# Ice Spice > Ice Spice is a Bronx rapper who went viral in 2022 with "Munch (Feelin' U)", introducing mainstream internet culture to the slang term "munch" while becoming iconic for her distinctive ginger hairstyle and laidback persona. Ice Spice is a Bronx-born rapper whose viral tracks, quotable lyrics, and distinctive ginger hairstyle turned her into one of the most memed musicians of the 2020s. Born Isis Naija Gaston, she broke through in 2022 when "Munch (Feelin' U)" took over TikTok and Twitter, introducing the slang term "munch" to mainstream internet culture[5]. Her rapid rise from SUNY Purchase dropout to chart-topping artist, combined with her laidback persona and SpongeBob obsession, made her a constant source of meme content across social media platforms. ## Origin Ice Spice first brushed with internet virality in early 2021 when a video of her doing the Erika Banks "Buss It" challenge circulated on TikTok[2]. But that was a warm-up act. The real meme explosion came in August 2022 with the release of "Munch (Feelin' U)," a drill track she recorded almost on impulse. "I was recording in my room and I was like, 'Let me make a song fast. As fast as possible,'" she told Rolling Stone[11]. The accompanying music video, distributed by WorldStarHipHop and filmed in her home turf of the Bronx, went viral on TikTok when a snippet took over the platform[5]. The song introduced "munch" as slang for a desperate, obsessive person. As Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre put it, the word worked as "a more amorphous term for a loser, a hater, a fool, a certified bozo"[12]. Drake played the track on his Sirius XM station Sound 42, giving it a major co-sign, and the song charted on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[5]. Ice Spice had met her producer RIOTUSA, son of Hot 97's DJ Enuff, while both were students at SUNY Purchase[3]. - **Platform:** TikTok, Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** Ice Spice (rapper/subject), RIOTUSA (producer) - **Date:** 2022 ## Overview Ice Spice memes draw from multiple wells: her instantly recognizable curly orange hair (frequently compared to Ronald McDonald), her deadpan delivery of quotable bars, and her ability to turn internet criticism into self-promotion[6]. The phrase "You thought I was feelin' you? That n---a a munch" from her breakout single became a widely used dismissal format online[12]. Her public persona, oscillating between effortless cool and absurdist SpongeBob fandom, gave meme creators endless material to work with. The rapper leaned into it, regularly using memes to clap back at critics and promote her music[9]. ## How It Spread After "Munch" broke through in late summer 2022, the meme ecosystem around Ice Spice expanded rapidly. Her detractors became content themselves: men who initially dismissed the song as riding on her looks ended up memorizing the lyrics, and Rolling Stone noted how "the people, mostly men, who tried to use Spice's sexuality against her revealed themselves to be munches"[11]. Someone on TikTok applied a vocal filter to make her earlier track "No Clarity" sound like Jay-Z, and the results went viral on their own[11]. In early 2023, her EP *Like..?* dropped, and tracks like "Bikini Bottom" and "In Ha Mood" generated fresh waves of TikTok content[4]. Her collaboration with PinkPantheress on "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100[5]. By this point, Ice Spice wasn't just producing meme-worthy music; she was being photographed with Hatsune Miku, posing next to K-Pop stars, and generally providing internet-ready moments at every turn[2]. A bizarre but endearing subcurrent emerged in March 2023 when the military humor page Terminal Lance posted an image of an American flag with Ice Spice superimposed on it. Marines began posing with the Ice Spice flag, and the trend spread across military social media[7]. Sailors got in on it too. Nobody could fully explain why, which made it even more meme-worthy. Her real name caused its own viral moment in April 2023. When she posted on Instagram referring to herself as "Isis," the platform flagged and removed her content for violating guidelines related to violence and dangerous organizations. She screenshotted the notification with the caption "Can't type my name is ode," and fans rallied to her defense across Twitter[3]. ## How to Use Ice Spice memes come in several formats: **"Munch" dismissals:** Use "You thought I was feelin' you?" or call someone a "munch" to dismiss a desperate or overly eager person. Typically deployed as a reaction to someone overestimating their importance. **SpongeBob Big Guy Pants OK:** Post the phrase as a caption, reaction, or standalone statement. Often paired with confident walk GIFs, dance videos, or any situation requiring inexplicable self-assurance[8]. The less context, the better. **Ice Spice reaction content:** Use screenshots of her unbothered expressions, her SpongeBob meme clap-backs, or her gym montage to respond to haters or body-shamers[9]. **Hair comparisons:** Her distinctive ginger curls get compared to various characters and objects. Commonly used as a visual joke format. ## Cultural Impact Ice Spice's crossover from rapper to meme figure happened unusually fast. Within a year of "Munch" going viral, she was collaborating with Taylor Swift and starring in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial alongside Ben Affleck[7]. The military adopted her as an unofficial mascot, with