She might not rock with the XXL Freshman Class nod but it’s clear Ice Spice sees the value in getting major respect placed on her name courtesy of Apple Music. The streaming giant goes all-in on showing her ample love and attention by securing her as the Up Next artist.

Ice Spice keeps leveling up as Apple Music’s Up Next star

Whether it’s the endless anthems she’s putting out or just how much she glows when the camera flicks, the Bronx native is showing out in a big way for Apple Music with a short film to cement her rap game presence.

Apple Music today announced Bronx rapper Ice Spice as the latest addition to its Up Next program, Apple Music's monthly artist initiative geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising talent. 

The 23-year-old rapper has had a meteoric rise since her drill anthem “Munch (Feelin’ U)” went viral on TikTok in 2022, which she soon followed with the six-track chart-topping debut EP Like..?. Since then, Ice’s inherently New York sound and her swaggering lyricism have opened the door to collaborations with some of the biggest names in the music industry: PinkPantheress, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. To date, her music has reached Apple Music's Daily Top 100 in 142 countries worldwide, including 55 where it has reached the Top 10. In the first six months of 2023, her streams grew 868% on Apple Music, and her streams on major Apple Music editorial playlists, like Rap Life and High Maintenance, grew over 1,300%. It’s no wonder she was included among Shazam's Predictions 2023 playlist, a collaboration with Apple Music that predicts 50 artists that are poised to have a breakthrough year.  

"Thank you to my fans for helping me get this far in my career," said Ice Spice. "I'm excited to share pieces of my journey with you all on Apple Music!”

In her exclusive Apple Music Up Next short film out today, Ice shows off some of her favorite stomping grounds in the Bronx, talks about being a role model for young women, and is flooded by fans in her neighborhood as they spot their hometown hero. In her sit-down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, also out today, Ice talks candidly about having mentors in Minaj and Drake, being smart about her career following her rapid rise to fame, and her excitement for the upcoming Doja Cat tour.

Apple Music subscribers can add the deluxe version of her EP Like..? today ahead of the full release on 7/21, and check out selections from the rest of the artists in the Up Next series here.

Need to learn more about the Apple Music Up Next program? Want to know what artists have secured this honor in the past? Say less.

Up Next is Apple Music's monthly artist program geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising star talent. Each month, Apple Music's editorial team selects an artist to promote, utilizing the full force of the platform to raise awareness of the artist to its growing global audience of music fans. The program includes an Apple Music short film shot entirely on iPhone introducing the artist, an interview with one of our Apple Music radio anchors, a late night TV performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and more. The vast Up Next roster of past talent includes Grammy-nominated and critically lauded talent like 6lack, Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Claudio, Sigrid, Mr Eazi, Stefflon Don, Bad Bunny, Juice WLRD, Bazzi, Jax Jones, NCT 127, Summer Walker, Tierra Whack, Dean Lewis, Pink Sweat$, Koffee, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, Clairo, Lunay, Jessie Reyez, Orville Peck, Victoria Monét, Ingrid Andress, Conan Gray, Don Toliver, Rema, BENEE, Holly Humberstone, Natanael Cano, Givēon, beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Tate McRae, Zoe Wees, Morray, Fousheé, Amorphous, Tems, Parker McCollum, Jay Wheeler, Shenseea, Omar Apollo, Jvck James, aespa and Yahritza Y Su Esencia, Amelia Moore, FLO, SoFaygo, Bailey Zimmerman, GloRilla, Saint Harison, and more.

In 2023, Apple Music's Up Next artist program has expanded into its seventh year and includes a curated companion Up Next playlist featuring a dynamic class of new and emerging artists, thoughtfully hand-picked by Apple Music editors from around the world. The playlist is genre and country agnostic and represents a line-up of artists our global editors are passionate about and eager to expose to a larger audience. In March 2021, Apple Music expanded the Up Next program to feature localized campaigns that highlight artists across the U.S., U.K., Australia/New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greater China, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Netherlands, Nigeria, Nordics, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey. As the newest induction into Apple Music's Up Next roster, Ice Spice joins some of today's most exciting and promising artists and will serve as the official Up Next playlist cover star to be spotlighted throughout the month.