Spice has never been the type to whisper her way through anything, but the woman she’s become feels different. It’s still bold, still fearless, still unmistakably her — the difference in this chapter is the intention behind it. This time, the message starts with faith.

The Grammy-nominated dancehall star, born Grace Latoya Hamilton, stepped into an era shaped by survival, reflection, and a deeper connection with God. In 2022, she traveled to the Dominican Republic for breast augmentation surgery, but what was supposed to be routine turned into a life-threatening emergency. An erupted hernia sent her body into septic shock, leading to a devastating and traumatic health crisis. Spice has shared in an interview that she experienced an out-of-body moment and believed she had died, later revealing photos of the damage sepsis caused to her skin. Through 2024, she remained in and out of the hospital, undergoing seven surgeries as doctors worked to restore her health and body.

That second chance at life is the heartbeat behind “God Don’t Play About Me,” a gospel-leaning declaration that flips expectations and feels like a real conversation with the higher power she credits for bringing her back. REVOLT spoke with the Jamaica native about choosing worship over worry, redefining peace, and what it means to show fans the woman behind the persona, even when the world expects the blue hair and the full volume.

“God Don’t Play About Me” comes from a very personal place. When you think back to that moment in 2022, when you almost lost your life, what do you feel now that you didn’t feel then?

I feel closer to God. I just feel a deeper connection spiritually with God.

This song definitely sounds like a conversation with God. What was your mindset when you sat down to write it?

First of all, I prayed before I wrote the song. I just wanted people to be openly willing to give God his praise, give him his flowers, because he has done so much for us. So, I feel like not just my story, but so many other people who went through so many things that God brought them out of miraculously… they should just get up and give him thanks and say, “Yes, God don't play about me. He has done so much for me.” So that's just the mindset I had. I was like, “I want my fans to worship God.”

Dancehall isn’t always associated with gospel records. Did you feel any hesitation releasing a faith-forward song?

I did feel a little bit of hesitation because, one, people know I'm not a gospel artist. So, sometimes you go with the mindset like, “Oh my God, are people gonna judge me?” Even though they are judging now, I'm not doing it for them... You know what? Let me not think about what people think. I'm doing this because of God. I'm doing this because I want to show my fans that it's okay to worship God, you know, and [be] faithful in spirit and in truth, no matter who you are, where you're from, or whatever it is, that people may judge and say, “Oh, we are not supposed to.” Everyone is supposed to worship God. So, I just went with that mindset, and that's the result. I'm a praise and worship type of girl. I will sing and run in my house and worship God [out] loud. I'm very expressive, which is why I did that type of gospel song. Like, “Girl, grab your tambourine. We are gonna worship.”

After everything you’ve been through, what does peace actually look like for you these days?

Peace for me looks like making it normal to say no. Like, accepting the fact that it's okay to say no. Oftentimes, we overextend ourselves to people, allowing certain people and energy into our space and, you know, getting uncomfortable with saying, “No, I'm not going to this place. This is not my type of environment.” So, peace for me looks like… It's okay to say no.

You’ve built a career on confidence and boldness. You’ve always been very sure of who you are. Was there ever a moment where that confidence had to be rebuilt from scratch?

No, I don't think there was a moment where I had to rebuild my confidence. I think I've always been an extremely confident woman. I've heard that a thousand times, like, “Oh my God. Where do you get your confidence from?” 'Cause I will show up and show out, however, wherever, like say my name. Once you say Spice, I'm there. So, I feel like I'm always that confident person, but I feel like through my music, my rapport, my behavior, and everything, I've had the chance to rebuild confidence in a lot of women who feel like they are not confident enough to do certain things, or dance a certain way, or show up a certain way. I feel like I've rebuilt a lot of confidence, but I've always been a very confident person.

Let’s talk about your single “Soft Girl Era.” You’re stepping into a soft life in this song. What does being “soft” actually mean to you?

For me, soft means a better version of myself. I feel like it's refinding myself in terms of accepting Grace Hamilton. Not just Spice, the persona that I've created. The Grace with the natural hair, the person that is at home, no makeup, just you know, being unapologetically me, which is a softer version of myself. Funny enough, a lot of times people actually get to meet me, Grace Hamilton, and they're like, “Oh my gosh, I didn't know that you're so shy,” or, “You're so sweet.” And I try to explain to them that Spice is just a character. It's just a persona, something I put on on stage, or when that blue hair comes on, I metamorphize. But there's a real person behind that facade; you know what I'm saying? So, I think being soft means accepting Grace Hamilton and showing up as Grace Hamilton a little bit more than the norm.

You’ve stepped into a very peaceful and calm era. What sparked this transformation musically?

My friends who know me, that go to church with me, that are in my house, they're always saying, “Why don't you show this side to your fans?” And I'm like, “I do,” and they're like, “No, you don't.” And I'm like, “What do you mean?” And I think my close friends who get a chance to meet Grace, they always say that my fans need to see this person behind Spice. And I just prayed about it…

I decided to open up a little bit more to say, “Hey guys, I know you see this persona who's always wearing blue and always in blue hair and singing dancehall songs and is very raw and ratchet sometimes. But behind that persona, this is me. There's a real person that is a homebody. I like to be at home. I like to take care of myself. I'm a mother. I have two children. And you know, just showing the softer side of me that they don't normally get to see. I think my soft era is me being vulnerable as well and just showcasing a different side to me that they don't normally get to see. It's not always about being on stage.

