Ice Spice on retiring at 35 and how Taylor Swift keeps her inspired with this advice

Even with chart-topping hits and fame on her side, Ice Spice is staying realistic about what retirement might look like, especially in America. In an honest NYLON interview, the 25-year-old rapper opened up about her long-term financial goals and why early retirement may be more of a dream than a plan. 

“I mean, my dream is to be retired by 35, but is that even realistic?” she said. “Probably not. I’m American. We work until we die.” But just because she’s skeptical about early retirement doesn’t mean she isn’t prepared. Ice Spice says her money habits are solid. “I feel like I’ll be okay my whole time here on Earth because I’m just so good at saving, no matter what happens.”

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She’s proud of being financially responsible and a little wary of those who aren’t. “People that aren’t good at saving scare me!” she admitted. While she enjoys a taste of the luxury her fame brings, Ice insists she’s grounded when it comes to spending. “I like luxurious things too, which is nice that fame sometimes unlocks cool stuff,” she said, “but I stick to simple s---.”

She also admits there’s room to grow. “I hadn’t invested into any bonds,” she said, “but I’m getting into that now. I feel like I’m a little behind because of that.” The rapper also highlighted her thoughts on creative pressure and why she welcomes it. “Honestly, the pressure’s great,” she said. “I think the girls [in rap] also enjoy the friendly competition amongst each other. I feel like that’s what keeps the spark.”

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That competitive edge is something Ice has embraced since her breakout moment, even cringing at past interviews where she called herself a "two-hit wonder" just to silence doubters. “Clearly, I was always just feeling, like, ‘Oh my God, I need to be better than my last time,’ you know?”

Her relationship with fellow rapper Latto is also better now. The two finally shut down long-rumored beef by linking up for the new collab track, “Gyatt,” which dropped September 4. Their verses appeared to squash whatever tension fans had speculated about since 2023.

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Their feud, largely fueled by fan theories and subtle social media jabs, was stoked by each rapper’s association with two famously feuding artists. Ice with Nicki Minaj, Latto with Cardi B. Things seemed to escalate after Latto dropped a verse on Offset’s 2023 track 'Fine as Can Be' that fans thought referenced Ice Spice’s 'Munch (Feelin’ U).' 

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But by July 2024, Ice had publicly shut down the idea of bad blood between them. “I feel like if we ever spoke and I asked her, ‘What’s the issue?’ it’d be like a blank stare,” she said in a Rolling Stone interview. “It’d really be no issue whatsoever. Especially from me."

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The rapper is choosing creative partnerships and real friendships, like the one she shares with Taylor Swift, over industry drama. “The thing about Taylor is that she keeps it so real,” Ice said. “Not even kidding, but one of the biggest things that I always think about that Taylor said is ‘As long as you keep making music, everything’s going to be fine.’”

And while their conversations aren’t always about career moves, Taylor’s advice has stuck with her. “Every time we hang out, she’s not just giving me advice, you know what I mean? We’re talking about the food we’re eating or whatever’s going on in the moment,” she said. “But whenever I’m feeling doubtful or not as confident, having writer’s block, no matter what it is, things like that really, really stand out to me.”