Spice says she was broke when she wrote her biggest solo dancehall hit, “So Mi Like It.”
On any given day, the comment area below a post on dancehall artiste Spice’s Instagram page will be filled with kind words from fans who see her as a true motivator and beacon of success. As most people would imagine, this must come as a truly heartwarming feeling to the spicy one, who has been practicing her craft for a number of years.
Spice, whose real name is Grace Hamilton, decided to let her over 3.1 million Instagram fans in on a little secret of hers today when she revealed that she was practically flat dead broke six years ago. It’s almost surreal when one documents Spice enjoying major success on riddim tracks as early as 2003’s “Complain,” 2004’s “Right There,” and “Fight Over Man” off the Eighty-Five Riddim in 2005. She began to find her footing just around 2009 when she landed the Billboard-charting collaboration “Romping Shop” with Vybz Kartel. That song is perhaps her most successful to date.
The years following that success saw the entertainer, who is much respected for her raunchy lyrical content, gaining additional traction with other singles such as “Slim vs Fluffy” and “Jim Schreechie” to list a few. As Spice recently explained though, during those years she did not amass anything close to a fortune and was still struggling until she hit gold in 2014 with “Me Like It.”
“When I wrote this song 6 years ago I was broke AF,” recounted Spice. “Home with my kids and told my self if this song don’t Buss big I’m done with music.”
The song arrived on a compilation of producer NotNice’s Boom Box Riddim and was featured alongside other tracks such as Alkaline’s “Gyal Bruk Out.” “Me Like It” has now reached a record status of $92 Million views.
“I drove to every party to get this track played my self. I burned CDs with the little money I got and drove around to give them out. I promoted this with all I got,” said Spice about her journey to success below her Instagram post. “Big up EVERY SELECTOR. Too much to tag. I took to the streets and never looked back. God is always right on time.”
In what could be seen as a message to everyone who has asked for guidance, she said, “Sometimes you will definitely feel like giving up but DON’T.”
Before ending her lengthy appreciation post, she had to let fans in on how just how she felt about the standout line from the song. “I wanted to take out “Skin out mi p_m p_m line so bad”) I was shamed and embarrassed when I said it at first. But that f__king line made me Rich so I will be skinning out my p_m p_m right through.”
Spice’s industrious yet bubbly personality has seen her taking on numerous business ventures, with each showcasing just a bit of her biting personality. Those ventures have included her Spicey Couture clothing stores in Jamaica. She also landed a role on the hit reality show Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, becoming one of the most interesting personalities on the show. That move was followed up by her makeup and hairline Faces & Laces, along with her Graci Noir clothing line that was recently launched. She no enjoys much of her time in Atlanta in a home she recently purchased.
Congratulations Spice!
