Ice Spice has ramped up anticipation for her debut album, Y2K, by revealing its release date and cover art. The Bronx rap star shared the details on Instagram on Wednesday (June 5), announcing that the project, executive produced by her close collaborator RiotUSA, will drop on June 26.
The album cover pays homage to her NYC roots, featuring Ice Spice against a street wall tagged with her name in graffiti. A custom subway sign and a Y2K-branded trashcan complete the scene. Notably, she faces away from the camera, showcasing her signature style.
In her Instagram caption, Ice Spice wrote, “HIIIII >.< Y2K ☆ THE ALBUM WILL BE DROPPING JULY 26TH !!!! pre-save the link in my bio now ;**.”
Ice Spice has been in “album mode” for some time, releasing singles like “Pretty Girl” with Rema, “Think U the Shit (Fart),” and the Sean Paul-sampling “Gimmie a Light.” She credits her mother for inspiring the album’s nostalgic, turn-of-the-millennium theme, as she shared in an interview with Zane Lowe earlier this year. “Growing up, I’d see her really embody the Y2K aesthetic in its truest form,” Ice Spice said. “It’s duck nails, it’s a tramp stamp. It’s brown lip liner no matter where you go.”
In the same interview, Ice Spice admitted she was nervous about sampling Sean Paul’s 2002 hit “Gimme the Light” for her single. “I was so nervous to sample it because it’s so iconic,” she said. “I didn’t think it would get cleared, but thankfully, it did. Shouts to Sean Paul. He’s so real.”
Y2K will be Ice Spice’s second full-length release, following last year’s Like..? EP.