Ice Spice: The New York rap star talks Taylor Swift collaboration, Drake and Doja Cat touring

Rap star Ice Spice is leveling up in a big way and has dished out on just how much she’s glowed up over the past 12 months. So it’s only right the hip-hop heavyweight talks to Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe on everything from Doja Cat touring and Taylor Swift collaborating to rap mentors like Nicki Minaj and Drake.

As we always do around this time, kick back and check out the details.

Ice Spice on collaborating with Taylor Swift…

I was home and my manager called me, and was like, "Oh, Taylor wants you on a record." And I'm like, "Taylor?"

He texted me, "Oh, call me. I have to tell you something," whatever. And he usually would just text me anything. Right?

So I'm like, "Okay." And I was having a really bad day also, I would like to say that. I was having a terrible day. I was crying all morning because I was just so mad at something. And then he called me with that news. And then I cried more, because it was good news. 

"My life is a rollercoaster. How I started the day crying and I'm ending it crying, but for different reasons."

It was amazing. We went to the studio and she's so humble and so nice. I kid you not. I pulled up to the studio and she outside waiting for me. I'm like, "Why is Taylor Swift outside?” Like, "Taylor, what are you doing here?” So she's great. She's so funny. We text all the time. She is fucking hilarious. I'm not going to lie. She's the funniest person ever.

Ice Spice on Taylor Swift bringing her out during her Eras Tour...

After the show, because shout out to her, she brought me out to her stadium shows. Can you believe that? I did a stadium show before an arena. That was nuts. I'm not going to lie.

[The audience felt like] Little lights twinkling. And no, but it's crazy because you hear all this, the roar that you hear in a Taylor Swift show is unmatched. I don't think I've ever heard that. And there's so many... So I tried to watch the show. Sorry, I'm jumping everywhere. I'm just so excited about this experience. But I tried to watch the show and I was like, "No one's going to notice me. They're paying attention to whatever." So I'm standing there trying to be low-key. And then this one little seven year old girl screams my name. And she was like, "Ice Spice." She was like, "'Boy's a Liar', ‘In Ha Mood'." And I'm like, "Oh my gosh, she's so fucking cute." And then a bunch of other little girls just appeared and they just was trying to take pictures. And I was like, "All right, child. Let me go back to the dressing room and wait until it's my turn to come out." But her show was amazing, and I'm just so grateful. Like 200,000 people, I think we performed for.

Ice Spice Tells Apple Music about having Nicki Minaj and Drake as mentors…

I feel like I am absorbing advice from her [Nicki] and learning from her and stuff. And she'll tell me, “Learn from my mistake, do this or don't do that," or whatever. And I just really pay attention to what she’s saying. Because if there's anyone I'm going to listen to it's the queen.

[With Drake] We talk all the time and we're always just laughing about some things that go on. And I'll ask him, "What should I do with this? Or how'd you go about this? Or did you ever experience that?" And he'll... I'm not going to give real examples, but- ... he'll tell me, "I did this and you should do that too, because you can." And I'll be like, “You're right. Period.  I'm going to do that." It's like coach vibes.

Ice Spice on her upcoming tour with Doja Cat…

Yes. I'm so excited. Yes. The way she announced that and who was rolling out, I was like, "Okay, that might be the tour of the year." For you to be going out there and playing on a stage like that with someone who I feel had, in her own way, a similar experience. She came out and she was really counted out. People didn't really understand the level of talent, the level of commitment, of hard work, of discipline. She's proven that time and time again. Now no one doubts it anymore. It's like she's lived three lives in one life. So what's your sort of relationship with her at this point? Are you both just mutual fans of each other? Have you connected, have you been able to share these experiences? She's real, real, real sweet. She's real nice. And we just need to chill some more. You know what I'm saying?

To really vibe a little more. But I love her down. I'm really a fan of her. My little sister put me onto her in 2018. Wow. And I remember watching her right before she actually blew up crazy. And I was watching her tour and she did a mini tour in Europe or something. And I was so inspired by her and just watching her, I was like, "Wow, I just know she's going to be big." And then later that year, she was the biggest thing on the planet. Yeah. I think she's better than me at that.

Ice Spice on meeting North West and inspiring young people…

Ice Spice: I have so many fans in high school and in middle school and even babies. I love seeing little babies dance to my music and stuff like that. And just for my siblings and just myself, my music inspires myself. I'm not going to lie.

Zane Lowe: And also that idea of being able to, like you say, manifest something into action. How do you think you're going to feel when an artist comes up to you and looks at you the way you looked at Nicki?

Ice Spice: I feel like that's going to be crazy, but I'm not going to lie, some people kind of do that now. Yeah, especially when I meet such young fans and stuff. When I met North West, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. And I was like, "Girl, you're more famous than me." She's great though. 

Zane Lowe: And that means that she's going to hear your music and be a fucking fan. Just be a fan.

Ice Spice: Yeah. She's great though. Aw, she's so cute. But those are the fans and that age group and stuff like that, that I really want to inspire. Because they're so innocent and they're so cute and they just want to have fun.

Ice Spice on growing up in the Bronx…

A childhood in the Bronx, I'm not going to lie, is fun, for me. That's how my childhood was. I know a lot of people in the Bronx have different experiences, especially depending on what part of the Bronx you from. But I had a fun childhood. I mean, I only know it from my perspective. I don't know... You know what I'm saying? It's hard to compare it to other people. Huge music place, yeah. When you're walking on Fordham, stores just playing music to try to get you to come in. The stores will have the music playing and on a speaker outside.