Fans couldn’t help but see the spirit of Nicki Minaj in Ice Spice’s current form. Some say it as a compliment, and others as a criticism.

Ice Spice may not have the same numbers as a year ago, but her upcoming album Y2K could change all of that very quickly and even skyrocket them to new highs. However, with a new snippet tease that also features her brand-new bob cut, fans think that she’s emulating her close collaborator Nicki Minaj a little too much. Moreover, you can really hear this in the flow towards the end of this teased cut, although for the most part, it still plays with the moody drill sound that we know and love. Whether or not this is overt biting or an inspired homage is a debate for the Barbz and the munches to determine, but it seems like folks might be taking this a step too far.

After all, Ice Spice has always worn her influences on her sleeve, and given her numerous collaborations with Nicki Minaj, there’s at least a bit more of a precedent and relationship here for their similarities to not be that negatively perceived. But we’ll leave that verdict for the lion’s den of online opinion. Elsewhere, though, she’s prepping for this Y2K era in big ways, such as a headlining slot on up-and-coming Romanian music festival Beach, Please! Travis Scott, Yeat, Chief Keef, and more will also be there to perform from July 10 to July 14.

Ice Spice’s New Look & Flow Prompts Nicki Minaj Comparisons: See Comments For Reactions

“It was her tone and the production she was picking,” Ice Spice’s manager James Rosemond Jr. said of her rise to superstardom. “When I came across her early on, she only had about two or three songs out. She didn’t have the crazy monthly listeners and social numbers. Then I came across a song called ‘No Clarity,’ a drill flip of Zedd’s ‘Clarity,’ and heard the song’s possibilities. Next, I heard ‘Name of Love.’ One, she’s working with the same producer [RIOTUSA] and they’re creating a sound. Two, her tone, and three, they’re flipping these crossover samples in drills. That got me. Then I saw her image — the curls, which was different — and I’m like, ‘Whoa!'”

“Coming out of the gate, it was always three-dimensional chess,” Rosemond Jr. continued of Ice Spice. “‘Less is more’ was our conversation and ‘Let’s not saturate.’ Strategically, it was also about digital. When we put ‘Munch’ out, we got the right digital team, which was Create Music Group. Its sister companies include WorldStar and Genius. I never want to feel like an artist is on a treadmill. I always want them to feel like they’re moving forward from A to C, C to E. So I did a strategic play on the digital side to accelerate her growth, social and in the market. ‘Munch’ was everywhere that first week we put it out. And that was due to the strategic play that I was able to put together using the song as currency.”