Grade: C+
Whether you like her or not, Ice Spice is carrying the torch for New York drill in the mainstream. Fivio Foreign is not quite the elixir to the scene he was promised to be, Lil Tjay hasn’t released a hit in years, and dudes like Shawny Bin Laden are amazing but have a niche appeal. With ‘Like..?’ , her debut EP, Ice Spice proves once and for all that she is not a one hit wonder. While “Bikini Bottom” and the far superior phenomenon “Munch” are both included as after thoughts, it’s tracks like “In Ha Mood” and “Princess Diana” that feel like an immediate upgrade towards the Cardi B and Megan caliber.
The ingredients that make this a successful recipe are the well-produced, knocking beats from industry rookie Riot, Spice’s sly bars and hushed delivery. Lines like “I got a place for the night / But I’m too shy to invite you” is juxtaposed against others like “B*tches not takin’ sh*t from me but notes”. It’s like that scene in ‘X’ when the innocent Jenna Ortega character reveals that she’s been secretly sinful the whole time.
I’ll admit it, I was a major Ice Spice doubter. Even after defending her in comments parroting the same “lol she bends over and the audience suddenly cares”, I was nervous because she didn’t have a body of work to back her up. She’s still not quite there yet, but ‘Like…?’ is a really great start. “Princess Diana” is her definitive single in my opinion, flipping the “Ice Spice is our Princess Diana” memes on their head with a great chorus to boot. “Actin A Smoochie” takes some cues from Jersey club without giving up a bit of her style. Without the pressure of being her make-or-break point, “Munch” is a lot more fun than I remember it.
Overall, solid EP. Not perfect. Not necessarily star making. Not even as good as PinkPantherss’ debut mixtape in terms of a semi-rushed first project. But it’s a start and I’m happy to see her winning.
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