‘It’s UATL’ podcast: How Spice beat death and found her ‘Soft Girl Era’
In 2022, Spice almost died.
Her body was going into sepsis. What followed was emergency surgery to save her life. Then, another seven surgeries.
Dubbed “the Queen of Dancehall,” Spice opened up about her journey with “It’s UATL” co-hosts DeAsia Paige and Najja Parker.
“This is real. In the blink of an eye, you could just be gone. It kind of opened my eyes, not just for music, but for life in general,” she said.
The independent artist — no label, no manager — talks about how “Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta” brought her to the city, where she’s been inspired by how Black women support each other’s goals.
She also offers up the personal stories behind her songs, “God Don’t Play About Me,” and “Soft Girl Era.”
“They kind of go hand in hand to be honest because it’s like, slow down and take a moment to live and love upon yourself some a little bit more,” she said.
This week’s episode
In more somber news, Paige and co-host Nedra Rhone talk about news that Atlanta rapper Offset was shot in Hollywood, Florida.
The ladies also talk about a new Gordon Parks exhibition, “Gordon Parks: The South in Color,” which is on view at Jackson Fine Art at 3122 East Shadowlawn Avenue in Buckhead till June 13.
This week was also a big one for the WNBA, which had its annual draft. However, for folks in ATL, the big news came a week before with word that WNBA star Angel Reese is joining the Atlanta Dream. What does it mean to have the “Bayou Barbie” in ATL?
Lastly, for our “Rent Free” segment, the ladies discuss teen takeovers and what could be done to curb them.
Related reads from UATL and AJC
Follow the stories that inspired this week’s episode.
- Atlanta rapper Offset shot near Florida casino, in stable condition
- Angel Reese makes Atlanta Dream more popular, now she’s under pressure to win
- ‘Teen takeovers’ signal the need for deeper, more meaningful connection
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Roll credits
“It’s UATL” comes from DeAsia Paige, Nedra Rhone, Najja Parker, Isabelle Kerby-McGowan, Cara Shillenn, Gavin Godfrey, Shane Backler, Ron Williams, Matt Gannon, Kishuna Joseph, Keith Lovely Jr., Megan Nadolski, Samantha Stamler and Janel Davis.
About the Author
Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.