Saweetie Keeps it Cool with "ICY"
By Kaila Cherry
If you aren’t familiar with Saweetie, now is your time to get hip to her. Hailing from the Bay Area, California, Saweetie first got attention for her music back in 2017 she released her single “Icy Grl.” On “Icy GRL,” Saweetie raps over Khia’s 2002 hit single, “My Neck, My Back” with a flow that is utterly smooth and dripped in cool. Since the breakout success of “Icy GRL,” Saweetie has gone on to release two EPs since then; High Maintenance in 2018 and most recently, ICY (2019). ICY is a strong launch point for Saweetie and the rest of her rap career. The project is a refreshing change from much of what is expected from hip hop projects today. Saweetie is sexy, braggadocios, and unbashful in both her music and her persona on ICY. With this newest project, the Bay Area baddie shows us that even though she is a newcomer, she is going to have a lasting stake in the rap game.
ICY has a kitchy and vintage sound. Tracks like “Tip Toes,” “Emotional” and “Dripped in Ice” take me back to the early 2000s with their structure, samples, and overall style. “Tip Toes” is one of the two songs on the EP that features Quavo of Migos. “Tip Toes” functions as a rap duet between Saweetie and Quavo, with each talking about their lust for the other in short, 30 second segments as they go back and forth for the entirety of the track. “Emotional” is the other track with a Quavo feature. In this song, Saweetie utilizes a sample that sounds much like the one used in Beyonce’s 2003 hit single “Crazy in Love.” “Dripped in Ice” is a slower and more mellow track with much simpler production compared to the other tracks on ICY. “Dripped in Ice” showcases the swagger of Saweetie's flow. She doesn't try hard to hit certain rhymes or emphasize certain words. Her lyrics roll off her tongue, allowing her style to seem effortless. The effortlessness of her flow makes “Dripped in Ice” and all the other tracks on ICY easy for the listener to latch onto. This allows us to easily enter into the world of Saweetie, one which makes anyone who listens feel like a bad bitch.
Saweetie does not hide her Bay Area lineage on ICY. She takes pride in where she is from, which is the tradition of Bay Area artists everywhere. Quavo references Oakland sideshow culture on the song “Tip Toes” when he says “And she from the Bay, she ghostwrite every morning.” Saweetie herself makes reference to late innovator of the Bay’s Hyphy hip hop movement, Mac Dre on the track “My Type” with the lyric, “Do it on his face with a thizz (Ugh)/ I'm a boss tycoon with the shit.” She also refers to her “Pussy from the Bay” on the song “My Type” and calls herself a “Bad bitch from the Bay with a ratchet side” on the track “Hot Boy.” The Bay Area influence is very prevalent on ICY and as a fellow resident of the Bay Area myself, ICY gives me an undeniable sense of hometown pride.
ICY is a short project, comprising of seven songs that amount to a runtime of 21 minutes total.This is the perfect length for this EP. Each song is able to stand on its own, have its own space to breath, and express its own sense of personality. No song on ICY sounds exactly like the other, which is something that is all too common in longer rap projects today released by more established artists. ICY may be short, but it packs a punch regardless. And after the first listen, I can guarantee you’ll want to listen to it again and again.
Saweetie continues to impress with ICY. With this project, she has shown the public that she is more than a one hit wonder. Saweetie is here to stay, and she is going to do so on her own terms. Her confidence on Icy is infectious, the tracks sound unique yet classic at the same time, and her flashy persona is extremely fun and attractive. I was extremely impressed with Saweetie’s work on ICY, and her potential to be star is all over this project. I know I will be keeping a lookout for what she comes out with next. Are you?
Favorite Tracks
Tip Toes (Feat. Quavo)
Dipped in Ice
Hot Boy
Rating: 8
Listen to ICY here:
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