Ice Spice Slams Claims Taylor Swift Is Just Using Her For Clout

IN her Rolling Stone cover story published Thursday, Ice Spice responded to the “rude” accusations that Taylor Swift’s friendship with her is merely a ploy for clout.

“Why would she not want to be my friend?” she asked the outlet. “Taylor f—ks with me. She’s so funny. I think our personalities mesh really well.” If Ice Spice’s response wasn’t sufficient, Taylor Swift also explained why she feels such a strong connection to the rapper in the story.

“I love when I meet a new artist who takes a keen interest in not just the music, but the music industry and how it works,” she told Rolling Stone. “Seeing Ice lean into the strategic, financial, and business aspects of her career is really exciting for me.”

“I knew based on the questions she asked and the observations she made that she didn’t just want to be a passenger in her own career. She wanted to be the driver of it,” she added.

Ice Spice and Taylor Swift first showcased their friendship through their collaboration on the remix of Swift’s song Karma, which was released on May 27, 2023. That same weekend, Swift invited Ice Spice to perform the track with her during an Eras Tour stop at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Despite the successful collaboration, the partnership faced criticism, with some fans suggesting that Swift was working with the Barbie World hitmaker to counteract negative publicity related to her then-boyfriend Matty Healy’s racist remarks. Swift did not comment on these rumors.

After the release of the Karma video, Ice Spice and Taylor Swift appeared to enjoy themselves at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, where they were seated together. Ice also joined Swift and her friends at the 2024 Super Bowl in February.

By the time their friendship became public, Ice Spice—born Isis Naija Gaston—had already gained fame on her own. She went viral on TikTok in 2021, and her 2022 song Munch (Feelin’ U) charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under 100.

The following year, her track In Ha Mood reached No. 58 on the Hot 100. Additionally, her collaborations Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2 with PinkPantheress and Princess Diana with Nicki Minaj peaked at No. 3 and No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

However, Ice Spice revealed that her friendship with Taylor Swift began years before their collaboration and her rise to fame. In a September 2023 interview with Variety, Ice shared that she first met Swift after watching the singer’s 2020 documentary, Miss Americana.

“That’s my sis,” she gushed.