“How can I lose if I’m already chose?” — a phrase iconic because of its quippy self-confidence boost, and inherent humor in that it was clearly written down with its lyricist unaware ‘lose’ and ‘chose’ don’t rhyme, despite its last three letters — has been ratcheting around my mind for months. Taken from New York rapper Ice Spice’s small but mighty catalog, “Bikini Bottom” punctuates this line with the concise and powerful “Like…?”, which acts as the title for her debut EP. The line acts as a touchstone for everything she’s just said. Like… are you confused about something?

People don’t give Spice nearly enough credit for her intelligence — something she touched on in a Genius interview breaking down “Munch (Feelin’ U)” — whether it be due to her age or the fact that women rappers are subject to far more scrutiny than their male counterparts. She’s a continuous talking point on Twitter, allowing her to tap into memes and jokes; someone joked that one of her beats sounded like it came from Spongebob Squarepants, and she named the resulting song “Bikini Bottom.” After people claimed she’s our modern day Princess Diana after seeing chaotic paparazzi photos, she writes a song after the late royal. “In the hood, I’m like Princess Diana,” she raps.

She went viral last summer for “Munch”, a playful song with the deathly but simple put-down “You thought I was feeling you?” What sells the song — and subsequent singles — is her deadpan delivery, rapping “Bitch I’m a baddie, I get what I want, like,” with the same low register one might order a coffee from Starbucks. She can turn a catchphrase quickly and with ease, one of which being the hedonistic, self-prioritizing “If the party not lit, then I’d rather not go (Why would I go?)” on “Bikini Bottom”, the strongest of the new EP.

Her shtick has a quick runtime — “Actin A Smoochie” has a nice beat, Lil Tjay’s verse on “Gangsta Boo” goes on a little too long, and “Princess Diana” makes good use of the memes, while not really offering anything new. If Ice Spice wants to continue as a viral sensation, she’ll need to diversify her sound while still offering funny commentary, something that is within reach for the young rapper. After all, she said she’ll be “lit by the end of the summer,” and “Munch”, for right or wrong reasons, attracted attention. “I’m proud that I’m still getting bigger,” she continues, making a momentous upswing possible.

Purchase Like…? by Ice Spice HERE