competition. That’s in every industry.”

For Ice Spice, her rapid ascent to fame has placed her in a league of her own. Hailing from New York, she entered the scene in 2021 and quickly gained traction with her viral single “Munch” in 2022. Ice Spice made history by claiming the title of “artist with the most Hot 100 top-five singles” in the same year, thanks to popular collaborations such as “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” with Pink Pantheress and her hit single “Princess Diana,” featuring a guest appearance by rap queen Nicki Minaj.

More recently, Ice Spice joined forces with country-pop star Taylor Swift for a remix of “Karma” and contributed to Minaj’s single for the billion-dollar “Barbie” movie, “Barbie World.” All four tracks climbed to the top 10 of the Hot 100, marking an impressive start to her career. The rising star also bagged numerous awards this year, including the VMA’s “Best New Artist” and Billboard’s “Rookie of the Year,” showing no signs of slowing down.

In another intriguing aspect of the interview, Ice Spice credited her meteoric rise to her “genius” marketing skills. She proudly stated:

“People be trying to act like I’m dumb, and I’m just like, I’m a marketing f***ing genius…I feel like that just comes from being from New York, having to be quick on your feet, having to be witty and having a fast comeback. Having so many siblings and cousins just gave me that smarta** mouth that I have and being able to react quickly. I think people with a smarta** mouth make for good marketers.”