Marines displaying Ice Spice flags in a trend that baffled everyone including, presumably, the Department of Defense[7]. Her influence on internet slang was significant. "Munch" entered everyday online vocabulary as a catch-all insult for overeager people[12]. The New York Times profiled her as "Rap's New Princess," while her quotable lyrics ("How can I lose if I'm already chose?") became go-to captions on Instagram and Twitter[2]. The "SpongeBob Big Guy Pants OK" moment in late 2025 showed her staying power as a meme source. DJs remixed the clip alongside other viral moments, and the phrase generated its own micro-economy of fan content[10]. Her willingness to engage with meme culture directly, using SpongeBob images to fight body-shamers rather than issuing formal statements, kept her internet-native credibility intact[9]. ## Fun Facts - Ice Spice was a defensive specialist on SUNY Purchase's volleyball team, recording two kills and nine digs in seven matches during the 2018 season[5]. - She chose her stage name at 14 for a finsta account because it rhymed and she puts hot sauce on everything[3]. - She worked at Wendy's and The Gap after dropping out of college, and quit a street market job after a single day[5]. - Drake personally messaged her on Instagram to praise "Munch" and invite her to OVO Fest, and she shared the DMs with his permission[11]. - She told Them that SpongeBob was "the only animated character I've ever had a crush on" and said the character was "very integrated in my life"[10]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Ice Spice? Ice Spice is the stage name of Bronx rapper Isis Naija Gaston, who became a major internet meme figure after her 2022 track "Munch (Feelin' U)" went viral on TikTok[5]. ### Where did Ice Spice come from? She was born January 1, 2000, in the Bronx, New York, and started rapping professionally in 2021 after meeting producer RIOTUSA at SUNY Purchase[3]. ### What does "munch" mean? In Ice Spice's usage, a "munch" is someone who is desperately obsessed with another person, essentially "an eater or someone that's like obsessed with you" as she defined it in a Genius interview[2]. Pitchfork expanded the definition to include "a loser, a hater, a fool, a certified bozo"[12]. ### How do you use Ice Spice memes? The most common format is using "You thought I was feelin' you?" as a dismissal, or posting "SpongeBob big guy pants OK" as a reaction caption. Her unbothered expressions and clap-back screenshots also work as reaction images[8]. ### Is Ice Spice still popular? Yes. As of late 2025, her "Big Guy" single for the SpongeBob movie generated over 28 million views on X and spawned the "SpongeBob Big Guy Pants OK" meme[8]. She also took on acting roles in two 2025 films[5]. ### What is Ice Spice's real name? Her birth name is Isis Naija Gaston. Instagram flagged content using her first name "Isis" in April 2023, which became its own viral moment[3]. ### How did Ice Spice get her stage name? She created it at age 14 for a finsta account because it rhymed and she loves spicy food and puts hot sauce on everything[3]. ### What is the "SpongeBob Big Guy Pants OK" meme? It's a catchphrase meme from Ice Spice's November 2025 single "Big Guy" for The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants. The chorus lyric became a standalone meme used as a reaction phrase across social media[10]. ### Why do Marines love Ice Spice? Starting around March 2023, Marines began posing with American flags superimposed with Ice Spice's image. The trend likely originated from the Terminal Lance Instagram page and spread across military social media without any clear explanation[7]. ### Did Ice Spice play volleyball? Yes. She was a defensive specialist on the SUNY Purchase women's volleyball team during the 2018 season, recording two kills and nine digs in seven matches[5]. ### What was Ice Spice's first viral song? Her first brush with virality was the "Buss It" challenge on TikTok in early 2021, but "Bully Freestyle" (March 2021) was her first released track to gain attention[3]. "Munch (Feelin' U)" in August 2022 was the full viral breakout[11]. ### Did Drake support Ice Spice? Yes. Drake played "Munch" on his Sirius XM station Sound 42 and DMed her on Instagram to compliment her music and invite her to OVO Fest[11]. ### Did Ice Spice use Ozempic? She denied it emphatically, posting a gym workout montage in August 2024 and stating on X Spaces: "It's called a gym. It's called eating healthy. It's called being on tour"[9]. ## References 1. [Isis Gaston - 2018 - Women's Volleyball - Purchase College Athletics]() 2. [Like... a brief history of Ice Spice - Campus Times]() 3. [The Complete Evolution Of Ice Spice]() 4. [Ice Spice - Know Your Meme]() 5. [Ice Spice]() 6. [Ice Spice - Urban Dictionary]() 7. [Ice Spice is the Real Reason Marines Defend America | VeteranLife]() 8. [What is the "Spongebob Big Guy Pants Ok" meme and where did it come from?]() 9. [Ice Spice claps back at body-shamers after drastic weight loss journey with a playful SpongeBob meme]() 10. [Ice Spice and the Viral “SpongeBob Big Guy Pants OK” Meme, Explained | Them]() 11. [Ice Spice Interview: 'Munch' Rapper Adds a New Zest to New York Drill]() 12. [Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feelin’ U)” Is the New York Rap Song of the Summer We’ve Been Waiting For | Pitchfork]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/ice-spice Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library