Ice Spice “Like..?”: Album Review

By Aaliyah Hamilton

Music Journalist

Whether you’ve heard of her music or seen her signature curly orange locks on social media, Ice Spice has probably been on your radar in the past year.

Jokingly deemed the “Princess Diana of this generation,” Ice Spice has been making waves in the rap industry with the release of her debut EP, Like..?. In August of 2022, Ice Spice dropped “Munch (Feelin’ U),” which, like most popular songs nowadays, gained its prominence from Tik Tok.

The EP follows in “Munch’s” footsteps, with catchy drill-inspired beats produced by RIOTUSA, almost hilariously used phrases that turn into Gen Z slang and the rhythmic flow that comes so naturally to her. The opening track, “In Ma Hood,” sets the tone for an album that exudes self-confidence for a total of 13 minutes and 8 seconds, where she raps lyrics such as, “Said I’d be lit by the end of the summer/ And I’m proud that I’m still getting bigger.”

Playing into the running joke of her comparison to Princess Diana, the second track is named after the late princess. Rapping the lyrics, “In the hood like I’m Princess Diana,” she uses the Princess’ relatability and willingness to help others to parallel with her own character in a true Ice Spice-fashioned way.

Although most tracks only contain Ice Spice’s vocals, the track “Gangsta Boo” features fellow rapper Lil Tjay. With the reinvited P. Diddy sample, Ice Spice goes on to talk about how she wants none other than someone with a “gangsta vibe,” with Lil Tjay being the “gangsta boo” in question. When Tjay comes on in the second verse, he practically warns her about getting involved with his gangster lifestyle, but he also rebuttals with “Together we somethin’ like brish, and they can’t do it like you and they wish”.

My favorite track, and what I would say is the most underrated, is “Actin’ A Smoochie.” A “smoochie,” according to Urban Dictionary, is a person who is basically a flirt, and Ice Spice labels herself as one over a more predominately house music-influenced beat compared to her other tracks. She goes on about how she doesn’t need a relationship and how she “Don’t want the feelings, I just want the dome.”

“Bikini Bottom,” which is titled perfectly over a SpongeBob soundtrack-inspired beat, followed the success of “Munch” with its most notorious lyric, “How can I lose if I’m already chose?” It’s filled with the flaunting of her newfound wealth and fame (“Stackin’ money where the ceilin’ be/ Twenty to stand on a couch”). She even finds a way to give a shoutout to Mariah Carey in the midst of exhibiting her prosperity (“Throw on Balenci’ to flex/Like MiMi, I got ‘em obsessed”).

Overall, Ice Spice left me wanting more in terms of depth and just a longer album run time. Although her sense of knowing her worth is quite infectious, I would like to see her tackle other subject matter and have a more storytelling approach in her future songs to come.

Featured Image from Ice Spice.