New York’s newest viral sensation Ice Spice joined NYC titans in Bronx drill star B-Lovee, the melodic Prince of NY J.I., and Jamaican phenom Skillibeng for a New York super collab, “One Time.”
In the wake of a meteoric rise to viral stardom on the back of her undeniably catchy hit, “Munch” and eyebrow-raising usage of popular NYC slang, no matter what you think of her, Ice Spice has launched herself into the mainstream consciousness in record time.
On “One Time,” fans get their first look at a Spice collab, holding her own up against local favorites like B-Lovee and J.I. – as well as the always-electric Skillibeng who saw his own meteoric rise following his viral hit “Whap Whap.”
“One Time” (prod. by Yung Lan, Najee Travis & Dos Dias) is a blend of the various popular NYC styles, from the melodic vocal of J.I, to the Caribbean vibes of Skillibeng, to the Bronx drill flows of B-Lovee and Ice Spice.
The collab opens with a signature melodic hook from the J.I, known for his catchy flows and captivating gentle melodies – later in a verse of his own nodding to the breakout smash hit that made him famous with the line: “Know you heard when I said hit me when you need me.”
The hook gives way to a verse from the young BX-native frontrunner B-Lovee, adding that gritty Bronx drill flavor with his raspy vocal and street-oriented drill bars. Later he jumps back in to share a verse with and shoutout the Bronx’s newest rising star: “Diamonds Ice like Spice, it make ‘em watch.”
Ice Spice graces her first-ever collab track with her presence for a quick 8-bar verse, where she manages to slip in not just one but both of her viral new vocab words (See: “Munch and “Smoochie”). She even includes the newly controversial “s-word” that recently found both Beyonce and Lizzo in hot water, continuing her penchant for piquing interest through questionable slang terms. She concisely sums up her verse and her viral rise with the bar: “Bad little Smooch from the X.”
And finally, the always-infectious Skillibeng adds some of his high-energy Caribbean flare in a short verse full of ad-libs and onomatopoeia — calling out his own viral breakout hit “Whap Whap” and shouting out his songmate with the line: “Gun pretty like Ice Spice.”
Overall, the song is undeniably catchy and surprisingly cohesive for a four-way collab between such different artists. Not only does it sound unmistakably New York, it does so without going full drill during a time where fans seem to be hungry for melodies, drill-hybrids, and new evolutions of the popular regional sound.
Listen to “One Time” by B-Lovee, Ice Spice, Skillibeng, and J.I. below
