Rapper-songwriter Ice Spice’s rise on Hollywood’s music scene has been meteoric. While her tracks have topped the charts and become viral sensations, critics and fans alike have often questioned her prowess as a wordsmith, making her doubt her own talent at times.
But whenever the criticism gets to her and she is feeling doubtful, the rapper recalls a simple but powerful piece of advice that pop icon Taylor Swift once gave her.
“Taylor said, ‘As long as you keep making music, everything’s going to be fine,’” Ice Spice shared in a latest interview. She further revealed how the advice has helped her become a more confident lyricist.
“The thing about Taylor is that she keeps it so real. Whenever I’m feeling doubtful or not as confident, having writer’s block no matter what it is, things like that really, really stand out to me. She said that to me a few years ago, and it still stood with me,” the Bronx star said.
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The rapper admits that she inadvertently allowed the narrative to fester by not addressing it. “People were trying to say that I’m not a lyricist. I didn’t really feel like having to prove that. But it’s just not true,” she said.
She conceded that, at first, she chose not to push back against the narrative, but ultimately had to draw a line. “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,” said the 25-year-old whose real name is Isis Naija Gaston.
On the work front, Ice Spice made her acting debut in the Spike Lee-directed film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ alongside Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky. She also dropped her latest single, ‘Baddie Baddie’, built around a reimagining of M.I.A.’s ‘Bad Girls’.