Ice Spice Breaks Nicki Minajs Spotify Record
Ice Spice, the rising rap star, has achieved a new milestone in her career. She has broken the record for the biggest streaming debut for a female rapper in global Spotify history with her feature on Taylor Swift’s “Karma (Remix)”. The remix, which was released on May 26, 2023, as part of Swift’s deluxe edition of her 10th studio album Midnights, racked up 5.036 million streams on Spotify on its first day, surpassing Nicki Minaj’s previous record of 3.021 million streams for her 2022 hit “Super Freaky Girl”. The remix also gave Ice Spice her biggest Spotify streaming day, with almost half of her 10.5 million streams from the remix.
The remix also marked the second collaboration between Ice Spice and Minaj, who previously teamed up for the “Princess Diana (Remix)” in April 2023. The song, a tribute to the late Princess of Wales and sampled Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out”, was a viral sensation and earned both rappers critical acclaim and fan admiration. Ice Spice, who hails from the Bronx, New York, has been making waves in the rap scene since her debut EP Like…?, released in January 2023 and featured a guest appearance from Lil Tjay. The EP showcased her versatile flow, witty lyrics, and catchy hooks and spawned singles such as “Munch (Feelin’ U)”, “Like…?” and “Princess Diana”.
Ice Spice has also been praised for her creative control over her music and her ownership of her masters. According to her manager, James Rosemond Jr., Ice Spice turned down several deals that could have favoured her artistic vision and independence.
“We weren’t freestyling it,” he told Billboard in an interview. “Deals came to her — production deals, 360 deals — but they were deals that I knew could be better, and to get a better deal, you have to go out and do it yourself.”Zach Friedman, co-president of 10K Projects, where Ice Spice is signed, also confirmed that Ice Spice has full autonomy over her music. He said:
“No one on the label side touches the music. There is no traditional A&R with her. No one’s picking beats. No one’s saying, ‘Do this, do that.’ It’s all here. We’re on her schedule.”Ice Spice has also been making headlines for her involvement in the soundtrack of the upcoming Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie. The soundtrack features Ice Spice alongside other artists such as Tame Impala, Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX, Khalid, Dua Lipa, Dominic Fike, and the Kid Laroi.
Experts have predicted that Ice Spice is on track to become one of the biggest rap and pop stars soon. As one music journalist put it,
“Ice Spice is not only breaking records but breaking barriers. She is proving that female rappers can be versatile, creative, independent, and successful in a male-dominated industry. She is also bridging the gap between rap and pop with her collaborations with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. She is one to watch.”
