Ice Spice's 'SpongeBob' Rap Belongs In The Bottom of the Ocean
The next generation of Nickelodeon fans are about to think that the answer to the question, “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” is “SpongeBob big guy pants okay.” On December 19, 2025, Paramount Pictures will release the fourth theatrical film in their SpongeBob SquarePants cinematic universe, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, a moment that will undoubtedly make the now-in-their-mid-30s OG fans of the franchise ask, “Wait, there are four SpongeBob movies now?” Yes, Millennials who grew up with the voice of Tom Kenny blasting out of a CRT and straight into our newly-forming memories are no longer the target audience for SpongeBob SquarePants. The creative decisions made by the current custodians of the SpongeBob IP are aimed at a much younger demographic, and, thus, may seem strange and alienating to nostalgic adults – nowhere is that more apparent than in the soundtrack.
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Not only is hit rapper Ice Spice a voice actor in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, but she also composed and performed an original song for the film, and it has us older fans wishing that Squidward’s clarinet would finally burst our eardrums.
Like millions of Americans, Isis Naija “Ice Spice” Gaston grew up watching SpongeBob SquarePants, and, even before she got involved with The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, she said that the series had a huge impact on her. “The only animated character I ever had a crush on was like, SpongeBob,” Ice Spice admitted in a 2023 interview. “He’s very integrated in my life.”
Ice Spice also has a single inspired by SpongeBob, titled “Bikini Bottom,” the lyrics of which are beyond inappropriate for the new movie, hence the need for a bespoke song.Ice Spice credited her public love for SpongeBob with landing her a part in the new film, along with an entry in the soundtrack:Judging from the YouTube comments, the younger generation of SpongeBob fans seem excited that a young star like Ice Spice is both involved in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants and shares their passion for the franchise. Seeing as Ice Spice's affection for the series extends past the undoubtedly generous check that Nickelodeon cut for her involvement, I realize and respect that my personal distaste for “Big Guy” is well-outweighed by the genuine enthusiasm it's generating among the “6-7” generation.
Still, as a grumpy unc, I'd rather listen to “Electric Zoo” on repeat for 12 hours than withstand another 12 seconds of “Big Guy,” and I know I'm not alone in that feeling:
