Ice Spice's humble beginnings had a chance connection to Pharrell Williams.
In the rapper's first Rolling Stone cover story, published ahead of her debut album Y2K!, Ice spoke about her brief time at New York college SUNY Purchase. After her sophomore year, the 24-year-old dropped out, and her longtime friend and collaborator, RiotUSA, helped her get a job at a Billionaire Boys Club warehouse during the coronavirus pandemic.
"That was a fun-ass job though, because we was able to play music off the laptop and shit," Ice told RS. "Our boss was mad cool."
But the "Phat Butt" artist also teased a collaboration with BBC, telling the publication, "It’s coming. We have BBC x Ice Spice merch."
Ice's short-lived time at BBC wouldn't be the first time that an artist worked behind-the-scenes at a streetwear company. 4-time Grammy winner, SZA, worked for 10.deep when she met Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrence 'Punch' Henderson in 2011 while making a delivery for a Kendrick Lamar event. While there, the record executive heard SZA's music, prompting their working relationship.
Similarly, Kid Cudi worked at BAPE in the 2000s when he met Kanye West, later being signed to G.O.O.D. Music. "I was helping him get a couple of things,” he told Hypebeast in 2021. “I forgot to take a sensor off of one of the jackets he bought, and I had to run out the store to catch him before he left.”