In the midst of another creative renaissance, multi-platinum Memphis rap star NLE Choppa ignites a new single and music video entitled “Ice Spice” via NLE Entertainment/Warner Records today.
On the track, an ominous beat underlines menacing 808s, cueing up an oncoming lyrical storm. NLE Choppa locks into a head-spinning flow, bobbing and weaving through bold bars. He declares, “I’m C.E.O., but I’m in the field with the best,” keeping close to the streets and clinging to his intensity. The accompanying visual follows him to the hometown game in front of a packed audience of screaming fans, in the studio as he creates, and at the strip club as the center of attention. There’s no shortage of flashy jewelry and expensive cars either!
Not to mention, he just turned 20-years-old! He’s accomplished all of this before reaching legal age.
For as prolific as he may be, he remains just as philanthropic and gracious. A few years back, he launched the NLE Reading Challenge with Memphis elementary school Cornerstone Prep Denver (CPD). He motivated students to read over 26 million words and recently returned to up the goal to 40 million. As such, Revolt’s Black News crowned him “Revolutionary of the Week,” while WREG Memphis, FOX 13 Memphis, and Commercial Appeal have chronicled the story so far.
Continuing a highly creative season, “Ice Spice” impacts in the wake of “Do It Again” [feat. 2Rare], which has already posted up 13.3 million streams and 4.8 million YouTube views on the music video. The #DoItAgainChallenge on TikTok is picking up steam with nearly 25k creates on the platform. Off the beat, Rap Radar promised, “NLE Choppa does it again,” and REVOLT noted, “The two throw a neighborhood party with plenty of energetic choreography as Choppa sets the tone with his energetic flow.”
Meanwhile, the preceding single “Little Miss” has reeled in over 7 million global streams and 3.3 million YouTube views on the music video. Immediately, REVOLT hailed, “The new single sees Choppa rapping about a certain type of woman that is going through some things that she doesn’t want to share with the world,” and Rap Radar observed, “NLE Choppa gives the women a shoulder to lean on.” Our Generation Music added, “‘Little Miss’ showcases his emotional side while also incorporating the viral ‘Little Miss’ internet meme.”
“Little Miss” followed a string of hit singles, including the sensual “Slut Me Out,” the playful “In The UK,” and “Yak Flow,” a laid-back groove that instantly transfixes with its snaps and 808s. Another recent standout in his prolific streak was “The Gender Reveal Song,” a tear-jerking tribute to the rapper’s unborn son. In addition to features in The Source, HipHopDX, and more, Complex called the song “introspective,” while REVOLT praised it as “heartfelt.
This recent run of new music and productivity proves that NLE Choppa is both active and versatile—capable of dealing in basically any style or mood he feels like on a given day. It’s just part of his longstanding efforts to push himself and the culture forward. He crashed the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 with his 2020 debut album, Top Shotta. He achieved a record-breaking 24 weeks atop Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart. To date, he has gathered 13 RIAA-certified plaques, a spot on the 2020 XXL Freshman list, and a nomination for the 2020 BET Hip-Hop Awards’ Best New Artist. In 2021, he was even named to Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list. With “Little Miss” and other recent singles, NLE Choppa doubles down, demonstrating his continued dedication to artistic and emotional growth.
ABOUT NLE CHOPPA:
Despite being just 20 years old, NLE Choppa, one of the most electric rappers of his generation, has worked hard to become a pillar of his community. So while there are plenty of numbers that could quantify his success—his 13 RIAA-certified plaques and more than 5 billion global streams—it’s possible he prefers another one: 26 million. That’s how many words the kids at one Memphis elementary school read this year as part of his Needs Learning Everyday challenge. Raised on the city’s East side, Choppa broke through in 2019 with the Platinum-certified “Shotta Flow,” a muscular blend of menace and sheer personality that became his trademark. Since then, he’s garnered acclaim from the New York Times, Forbes, GQ, and Billboard, among other outlets, including XXL, which put him on its 2020 Freshman list. Choppa’s is a unique cocktail of cutting-edge street rap with a pop sensibility, and he drops music at a breakneck pace. But this hardly means he’s stuck on the same ideas. As he’s continued to serve Memphis (see his This Can’t Be Vegan food company), his music dives into his past and psyche, growing more poised and thoughtful seemingly by the month. His latest project, Me Vs. Me, is his most richly detailed yet, tracing the tragic and triumphant arcs he’s seen around him from 21st-century Memphis back to Biblical times. While his serrated style might seem at odds with his open-heartedness off the mic, they are simply different embodiments of the same drive and lust for life.
