Ice Spice is in new music mode, and this time, she is tapping into the dancehall space for inspiration from Sean Paul. The Bronx rapper was in fine form at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where she performed over the weekend.
This year’s Coachella was headlined by Doja Cat, Tyler the Creator, and Lana Del Rey, with a bunch of performances from artists like Ice Spice, Lil Uzi Vert, No Doubt, J Balvin, and YG Marley.
Ice Spice made her Coachella debut on Saturday (April 13), where she performed her hits like “Think U The Shit” and “Munch.” Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce were spotted in the audience locked into the rapper’s performance, and they even sang along to “Karma (Remix).”
During her set, Ice Spice sent the crowd wild when she previewed a new song off her upcoming debut album, titled Y2K, due sometime in 2024. The untitled track samples Sean Paul’s 2002 classic dancehall single “Gimme the Light.” Ice Spice raps, “B*tch you’re losing the plot/That’s why I got to the top/ And no I don’t got any opps /Like why would I beef with a flop/Who’s bigger than she?/Who’s prettier too? Me/Who’s bigger than me?”
The New York rapper seemingly took a dig at Latto, whom she has been beefing with for the past several months, with shots firing on both sides. As for when Ice Spice is expected to drop the full version of the single, that is yet to be announced, but it sounds very much like a summer banger, so expect it sometime in the spring of 2024.
Ice Spice previews a new song sampling Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light.” pic.twitter.com/bfydDAtXDT
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) April 14, 2024
?| Taylor dancing to @icespicee_ performing Karma at #Coachella ? pic.twitter.com/MiPP50Bmej
— Taylor Swift Updates ? (@swifferupdates) April 14, 2024
“Gimme The Light” is one of Sean Paul’s biggest singles to date and is one of the songs that propelled him to international stardom in the early 2000s. The track, which is featured on the Buzz Riddim, produced by Troyton Rami and Roger Mackenzie. The juggling project was one of the hottest riddims in dancehall in 2002, with songs from Sizzla Kalonji, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Mr. Vegas, Mr. Easy, and Mad Cobra.
“Gimme The Light” peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 3 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. The song is certified Gold in Canada and Silver in the UK.
To put things into perspective, Ice Spice was born in the year 2000, two years before Sean Paul released the song, a testament to how dancehall music from the 1990s-2000s continues to transcend generations of fans.
