Ice Spice on the Notion That She’s Not a Lyricist: ‘It’s Just Not True’

Ice Spice is setting the record straight on her reputation as an artist.

In a new interview with Nylon, the Bronx rapper opened up about the persistent criticism that she isn’t a lyricist, a narrative she admits she unintentionally allowed to take hold by not engaging with it.

“I think my mistake was basically… What’s the word? Letting people feel like they were right a little bit,” Ice said. “Like people were trying to say that I’m not a lyricist, and I just kind of went in with the attitude of ‘Yeah, they’re right. I’m not.’ But it’s just not true.”

She reflected on how her silence gave critics too much power, explaining, “I didn’t really feel like having to prove that. But I figured I’d let you know that I definitely knew I was [a lyricist]. The whole time. I just let them say what they want and be happy with that.”

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Since breaking out in 2022 with “Munch (Feelin’ U),” Ice Spice has been celebrated for her distinctive delivery and scrutinized by those who question her pen game. Yet her rapid rise, where she earned collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and PinkPantheress, underscores her cultural impact in just a few years.

Now, as she gears up for the next phase of her career, Ice seems ready to more openly claim her place as a writer and rapper. Last month, Ice scrubbed her Instagram page and dropped a new teaser previewing a new single, presumably called “Baddie Baddie,” that samples M.I.A.’s 2012 hit “Bad Girls.”

“They said they wanted a bop, I was just poppin’ my s**t/ I ain’t even really mean to go pop,” she raps in the video. “He was just begging to hit, I don’t be giving you n****s a shot.”

She added, “I know he don’t want me for me / I know he just wants what I got / Baddie, baddie, I’m feelin’ nasty.”