Let’s talk hair real quick. You’ve gone from the signature blue to ginger and even slipped some black into the mix. Is this a full-on switch-up, or are you just having fun with it and might circle back to the blue?

I find myself playing around with other colors 'cause a lot of people always feel like I can never come outta blue. It's not that I can never come out of it, it is just like, that's what I like for myself. I love blue. That's my favorite color. That's how I see my image. I'm just a blue girl. But I am just showing different colors and different elements of myself to my fans so that they can see it actually, like, once and for all. 'Cause they're always like, “Oh my God, are we going to ever see her in another color?” So, I feel like this is also a moment to kind of interact with my fans and be like, “Hey, you've always wondered if I'm gonna wear another color. This is what I look like in this color.” I recently posted myself with blonde hair this morning, and you know, I'm just having fun with just showing them that I can do other things. It's just that when you see the blue, that's what I like. That's what I love.

These releases came through your independent label, Spice Official Entertainment. What does ownership and control mean to you at this stage in your life?

I've had a very open public relationship, which I showcased to my fans that I was stuck in a record deal for over 10 years, which is what birthed my first album, [which] was called 10. It was because I was stuck in a contract with VP Records for 10 years. So that album, which was Grammy-nominated, came from that 10-year relationship. And so, after a while, you have learned the language of music and realize that owning your own music and your own art, having that self-direction where you can get up and say, “Hey, I wanna put out a song tomorrow.” When you are signed to a label, or you have someone that is directing you, your path, it's more difficult to do... And because I'm so creative, I will literally leave here and feel like I need to release a song tomorrow.

So, I wanted that peace. And earlier you asked me what does peace look like for me… It's also being able to do what I want, when I want, and how I want. So, I feel like I'm more at peace knowing that I can get up and write any type of song. A label would say, “Hey, you're a dancer, artist, don't put out a gospel song.” So, I just feel like being able to do whatever I want, when I want, that's also peace for me. And that's comfort. It brings a lot of comfort with me and my music. I can write whatever song I feel.

Being a woman in dancehall comes with its own set of expectations. What narratives about women in the genre do you still feel responsible for challenging?

I feel like I am challenging the narrative that hardcore dancehall female artists do not make it far internationally. When I became the first Grammy-nominated hardcore female dancehall artist, that was a win for me and many others because I opened that door that people made it seem like was shut… Like, we couldn't get Grammy-nominated because of the type of music, and dancehall wouldn't get that recognition. So, things like that are where I feel like, “Hey, I'm responsible. I'm the queen of dancehall, I'm gonna prove this. I'm gonna show them that I can do that.” Also, there's this thing where people feel like if you're the complexion that I am, you're not gonna make it big or make it far. So, I wanna remind other girls who look like me that it's possible. So, I carry that weight on my shoulder because I'm always trying to tell people not to change who they are, just to show up and work hard. Hard work and prayer make dreams become reality.

You and Vybz Kartel, also known as your work husband, have been locked in for a long time. What’s the key to keeping that bond so strong?

I think genuineness is what kept us. Loyalty as well is what kept us, but just the genuine love that we have for each other. It's nothing put on, forced, or added on. I've been open with why I appreciate him so much. “Romping Shop” was my first international crossover hit song. So, I've been very open, telling people, “Hey, I'll never forget when I had this song,” because that kind of opened the doors to a lot of other opportunities for me internationally. We’ve both known each other before we became famous. We both come from Portmore, we both started from humble beginnings. So just watching each other's craft grow, we grew that respect to say, “Hey, we made it outta the ghetto. We made it outta the slum.”

And we used to travel together, going to different shows to make our voices be heard. So now that we're both the king and queen of dancehall, ain't no stopping us, like, ain't no separation, we've beat the odds. When he was incarcerated, I'm one of them that used to walk with his pictures and travel all the way to even Europe to say, “Free the Worl’ Boss” just to show my respect. And I feel like a lot of that molds our relationship, like, “Hey, I got you. Whether you’re up or down.”

What was going through your mind the first time you saw him after his 13 years in prison?

I was excited. It was just a gleeful moment. I remember I was coming off of a plane in Europe when I heard the news, and I was just running in the airport, and people were thinking I was crazy, but I was just so excited for him. I just can't imagine being locked away for 13 years. I can't even imagine what it feels like for a day. So sometimes I see him, I just have such a great respect and love for him, knowing what he has been through, and just to see how he has overcome and literally lifted dancehall to another level. I'm excited for his evolution.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about Spice offstage?

Offstage? That I'm a chef. I can throw it down in the kitchen. I like to cook, I like to be in the kitchen. My kitchen is, like, one of [my] favorite places for me. I like to try different recipes, different things. I just feel like I'm the best cook out there in the world.

Ever thought about coming out with a cookbook?

Well, that's really [what] I want to venture into because of the name Spice. I definitely wanna venture into stuff like that that has to do with the cooking world. But I'm just taking it a step at a time. I feel like it would definitely collab with my name.