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Isis Naija Gaston, popularly known as Ice Spice, has quickly made her way toward becoming one of the most talked about artists in the music industry. Within just a few years, she has collaborated with highly acclaimed singers like Taylor Swift and Cardi B and has gotten herself several Grammy nominations along with other accolades.
Ice Spice recently released her debut studio album Y2K!, which includes guest appearances from hip-hop stars like Gunna, Travis Scott, and Central Cee. However, the rapper was nervous about one song in the album, Gimmie A Light, as she wasn't sure whether it would get clearance.
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Gimmie A Light is the penultimate song of Ice's debut album and it sampled Sean Paul's 2002 chartbuster Gimme The Light. In an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music, before the song's release on May 10, the Bronx rapper opened up about the jitters regarding it.
“I was really nervous because we really wanted to have a very authentic Y2K sample in there, and Sean Paul, he’s legendary. And that song alone, his ‘Gimme The Light,’ is so iconic that I was so nervous to sample it, because I’m like, ‘This isn’t going to get cleared, so what’s the point?” commented Ice.
However, Ice Spice ultimately got the clearance and was thankful to veteran rapper Sean Paul for his cooperation.
“Thankfully we got it cleared. Shouts to Sean Paul. He’s so real,” inferred the Bronx rapper.
Ice Spice's Gimmie A Light – a commercial success
Ice Spice decided to perform Gimmie A Light much before its official release date, during her set at Coachella in April 2024. Upon release on May 10, the song did well in several countries and peaked at #24 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.
The rapper mixes hip-hop and reggae in the song and turns it into a Bronx drill beat. Ice also disses fellow rapper Latto in the song through the lines:
"Like, why would I beef with a flop? (Grrah) / Like let's talk drill (Grrah) / Who bigger than she? (Like) / Who prettier too? (Like) / Two-fifty to get in the booth (Damn)."
The music video for Gimmie A Light is directed by the Bronx rapper herself, along with George Buford and Frederick, and has accumulated seven million views within less than three months. In the video, Ice Spice can be seen smoking and dancing inside a Range Rover with the number plate "Y2K!".
Ice Spice's debut album received mixed reviews from critics and audiences but it turned out to be a definite commercial success nonetheless. According to Metacritic, the album got a modest average score of 65 out of 100, while AnyDecentMusic? gave it a score of 5.7 out of 10.
Y2K! has been a chart-topper despite the perceivably mixed reviews. The album peaked at #18 on the US Billboard 200 chart while it got a podium finish on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In the interview with Zane Lowe, the Bronx rapper thanked her mother for being the inspiration, as she embodied the "Y2K aesthetic" according to her.
“Thankfully, I had my mom, so growing up I’d see her really embody the Y2K aesthetic in its truest form. [To me, the aesthetic is] duck nails. It’s a tramp stamp. It’s brown lip liner no matter where you go. So thankfully I had her [my mom] as my inspo growing up. And of course just like the internet, you feel me? Just like anyone else.”
Ice Spice announced the Y2K! World Tour from July 4 to August 31, comprising twenty-five shows across North America and Europe.
