Spice

At 42 years old, Spice has this physical status:

Grace Latoya Hamilton (born 6 August 1982), also known as Spice, is a Jamaican dancehall singer, guitarist, and songwriter.

She made her first big breakthrough in the early 2000s with the controversial single "Romping Shop" by Vybz Kartel. So Mi Like It, Spice's debut EP, which also included the hit single of the same name, was released in 2014 by VP Records.

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, a reality television series on VH1, rose to fame in 2018.

Captured, her first full-length project, debuted on Billboard's Billboard Reggae Albums chart, and she appeared at number one on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart later this year.

Spice is one of the world's most well-known female dancehall performers.

Early life

Grace Latoya Hamilton was born in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica, and raised in Portmore. When she was nine years old, her father died. She used to attend her church regularly and lead the choir as an infant. She spent a portion of her childhood in Finsbury Park, London, where she attended kindergarten before returning to Jamaica. When she was a student at St. Catherine High School, she regularly participated in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) festival in the music segment and received numerous awards throughout the years. Despite wanting to become a chartered accountant, she decided to pursue a music career. Following this, she enrolled at the Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts to study music and drama. She began playing dancehall music and soon after, she became involved in her community and the local area with her deejaying skills at local stage shows.

Personal life

Spice got engaged to Nicholas Lall, whom she had been dating since 2006. In 2016, the couple called off the engagement and ended their marriage. They have two children, a son born in 2007 and a daughter born in 2011.

Spice began dating American cinematographer Justin Budd, who she encountered in Atlanta in 2020. In 2022, the couple announced that they had ended their relationship.

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Career

Spice made her debut in 2000 when she was invited to appear at the annual dancehall festival in Sting. It was her first major appearance on a stage, where she received multiple encores from the audience. Despite not having any hit records during her early days in her career, Spice went on to gain a reputation for her performing abilities.

Spice caught Baby Cham's attention while on tour in the United Kingdom, who later introduced her to renowned record producer Dave Kelly. She debuted her first single for Kelly's Madhouse Records label "Complain," followed by her singles on the Bad Gal riddim, "Right There" with Toi and "Hype." She appeared on Jimmy Cliff's "I Want To Get" from his album Black Magic (2004) and Beenie Man's "Hot" from his album Concept of Life (2006). Spice created "Fight Over Man" for her first hit single, a hit song in the dancehall scene. In 2007, she went on a hiatus due to her son's birth but soon returned to performing.

Spice worked with fellow dancehall artist Vybz Kartel on the single "Romping Shop," which samples Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" in late 2008. The song gained international prominence quickly, receiving a lot of rotation on national television stations in the United States. "Romping Shop" spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 76. The Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation had halted the song shortly after its introduction due to the song's explicit lyrical content. On both Pitchfork's list of the 50 Best Dancehall Songs of All Time and Billboard's list of the 12 Best Dancehall & Reggaeton Choruses of the 21st Century, "Romping Shop" ranked number 9 on Pitchfork and Billboard's list of the Top Dancehall & Reggaeton Choruses of the 21st Century.

Spice signed a recording deal with VP Records in July 2009. In 2010, she released the single "Jim Scramble." M'a's sixth album "Take Him Out" was a remix for her song "Fun" starring rapper Missy Elliott and co-collaborating with Ma. (Keep It Sexy & Simple). Spice performed the song with Ma at Reggae Sumfest the year before. In 2012, a music video for "Take Him Out" was released.

Spice unveiled the Gal Click riddim, her first project as an entrepreneur, starring some of her female dancehall artists in April 2013. She earned more fame with her single "So Mi Like It," which was released later this year. The accompanying music video, which was released in January 2014, became the most watched music video by a female Jamaican artist. Busta Rhymes' remix "So Mi Like It" was later released on his mixtape Catastrophic 2.

