Taylor Swift Gives Ice Spice Top Props: 'Impresses the Hell Out of Me'

Taylor Swift and Ice Spice became fast friends ahead of their "Karma" collab ... and it turns out TS is a big admirer of the "Munch" rapper's budding career!!!

Ice graced the cover for the latest issue of Variety, which dropped Thursday, and it includes some commentary from Taylor, who gushed about the breakout star ... "I relate to Ice in many ways. She's extremely professional without being cold."

TS continued, "She knows what is and isn't 'her' and sets those boundaries with grace. She studies the industry and other artists' careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It's her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”

A cosign from Taylor can be as beneficial as winning an award, and Ice has been racking up plenty of accolades this year -- most notably getting 3 of her songs into the top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100, one of them being her Swift duet. Taylor's fans in NJ got a live taste of "Karma" during the Eras Tour.

Ice previously stated she was floored by Taylor casually waiting for her at the studio when they recorded "Karma" ... but Taylor says Ice was on her j-o-b as well, arriving at the studio with her verse ready to go, and sending her vocals beforehand to ensure they were on the same page!!!