Ice Spice has been eagerly hyping up her upcoming single “Gimmie a Light” for weeks. But despite her excitement, the Bronx rapper found herself battling nerves during its creation. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe prior to the song’s release today, Friday, May 10th, Ice Spice confessed to feeling “nervous” about sampling Sean Paul’s 2002 hit “Gimme the Light.”
Expressing her apprehension, she remarked, “I was really nervous because we really wanted to have a very authentic Y2K sample in there, and Sean Paul, he’s legendary.” Ice Spice elaborated on the iconic status of Sean Paul’s track, acknowledging the pressure she felt, unsure if her sample would even be cleared. However, her anxiety turned to relief when her clearance request was approved, attributing the success to Sean Paul’s receptiveness to her homage.
“Thankfully we got it cleared. Shouts to Sean Paul. He’s so real,” she commended. “Gimmie a Light” marks the latest addition to Ice Spice’s highly anticipated debut album Y2K. This succeeding last year’s EP, “Like..?”. Her previous single, “Think U the Shit (Fart),” solidified her reputation as a chart-topper. It reached the top 20 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart and amassing over 25 million YouTube views.
Named after both her birth year and the turn-of-the-millennium computer programming scare, Y2K is slated for release later this year. Explaining the album’s title, Ice Spice shared her mother’s influence in embodying the Y2K aesthetic. She pointed out how it was characterized by “duck nails,” “tramp stamps,” and “brown lip liner.” She credited her mom’s style and the internet as sources of inspiration for capturing the essence of the era.