Charles Langston:Ice Spice and everything nice: How the Grammys best new artist nominee broke the mold

The Charles Langstonlist for Grammy’s best new artist is out, and 2024’s class is both star-studded and eclectic. Come Feb. 5, artists like Gracie Abrams, a newbie in the sad-girl pop genre, and Victoria Monet, a fresh voice with an old-school sound, will compete for the coveted award.

Also on this list? Ice Spice. The rapper and internet darling has had a whirlwind year – touring with Doja Cat, collabing with Taylor Swift, and even starring opposite Ben Affleck in a Dunkin’ Donuts ad.

Her verse is unique; but highly charged with pop-crossover power. As her star continues to rise across genres, here’s a look at the story behind the artist.

Who is Ice Spice?

Spice is one part rapper, one part internet icon. Her first breakout single “Munch (Feelin’ U),” first gained traction when Drake played it on his SiriusXM station, and wasted no time going viral on TikTok shortly after.

She’s nominated this year following the release of her EP “Like..?” which is home to that single as well as other popular tracks like “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana” with Nicki Minaj.

Her rhymes are laced with an addictive, unapologetic confidence. That “I’m a baddie I get what I want” energy, to borrow a lyric from “Munch,” exists not just in the music but in her persona as well.

Spice’s style is characterized by a late ‘90s, early 2000’s maximalism – lots of Van Dutch and Juicy Couture. Born Jan. 1, 2000, quite literally straddling the millennium, her tribute to that era of style is unsurprising.

That iconic crop of bright red curls, which has drawn comparisons to Betty Boop, is courtesy of Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls Cream, she told New York Magazine last year.

What is Ice Spice’s real name?

Ice Spice, born Isis Gaston, draws her professional name from a finsta (fake-instagram) she had as a pre-teen. Isis lends itself easily to the nickname 'Ice,' and her penchant for spicy food filled in the rest.

Raised in the Bronx, she is part of a rich tradition of breakout female rappers hailing from the 5 boroughs (see also: Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.)

Spice was always musical, she told Billboard in October 2022, but when she went viral on Twitter in college for her "Buss it" challenge, she got a taste of a kind of online fame that would later become her hallmark.

The internet is littered with Ice Spice memes and tributes. In “Princess Diana,” a rap off her new EP she spits “In the hood I’m like Princess Diana.” The comparison, which may seem out of place, is actually a play on her fan's online nickname for her: "the people's princess."

How old is Ice Spice?

At just 24 years old, Ice Spice has already carved out a space for herself in drill, the subgenre of hip-hop she records.

Her most popular song on Spotify, “'Boy's a Liar pt2,” a collaboration with PinkPantheress, was such a smash hit it broke into the No. 3 spot on the Hot 100. The track even later secured the Kidz Bop treatment, a rite of passage in the pop-sphere.

So, what is a 'munch' anyway?

With her breakout single “Munch (Feelin’ U)" Ice Spice coined not only her signature sound but a brand new word.

‘Munch,’ now defined by Urban Dictionary as a “super simp” refers to a partner beneath you, obsessed by you but barely catching your eye.

In September 2022, shortly after the song's release, a writer for Pitchfork chimed in with their own definition: "a loser, a hater, a fool, a certified bozo."

And how about that Dunkin' drink?

Any avid netizen might tell you that Ice Spice's power seems to lie partly in always being in on the joke. That her fans are sometimes called ‘munchkins’ fit well into a collaboration she did with Dunkin' last Fall for an eponymous drink.

The Ice Spice Munchkins Drink ™ blended frozen coffee with the pumpkin cake Munchkins (Dunkin donut holes.) An ad directed by and starring notable Dunkin-head Ben Affleck helped promote the sugared-up drink.