Did Ice Spice work at Wendy's? Rapper’s journey to fame explored

Ice Spice, a.k.a. Isis Naija Gaston, has earned a prominent name in the rap industry, but little do fans know about her humble beginnings. Ice was always determined to make music and practiced rapping while working as a Wendy's store cashier during her University days.

The rapper was first introduced to music and rap through her father, Joseph Gaston, who was an underground rapper. At the early age of seven, Ice developed an interest in hip-hop and regularly listened to Nicki Minaj, Lil' Kim, and other major rappers.

Nicki Minaj, who had long been one of the most prominent modern female rappers, served as a great inspiration for Ice and deepened her interest in music. The young Ice took her first major steps towards music soon after entering elementary school and began writing freestyle raps and poems. She continued experimenting with music and wrote numerous pieces till high school.

Ice was first introduced to music through her father (Image via aras Griffin/Getty Images)

The rapper crowned herself with the famed moniker, Ice Spice, around this time. By 2018, she graduated high school and was enrolled at the State University of New York. She soon joined the university's volleyball team as the defensive specialist and enjoyed a great gaming season. However, she dropped out in her sophomore year after feeling it was not the right fit for her.

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A look at Ice Spice's journey to fame

Ice Spice started working as a cashier at her local Wendy's store sometime after dropping out of the State University. She also worked in a similar position at the clothing and accessories retailer, The Gap, for some time.

Not much is known about what the rapper did in terms of music during that year, but she officially began her rapping career in 2021. Ice released her debut song, Bully Freestyle, in March 2021. It was released through the record producer, RiotUSA, whom Ice met during her university years. The two were also speculated to be dating each other.

Ice gained traction on Twitter in the same year after posting a video of herself doing the then-popular 'Buss It' challenge. The internet popularity pushed the rapper into the limelight and her music started enticing fans nationwide.

Without making fans wait for too long, the rapper released another single, Munch (Feelin’ U), on August 10, 2022. The single received support from Drake and rose to popularity in no time. While it was already trending on social media, it also found its way to the Billboard charts. It peaked at the fifth position on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

Ice Spice released her first rap song, Bully Freestyle, in March 2021 (Image via Catherine Powell/Getty Images)

Ice Spice followed up the hit single with her debut EP, Like..?, which was released on January 20, 2023. The extended play album included Munch as the lead single, along with hit tracks - In Ha Mood, Princess Diana, Gangsta Boo, Actin a Smoochie, and Bikini Bottom.

The EP peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard 200 and ranked fifth on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. While Ice Spice has not released any new projects recently, her music and fame continue to grow. The rapper's 2023 EP, Like..?, has been a major success with over 500,000 album-equivalent units sold across the States.

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As of the writing, Ice Spice is working on her debut studio album called Y2K! The rapper is speculated to release the album on July 26. She first announced the project earlier this year on January 31 and has already released four singles - Think U the Sh*t, Gimmie a Light, Phat B*tt, and Did it First. The other six tracks on the album are yet to be revealed.