Ice Spice Reveals Why She Wouldn't Call Herself A "Lyricist"

BYGabriel Bras NevaresPublished on October 16, 20236.5K Views

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 21: American rapper Ice Spice performs onstage during day one of Rolling Loud Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on July 21, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

The Bronx MC definitely has bars, but she said that she wants the appeal behind her music to not go over people's heads.

Ice Spice has a lot to reflect and look back on when it comes to 2023, which was the year she really catapulted to undeniable fame. During a recent, thorough, and engaging interview with Complex, she dished on pretty much everything going on around her, including her next career moves and how her personal life has changed since the fame. However, despite all this success and acclaim, many still take aim at the rapper and believe she doesn't deserve it. Many point to her lyricism and skills as a rapper as "evidence" of this, but it turns out that it's a bit of a misguided critique. After all, not even the "Pretty Girl" MC would consider herself a hardcore hip-hop penwoman, and that's not because of a lack of skill or talent.

"I wouldn't consider myself a lyricist," Ice Spice told the publication during their conversation. "Obviously, lyrics go into music and I do think about them and I do be having bars in my music, but they're just super simple. I want them to be digestible, I don't want them to fly over people's heads and they never catch it."

Is Ice Spice A "Lyricist"? She Doesn't Think So

Furthermore, this is probably the kind of statement that will inspire a lot of debate about the weight behind lyrics. For many, the main factor to consider here is that Ice Spice isn't making music that is meant to serve analysis, messaging, metaphors, symbolism, and the like. As she said, they're simple bars- which can still be catchy, impactful, and impressive- because that's not what she's going for as a whole. If the 23-year-old was instead hopping on Daringer beats and boasting about her lyrical prowess, then it would be a different story.

Meanwhile, with her recent SNL performance fresh in our minds, it's clear that the hype around her isn't dying down anytime soon. Maybe the Bronx native will one day become the lyricist that so many pressure her to be, but that doesn't seem likely. She's much rather serve her own vision and focus on the unique things she can offer. For more news and the latest updates on Ice Spice, come back to HNHH.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.