Izzy Ice

No stranger to the scene, Brooklyn rapper Izzy Ice has a career that spans both decades and hip-hop zeitgeists. In the early '90s, he was part of the duo Da King & I, releasing one album with his partner DJ Majesty. Silent for years after the pair disbanded, he launched a late-2010s comeback as a solo artist, scoring an underground hit with the 2019 single "Cake Up." Born Isadore Francois, the New York City native hooked up with DJ Majesty in the late '80s, releasing the single "Soulman" before signing with Rowdy Records in 1992. Drawing comparisons to Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, they adopted the moniker Da King & I for their debut, 1993's Contemporary Jeep Music, which included the single "Flip Da Scrip." Although popular in the New York underground, the duo soon disbanded after releasing a final track, "Krak Da Weazel." In the years that followed, Izzy started his own business and had a health scare that put him into a coma. He made a sudden return as a solo artist in 2017 with the Bernie Mac-sampling single "Milk & Cookies." Adopting a more party-friendly energy, Izzy's strong, steady voice and style were more reminiscent of emcees like Nas, Jeezy, and even DMX. Two years later, he scored a proper comeback hit with "Cake Up," a bombastic track full of braggadocio and throwback energy. The song later received a pair of remixes from Cool & Dre. © Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo