Like..?

Like..? is the debut extended play by American rapper Ice Spice. It was released on January 20, 2023, through 10K Projects and Capitol Records. Frequent collaborator RiotUSA served as the executive producer for the EP. The EP was preceded by the singles "Munch (Feelin' U)", "Bikini Bottom" and "In Ha Mood". The song "Gangsta Boo", with Lil Tjay, was Ice Spice's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 82, while "In Ha Mood" went on to peak at number 58 on the chart.

On April 19, 2023, Ice Spice released a bonus edition of Like..?, which featured a remix to "Princess Diana" with Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. The remix peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Ice Spice's second top-ten on the chart. A deluxe edition of Like..? was then released on July 21, 2023. The deluxe edition was supported by the single "Deli", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Music and lyrics The EP mainly consists of clipped guitar licks "looped ad nauseam until a smattering of hi-hats and booming bass take over" and distorted vocal samples. On "Princess Diana", Ice Spice addresses her rise to fame. "Gangsta Boo" puts a "drill spin" on Diddy's I Need a Girl (Part Two). "Actin a Smoochie" is "Jersey club rendition" of Tierra Whack's "Cutting Onions" with Ice Spice "bringing colloquial phrases from the Bronx to the front of pop culture". "Deli" is filled with one liners while "How High" features synth-pop sounds.

Critical reception

Like..? received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 69, based on six reviews.

Writing for AllMusic, TiVo Staff states that the "combination of hard drill beats, larger-than-life bravado, and just enough hooks to keep things in the realm of pop all clicked perfectly." He continued his review by noting that the EP "takes steps in the right direction, giving fans something to latch onto." He concluded his review criticizing the weaknesses of the project, writing that "while fun at times, the 13 minutes of music here sounds largely like it's trying to recapture the excitement and effortless appeal of the biggest hit," noting that the project "becomes harder to pay attention to," however stating that it "presents a new artist finding their voice, showing promise in some moments, and losing traction in others." Rebecca Barglowski of HipHopDX wrote that "Ice Spice proves the extent to which she influences pop culture." NMEs Thomas Smith describes the project as "such a sharp listen" and states that "longevity feels attainable." Writing for Pitchfork, Heven Haile wrote that "in just six songs, [Ice Spice and RiotUSA] experiments with the past, present, and future of drill." She concluded her review by noting that "Spice;s chilled and cutesy demeanor stands out" and that "her often rudimentary lyrics reflect the brief time she’s had to develop her craft", finishing as she writes that Ice Spice will "give you a nickname that'll require decades of therapy." Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that "she has a smooth, deep voice that glides over RIOTUSA’s beats, and her chopping delivery feels effortless."

Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan found the new songs of the deluxe edition "instantly-satisfying as the original EP". Armon Sadler of Vibe wrote that "they are quality offerings that feed her listeners and continue a run of simply good music."

Year-end lists +Select year-end rankings of Like..? Publication List Rank Los Angeles TimesThe 20 Best Albums of 2023 The New York Times (Jon Caramanica)Listening Widely, Feeling Deeply Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List Slant The 50 Best Albums of 2023 Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2023 Rolling StoneThe 100 Best Albums of 2023

Commercial performance Like..? debuted at number 37 on the US Billboard 200 with 15,000 album-equivalent units. The EP later reached a new peak of number 15, as well as at number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart following the release of the "Princess Diana" remix.

Track listing

Notes signifies a co-producer. signifies an additional producer. "Gangsta Boo" samples "I Need a Girl (Part Two)" (2002), written by Sean "Puffy" Combs, Adonis Shropshire, Chauncey Lamont Hawkins, Frank Romano, Mario Winans, and Michael Carlos Jones, as performed by Diddy.

Personnel Ice Spice – rap vocals Dayron Hammond – mixing, engineering Chris Athens – mastering (tracks 1–4, 6) RiotUSA – recording (1–4, 6) Harrison Holmes – mastering assistance (1–4, 6) Lil Tjay – rap vocals (3) Nicki Minaj – rap vocals (7) Colin Leonard – mastering (5) Hafeez Yussuf – recording (5)

Charts

Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Like..? Chart (2023–2024) Peakposition Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA) 40 Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA) 29 Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) 45 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 21

Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Like..? Chart (2023) Position US Billboard 200 119 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 54

Release history + Release dates and formats for Like..? Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Various January 20, 2023 Standard June 23, 2023 Vinyl LP July 21, 2023 Deluxe October 27, 2023 Vinyl LP

References