In a candid interview with Rolling Stone, rapper Isis Gaston, popularly known as Ice Spice, has set the record straight about her friendship and collaboration with pop superstar Taylor Swift.
The 24-year-old hip-hop artist called out the sceptics who think their team-up on the “Karma” remix was just a clout-chasing move.
“Why would she not want to be my friend?” Ice told the outlet. “Taylor f—s with me. She’s so funny. I think our personalities mesh really well.”
Ice recalled the moment she found out Taylor wanted her on the remix, which was a surreal experience in itself.
She was living in her first apartment in New Jersey, working on new music with producer RiotUSA when her manager called with unexpected news. “He usually texts,” Ice noted, so she braced herself for “bad news.” Instead, her manager delivered an exciting surprise that would change everything.
“He’s like, ‘Taylor Swift has a record for you to get on from her album.’ I’m playing it cool on the phone. I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. Super cool.’ And then I hang up the phone and I’m hysterically crying,” the “In Ha Mood.”
Ice continued: “I’m in my walk-in closet, and I’m like, ‘Bro, this is not real life.’ Riot definitely filmed it. That’ll probably be in a documentary one day.”
Swift also shared her thoughts on what she found impressive about the up-and-coming hip-hop artist in the cover story.
“I love when I meet a new artist who takes a keen interest in not just the music, but the music industry and how it works,” she said.
“I’ve seen how our industry tries to convince artists that they’re better off just being creative and making music and letting the labels and the management do the rest.”
Swift continued: “Seeing Ice lean into the strategic, financial, and business aspects of her career is really exciting for me.
“The more artists learn about the inner workings of the music industry, the more power they can have in their creative world. Based on the questions she asked and the observations she made, I knew that she didn’t just want to be a passenger in her own career. She wanted to be the driver of it.”
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