Who Are Ice Spice’s Parents, Joseph Gaston and Charina Almanzar?
Spice was born on January 1, 2000, in the Bronx, New York City, as the oldest of five siblings. Her father, Joseph Gaston, was once an underground rapper, which likely influenced her love for music from an early age. Though he never broke into the mainstream, his passion for hip-hop played a role in shaping Spice’s artistic identity.
Her mother, Charina Almanzar, took a different path, working at a car dealership to support the family.
In recent years, Joseph has shifted away from music and now works in real estate.
Her Parents Divorced When Gaston Was Two
Ice Spice’s parents, Joseph Gaston and Charina Almanzar, met at a McDonald’s in New York and quickly formed a connection. Their relationship led to the birth of Ice Spice, with Charina becoming a mother at just seventeen.
However, their relationship was short-lived. By the time their daughter turned two, they had separated, leading to a childhood where Ice Spice split her time between different family members.
Reflecting on her upbringing, she once shared:
“My parents were separated when I was two, and I have five siblings. I’m the oldest. It’s all separated. My parents had me and then they split up and had their own kids.”
With both parents working, she spent much of her childhood under the care of her grandparents and cousins. She recalled how after school, she would meet up with her cousins at her grandparents’ house, where they would eat, watch TV, and enjoy each other’s company.
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Though she wasn’t baptized as a child and didn’t attend church regularly, she later attended Catholic school, which introduced her to a different environment. Still, she emphasized that faith remains a big part of her life:
“I’m still religious in the sense where I strictly pray every day, all the time.”
Both Her Father and Mother Helped Shape Who She Is Today
Spice has often credited her parents for shaping the artist and person she is today, though her father remains largely out of the public eye. In an interview with Variety in September 2023, she shared that he prefers to keep his life private, which is why she has never revealed his stage name. Despite this, she has acknowledged the impact he had on her early interest in music.
Recalling his influence, she told Paper Magazine:
“He definitely inspired me to want to record.”
Her earliest memories of being in a studio trace back to her childhood, watching her father as he worked on music. She described him as a true hip-hop head, always eager to teach her about the culture and its history.
“I ended up becoming an artist because I saw my father be one first. He’s a music lover himself. He’s always educating me on hip-hop and s—t like that.”
While her father influenced her musical journey, her mother, Charina Almanzar, shaped her personality and confidence. In a 2022 interview with Billboard, Spice described her mother as a strong woman who led by example.
“My mom’s a bad b—- and she raised me to be just like her.”
Growing up in a Dominican household, she embraced the bold and vibrant energy of Latina women, something she credits her mother for. She remembers admiring how her mom always had her nails done and carried herself with confidence, something that naturally rubbed off on her.
“You already know Latina girls have that sass. My mom was always looking so good. I was that kid in class with the good-looking mom.”