“That’s her boyfriend? They’re acting like they don’t f–ing know each other!” was what a flabbergasted Dana White had to say to Ice Spice and her rumored boyfriend, UFC star Sauce Gardner.
The roasting happened during a UFC event after the kiss cam landed on the couple, and, in an awkward moment of silence, nothing happened.
Ice Spice, seemingly uncomfortable, leaned away and gave an uneasy laugh, ignoring the prompt, while Gardner simply shook his head.
The cringeworthy moment immediately went viral, with many netizens sharing White’s disbelief.
Ice Spice is an American rapper best known for the songs “Karma” with pop icon Taylor Swift and “Princess Diana” with rap queen Nicki Minaj. If you’re a fan of the Bronx-born rapper, you’re right where you need to be.
Learn Ice Spice’s age, real name, and career timeline in this comprehensive biography.
How Old Is Ice Spice?
Ice Spice, whose real name is Isis Naija Gaston, was born on January 1, 2000, making the popular rapper 25 years old at the time of this writing.
The Grammy-nominated rapper grew up in New York City. She started making music immediately after graduating from high school, all while working for her degree at Purchase College.
Ice Spice invaded the public’s consciousness through viral TikTok clips and musical hits, particularly her 2022 rap song, “Munch (Feeling U).”
Beloved by the young audience for her distinctively gritty sound blended with boisterous language, the rapper has dominated the Billboard Hot 100 multiple times since her debut.
“I don’t think everybody is ever fully prepared for fame,” the 25-year-old “Deli” hitmaker commented about her meteoric rise to fame in an interview. “I feel like everybody could just learn as they go.”
Early Life
Image source: Google
Before the red carpets and the glowing lights, Isis Naija Gaston grew up in the streets of Fordham Road in the western parts of the Bronx, New York.
She was the oldest of five siblings, born to parents Joseph Gaston and Charina Almanzar. Her mother met his former rapper father as a teenager and had Ice Spice at 17.
Unfortunately, Ice Spice’s parents separated when she was just two. The divorce came as a massive blow to the rapper’s family, as both her parents got into other relationships and had more children.
“Growing up, I would get jealous that my other siblings had siblings that came from the same mom and dad,” the “In Ha Mood” driller told Interview Magazine. “But now that I’m older, I just feel special.”
While her parents worked, Ice Spice was left in the care of her relatives. As a teen, she attended Sacred Heart High School and later enrolled at Purchase College to get a degree in communications.
That said, her relationship with her parents, particularly her mother, only grew stronger over time. And Ice Spice is thankful, despite the unfortunate events of her past.
“We kind of grew up together,” Ice Spice said in the same interview, talking about her mother, Charina. “She’s a little crazy, but I’m thankful because that’s why I am who I am. It’s chaotic, but we love each other [deep] down.”
Image source: Facebook
She described her father as “more level,” which, she believes, also contributed to how she became what she is today.
How Did Ice Spice Become Famous?
Like many new generation influencers and artists today, Ice Spice became famous by going viral on one of the most popular video-sharing platforms, TikTok.
And, as I said, in a similar fashion to many online celebrities, her internet break came as unexpectedly as a bolt from the blue.
It happened in 2021, when Ice Spice joined the online “Buss It” challenge, dancing to the beat of Erica Banks’ song. In her version, the future rap icon transitioned from wearing her “homebody” outfit to an attire flaunting her curves.
And, as expected, the internet loved it.
That one clip gained millions of impressions on TikTok, placing the Bronx-born rapper’s name on the map. Around this time, she was also working on releasing her debut song, “Bully Freestyle.”
Banking on her overnight popularity, Ice Spice quickly dived into making music, dropping out of her university. She then collaborated with a friend and producer, RIOTUSA, to make her follow-up track, “No Clarity.”
The song was released in November 2021, and the rapper finally had her foot in the door. Garnering over 750,000 listeners, “No Clarity” took Ice Spice to high musical praise.
Taking no chances for the opportunity to slip, Ice Spice released another record-breaking hit that took her to even greater heights and popularity.
In August 2022, merely a year after her viral TikTok clip, Ice Spice released “Munch (Feeling U)”. The song blew up on TikTok and got her a record label deal with Capitol Records and 10k Project.
Her first debut record, Y2K, dropped in July 2024, which includes some of her popular singles like “Think U the Sh!t,” “Phat Butt,” and “Gimmie a Light.”
“I always try to remember to have fun,” the rap star once told Today, sharing her thoughts on her overnight stardom. “I like trying to have fun when I’m recording.”
Rumored Fallout With Nicki Minaj
Ice Spice previously collaborated with rap queen Nicki Minaj to record “Princess Diana” and “Barbie World,” a feat that would lead to her first Grammy nomination.
Image source: Instagram
The two famous rappers appeared to hit it off. That is, until the fans noticed something: Nicki Minaj unfollowed Ice Spice on Instagram.
Before the fallout rumors, a former friend of the “Deli” rapper exposed text messages where the artist expressed disparaging remarks about working with Minaj.
The former “good friend,” Baby Storme, took to Twitter and shared screenshots of their conversations.
“She forced everyone in her life to sign an NDA, including me,” Baby Storme wrote in the controversial post. “But the only person I’m signed to is God. So I will speak the truth.”
Ice Spice, for her part, has since cleared the air and revealed that while her relationship with the “Anaconda” rapper isn’t the closest, they remain “good.”
“We’re mutuals. We had smash records together. I love us together. I think the world does too,” the “Munch” rapper stated.
“I think that the saddest part of the whole situation [is] it’s somebody I knew for so many years and called my friend,” Ice Spice confessed to the Rolling Stones. “[She] had me open up and be vulnerable…and then took complete advantage of that.”
While refusing to address the rumored feud directly, Nicki Minaj seemed to hint at her side of the feud while live-streaming.
“If you don’t see someone around me, don’t ask me about them. Go and talk to them. The truth of the matter is that y’all don’t want to know the truth of the matter,” the “Super Bass” hitmaker told her fans.
Image source: Google
Final Thoughts
Ice Spice has become a musical icon for the younger generation who grew up scrolling through TikTok’s “For You” page. One viral moment completely turned her life around, making her worthy to stand beside giant names like Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.
Despite the controversies that surrounded the young, 25-year-old Bronx-born artist, the meteoric success that she’s had is undoubtedly the result of labor and dedication to her craft.
Featured image source: Instagram
