Released: 2023 • Features: Nicki Minaj
Packed with attitude and bravado, “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice, featuring Nicki Minaj, is a bold declaration of self-confidence. This joint is hinged on unapologetic expression of being in power and not letting anyone or anything throw you off your grind. Above all, the song serves as a metaphor for being royal and commanding respect in your own life, just as Princess Diana did.
The chorus, which is repeated throughout the song, can be seen as a statement of power. “Grrah, keep it a stack / Bitches move wock’ ’cause they know I got bands” – here “keeping it a stack” is slang for keeping it 100% real, “wock” is short for Wockhardt, a brand of cough syrup often associated with the recreational drug lean, and “bands” refers to lots of money. The ladies are saying that their wealth and authenticity can intimidate others.
Ice Spice proclaims, “And I’m still gettin’ money, I know who I am,” underlining her sense of self-worth and her financial independence. “If he smart, he gon’ act like a fan” implies that anyone who recognizes her power and respects it will get her attention.
In the part where she sings, “In the hood, I’m like Princess Diana,” she likens herself to the late Princess Diana, who was loved and respected worldwide for her elegance and humanitarian efforts. This is her way of expressing how highly she’s regarded in her own community.
Nicki Minaj’s verse is rife with the same fierce confidence and command. “This is a public service announcement… They tried to clone my image / They burned they London Bridges,” Here, Nicki is affirming her uniqueness, suggesting that others have tried (and failed) to mimic her style. The “London Bridges” reference may symbolize the fall of those who tried to compete with her.
Continuing the royalty theme, Minaj proclaims, “She the princess, so fuck who you lames is.” She’s affirming that she and Ice Spice are above the rest, dismissing anyone who isn’t on their level. With the line, “I hold the control like the gamers,” Minaj asserts herself as the one with power and control, a message she and Spice carry through the entire song.
Wrapping it all up, “It’s the gag for me, haha” represents a popular phrase in Internet culture, often used to denote something surprising or amusing about a situation. Here, it could mean they find it amusing how they’ve managed to keep their power and control while everyone else struggles to catch up.
Overall, “Princess Diana” is a powerful track that’s all about asserting dominance, holding one’s own, understanding your value, and unapologetically expressing yourself. It’s about women dominating their spaces and keeping it 100% real, making the song a celebratory anthem of female empowerment and self-assertiveness in an often male-dominated hip-hop culture.
