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Ice Spice accepting the award for Best New Artist at the 2023 VMAs
Ice Spice accepting the award for Best New Artist at the 2023 VMAs
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Culture > Entertainment

Ice Spice’s VMAs Best New Artist Win Was What Aspiring Female Rappers Needed

Bre McNamara

On Sept. 12, Ice Spice was one of the many artists who won a Moon Person during the 2023 MTV VMAs. The rapper took home the award for Best New Artist. While accepting one of the night’s biggest honors, Ice Spice grew emotional and teared up as she thanked her fans for their ongoing support. “Thank you so much. Thank you MTV. Oh my God, this is so cool,” the “Barbie World” rapper said as the crowd cheered. “I just want to thank my Munchkins. I love you guys so much.” Ice Spice was up against fellow rising stars GloRilla, Kaliii, Peso Pluma, PinkPantheress, and ReneĂ© Rapp for the Best New Artist title, but reigned victorious in the end while wearing a white lacy dress and cross necklace inspired by Madonna’s iconic “Like a Virgin” look. 

The rapper’s 2023 VMAs win was huge, not just for her, but for aspiring female rappers who hope to one day make it big in the music industry. For so long, the industry has been dominated by pop artists whose music fans can’t get enough of. The 2023 VMAs proved that pop artists aren’t the only ones running the music game. Female rappers are taking over the charts with their songs that are gaining popularity on social media. This is a huge deal because for years, this genre has been male-dominated, so seeing female rappers taking over is a pretty huge deal. 

Ice Spice, and rappers like GloRilla, Kaliii, and Flo Milli, are making their way to the top where stars like Cardi B, Megan The Stallion, and Doja Cat are. These rappers have cracked the code on virality and are using their relatability, talent, and gospel of female empowerment to push themselves further into stardom. 

Ice Spice is living proof that harnessing virality can skyrocket a person to fame. Not long after the release of her hit single “Munch (Feelin’ U)” in August 2022, which (thanks to social media) blew up overnight, Ice Spice was instantly whisked away by superstardom. Now, she’s one of the biggest names in rap with over 39,00,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone. Spice has also collaborated with big names in the industry, including Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. Seeing Ice Spice take home the Best New Artist award at the 2023 VMAs was a huge win for aspiring female rappers. It proved to them that their dreams of being successful in the music industry could one day become a reality. 

Ice Spice is a total star and her success is so great to see. Though I’m not an aspiring rapper, I can just imagine how incredible it is for young women in rap to witness Ice Spice and other female emcees dominating the rap game. Seeing Ice Spice become an even bigger star is something I and many other women can’t get enough of — and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her career!

Bre is the Entertainment Editor at Her Campus. She oversees the entertainment verticals on the site, including celebrities, movies, television, and music coverage. During her college career, Bre was a contributing writer and Entertainment Editor for the Montclair State University chapter of Her Campus. After graduating in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Communications and Media Arts, Bre worked as a full-time writer at Showbiz Cheat Sheet, where she pitched, edited, and wrote articles covering trending news, movies, television, and celebrities. Bre has also written and conducted interviews for the entertainment site Shadow and Act. When she's not writing, you can find Bre binging 'New Girl' or 'Modern Family' for the millionth time or listening to her assorted Spotify playlist. She also loves spending time with her family and keeping herself busy with a little retail therapy!