Isis Naija Gaston, known as Ice Spice, is an American rapper.
Born the eldest of five siblings, she was raised in the heart of the Bronx, New York City, and grew up listening to the likes of Nikki Minaj, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent, who inspired her to pursue her own career as a rapper.
Ice Spice’s breakout moment came in 2022 when her single, “Munch (Feelin’ U)”, went viral on TikTok, with thousands of users dancing or mouthing along to a clip of the song. Spice has gone on to collaborate with some of the biggest artists in the industry on songs such as “Princess Diana” with Nikki Minaj and Taylor Swift’s “Karma”. Both tracks have been hits, on the Billboard charts and social media, where Ice Spice regularly makes her own videos explaining the meanings behind her lyrics. She and Nikki Manij have also worked together on a track together for the Barbie (2023) movie soundtrack.
She received her first-ever Moon Person award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in the Best New Artist category. She walked into the ceremony with four nominations, including two in the Song of Summer category for her collaborations: “Karma” with Taylor Swift and “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj, who also hosted the event. These nominations marked a significant milestone for Ice Spice, capping off a remarkable year for the breakout artist.
Ice Spice has referred to herself interchangeably as bisexual and queer. She has tweeted about what she finds attractive, joking “what’s it called when you’re attracted to masculinity in women and femininity in men” and telling one podcast host she prefers “good girls and good boys.”