NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Ice Spice visits SiriusXM Studios on October 06, 2022 in New York ... [+]
New York-based rapper Ice Spice has been steadily gaining traction in the world of hip-hop, but only in recent weeks has she taken the Billboard charts by storm. In less than one month, she went from someone who was reaching for the Hot 100, Billboard’s weekly ranking of the most-consumed tracks in the U.S., to someone who seems to have no issue placing anything new on the tally.
Spice scored her first entry on the Hot 100 chart earlier this month, as her new collaboration with Lil Tjay, “Gangsta Boo,” debuted at No. 82. The single also debuted at No. 16 on the Hot Rap Songs and at No. 32 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The success of “Gangsta Boo” can be attributed, in part, to the fact that it serves as a tribute to the late rapper of the same name. The Memphis-based musician (born Lola Mitchell), who was a member of Three 6 Mafia, died on January 1st at the age of 43. The track also samples Diddy and Ginuwine’s “I Need a Girl (Part Two),” featuring Loon, Mario Winans, and Tammy Ruggieri, which helps make it feel familiar. that classic hit No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 2001.
Just two weeks later, Spice tripled her total Hot 100 hits by debuting a pair of singles onto the competitive chart simultaneously. This frame, she hits a new high on the chart alongside English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress with “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2.” That tune debuts at No. 14 on the latest chart, dated February 18. The track is a remix of PinkPantheress’ original solo “Boy’s a Liar,” which was initially released in November 2022.
At the same time that “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” begins its time on the ranking as the loftiest debut, “In Ha Mood” by Spice also arrives, opening at No. 85 on this week's Billboard Hot 100. Just weeks before, it had entered at No. 24 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 43 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, so its ascent to the main list was rapid.
Spice earned what can be considered her breakout hit, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” last fall. The cut reached No. 25 on Hot Rap Songs and No. 34 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It wasn’t a massive commercial success, but it did help introduce her to a larger audience, and it was a sign that bigger things were just on the horizon.
The rising hip-hop talent’s debut EP Like..? also introduced her to more than one Billboard chart. The short set landed at No. 13 on Top Rap Albums, No. 19 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and No. 37 on the all-genre Billboard 200. In its first frame of availability, the project earned 15,000 equivalent album units.
