Ice Spice said a simple piece of encouragement from Taylor Swift — “As long as you keep making music, everything’s going to be fine” — is advice she keeps returning to during moments of doubt and creative block.
In an interview with Nylon published this week, the Bronx-born rapper, who performs as Ice Spice (born Isis Gaston), said the remark from Swift stuck with her after they worked together during Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023 and on a remixed version of Swift’s song “Karma.” Ice Spice told the magazine that she recalls the line whenever she is “feeling doubtful or not as confident” or is “having writer’s block.”
The two performers have maintained a public friendship since collaborating on the “Karma” remix. They sat together at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2023, where Ice Spice won the award for best new artist, and have appeared at other high-profile events together. Swift has praised Ice Spice’s work ethic and called her “the one to watch,” describing her as a “brilliant artist.”
Ice Spice said in the Nylon interview that her interactions with Swift are not strictly mentorship sessions. “Every time we hang out, she’s not just giving me advice,” Ice Spice said. “We’re talking about the food we’re eating or whatever’s going on in the moment.” Still, she added, the encouragement to keep creating has been practical and memorable.
The artists were also seen together at sporting events: Ice Spice supported Swift’s then-partner Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs when they won the Super Bowl in Las Vegas in 2024 and was notably more subdued alongside Swift when the Chiefs lost in New Orleans in February 2025.
Ice Spice has continued to build her career. On Sept. 4, 2025, she released her first single of the year, a collaboration with Latto titled “Gyatt.” The track’s accompanying video, shot in a wrestling ring and leaning into a perceived rivalry between the two artists, has performed well on streaming platforms and helped push the single into the top five on U.K. charts.
Those commercial results, Ice Spice said, make Swift’s earlier encouragement feel prescient. “She said that to me a few years ago, and it still stood with me,” Ice Spice told Nylon, adding that reminders to keep practicing the craft can be grounding when the pressures of the music industry intensify.
Swift and Ice Spice’s continued public rapport underscores a trend of cross-genre collaborations and mentorship among pop and hip-hop artists. Ice Spice’s recent chart success follows a rapid rise from newcomer to a frequent presence at major industry events, a trajectory that has drawn attention from established performers and a growing audience worldwide.