Candy appeared in her first theatrical feature film "Destiny," which was released on April 2nd, 2014. For the film's soundtrack, she also recorded the song "No Push Over" for the film's soundtrack. So Mi Like It, her debut EP, was released on December 2, 2014, and was dubbed after the single of the same name. It debuted at number 14 on Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart. The EP includes five songs, including "So Mi Like It" and "Conjugal Visit" starring Vybz Kartel. Within a day, the music video for "Conjugal Visit" on WorldStarHipHop gained over 2 million views on the site. She was on the same month as soca singer Bunji Garlin on rapper ASAP Ferg's album "Jolly" from his mixtape Ferg Forever.

Spice released "Needle Eye" in May 2015, a single based on Shabba Ranks' 1987 single of the same name. She appeared alongside Jeremih on Kid Ink's single "Nasty" in May 2016. She released the single "Indicator," based on a dance move of the same name, the following month. She joined Mixpak in 2016 and won the battle against Wiz Khalifa & Taylor Gang and others. Spice was the first female nominee for Best Reggae Act and the first female dancehall artist to be nominated in this category at the MOBO Awards.

Spice's single "Sheet" was released in April 2017. She appeared on a remix of Jax Jones' "You Don't Know Me" in June. On Charlie Sloth's "I Can Do" from his album The Plug, she appeared alongside Sean Kingston and Lady Leshurr in August. Spice joined the show as a cast member in season six of VH1's reality TV show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Spice shared a snapshot of herself with luminous skin on Instagram on October 22, 2018 after a brief social media hiatus. Many people were led to believe she had whitened her skin after the photograph went viral. She eventually admitted that she faked whitening her skin to raise concerns of colorism within the black community. Spice spoke out about the subject in her single "Black Hypocrisy," which was released the next day alongside a accompanying music video. "Black Hypocrisy" debuts at number one on Billboard's debut mixtape, debuting as the lead single on her debut mixtape.

Captured, Spice's debut mixtape, was released on November 2, 2018, courtesy of her own independent record company Spice Official Entertainment. Following a court dispute with her record label over the release of her long-awaited debut album, the mixtape was released. Captured debuted on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart at number one. Several tracks from the collection, including "Romantic Mood," "Cool It," and "Genie," were also highlighted with accompanying music videos in addition to "Black Hypocrisy."

Spice appeared on the remix of Stylo G's "Dumpling," which peaked at number three on the Billboard Reggae Digital Song Sales chart in October 2019. "Tables Turn" was released in the same month as the previous month. She appeared on Krept and Konan's "First Time" with Tory Lanez in November. "First Time" was her first appearance on the UK Singles Chart, where it debuted at number 63.

Spice's debut studio album, which was partially produced by Shaggy, was announced in March 2020. On December 18, 2020, the company's lead single, "Frenz," was released on streaming platforms. On April 30, 2021, Shaggy and Sean Paul's "Go Down Deh" was released as the album's second lead single. Millions of views have been posted on YouTube, with the song's accompanying music video quickly becoming a hit on streaming platforms. On NPR Music's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2021, "Go Down Deh" came in at number 48. Spice's debut studio album, 10.3021, was eventually released on August 6, 2021, debuting at number six on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. At the 64th Grammy Awards in 2022, it was nominated for Best Reggae Album.

Shaggy announced Spice's demise from VP Records in November 2021. She also announced the debut of her second studio album, Emancipated, shortly after. "Clap Clap Clap" was the first single to be released in 2022. Spice uncensored music video for "Tape Measure," the album's second single, which went viral, was posted on August 25, 2022. On August 20, 2022, Emancipated was announced, debuting at number seven on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. Capella Grey appeared on Karlie Redd's album "Werk" and Stefflon Don's "Clockwork" in the same month. In September, she collaborated with Nigerian singer Yemi Alade on the album "Bubble It" and released the single "Bubble It." "THE FINE REMIX" was she on Skeng and Nicki Minaj's remix of "Likkle Miss" in October.

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