Ice Spice is growing up before our eyes. The 24-year-old superstar from the Bronx, New York, is currently headlining her “Y2K! World Tour.” During her Aug. 28 stop in Atlanta at the Coca-Cola Roxy, she hit the stage with a two-story set design resembling the streets of New York City. Her head held high, she was on point and hit her marks with precision. From breath control to stage presence, even down to the content of the music and the different rap styles and flows she played with on the Y2K! album, Spice is a better performer now than she was when she broke out in 2022.
Cash Cobain was the opening act. Cobain is having his moment in hip-hop as a heavily-sought producer and artist. His PLAY CASH COBAIN album is also a standout project of the year, and on this tour, he uses his platform to introduce fans to some more of the Slizzy artists who use similar sounds in the new sexy drill subgenre of rap. Each artist from Cobain’s set had fans wave their hands in the motion of literal ocean waves. The group was not too cool to dance, and it made for an enjoyable experience.
Near the end of Spice’s set, Cobain and Bay Swag returned to the stage to perform the “Fisherrr” remix alongside RiotUSA, Spice’s musical righthand man and the tour’s official DJ.
The night’s special guest was Lil Yachty, a public associate of Cobain for the past year. On stage with Yachty as he performed “Strike (Holster)” and “Poland” were Concrete Boys members Camo! and Draft Day, and model Gio Ramos. The appearance came in the wake of Yachty’s public back-and-forth with KARRAHBOOO, his former artist and most-streamed group member.
Speaking of the dramatic side-narratives in hip-hop, Spice closed the night with “Think U The S— (Fart),” widely believed to be a diss track aimed at Atlanta rapper Latto. The song, along with “Popa” and “Deli,” provided a high-energy point for fans in attendance.
While it feels like Spice is an established rapper, gaining co-signs from the likes of Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, the reality is she’s only two years removed from entering the mainstream spotlight. Many of the things she was criticized about early on–a lack of diverse sounds and weak stage presence–have been surpassed with her latest stretch of performances. Fans should be excited about Spice’s future.
