WELCOME TO KIZZALAND
Introducing Izza Kizza, the Next-Gen Andre 3000
By Bret Love
If you don’t know Izza Kizza (government name: Terry Davis) yet, you might want to go ahead and jump on the bandwagon now or risk getting crushed in the bum rush when his “official” debut album is released later this year. I say “official” because Izza’s already released two absolutely incredible mix tapes (available for free download via his website, www.izzakizza.com), both of which establish him as the most skillful new MC to emerge since Slim Shady signed with Dre.
For evidence of his formidable mic skills, look no further than “Timbo Freestyle,” the seventh cut on his debut mix tape, Kizzaland. Over a 4-minute smorgasbord of producer Timbaland’s (with whom he was briefly signed) best beats, the 28-year-old Valdosta native delivers an astonishing array of rhyme styles, flipping up his flow more frequently than Madonna changes outfits. He can go sizzurp-slow and twisted, rock a hood-tough swagger, croon his own catchy hook, get fast ‘n’ futuristic like a next-gen Andre 3000, crack wacky jokes, or simply keep it real and emotional.
Izza credits this stylistic diversity to growing up in a small Southern town where pop, soul and R&B were more popular than hip-hop, and dancing and partying were deemed more important than acting street-tough. “Growing up in Valdosta,” he recalls, “they played Top 40 on the radio all the time, so it was a mixture of all different kinds of music. I remember singing Billy Ocean tunes, like ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’ Back then we wasn’t getting the stuff that was coming out of New York in south Georgia.”
Though he hadn’t yet discovered his deep love for hip-hop, Izza’s passion for music began early, and he started out singing alongside his brother in an R&B vocal group and dancing with his cousins’ crew in talent contests. But he soon found himself inspired to give rapping a try, influenced by a surprisingly unlikely source.
“I was listening to a lot of Tupac, Easy-E, NWA, Too $hort, Eightball & MJG and I was feeling what they were talking about cuz I was living it in the ‘hood. But then Kris Kross came out, and before that there wasn’t no rappers from my generation. All the rappers we looked up to were older than us. But these dudes were my age! They took the bus just like I took the bus, so we had things in common. It was like, if these young dudes could get on, I can do this! It was at that point that I decided I should write a rap,” he admits with a laugh.
Perhaps not surprisingly given the lack of a scene in Valdosta, Izza ultimately left his hometown in search of stardom. But rather than head to the hip-hop mecca of the ATL, he wound up moving to New Jersey after a girlfriend hooked him up with her brother, Bless, of production crew Souldiggaz. Coming off working with artists such as Mary J. Blige, Souldiggaz was searching for new rappers, and found in Izza a cocky, confident MC who could slay ‘em in 16 bars. After trading music and rhymes via Fed Ex, they realized it was a match made in hip-hop heaven, and Izza claims moving north to work with them changed his entire perspective.
“My first week up there I’m at Sony Studios talking to Rockwilder” he recalls, still incredulous at the memory. “I was really into ‘Ordinary People’ at the time, and I found myself at Kanye West’s studio watching John Legend perform live, sitting close to Beyoncé and Jay-Z! They blew my mind, but it also inspired me.”
Equally inspiring was the gritty, futuristic style Souldiggaz gave to his music, elevating his already formidable game to whole ‘nother level. “They had this crazy pop to their beats, and there were so many creative minds working together in the studio, it just had this amazing energy. These guys brought my dream to reality, and by my second week in New Jersey I had a song called ‘Here Comes the Police’ playing on Hot 97. They taught me a lot, and they helped me get that swag.”
They also helped Izza, who’d never even had an email when they first started working together, get up on the wonders of modern technology. It’s a tool he quickly learned to use to his advantage, both for buzz-building marketing purposes and to distribute his music for free in an environment where even diehard music lovers are increasingly unwilling to pay to hear an unproven artist.
“The Internet is the most powerful promotional tool out there right now for an artist,” he insists. “A true hip-hop artist isn’t all about the money, but about showing that you have a gift and getting your music heard. I did these songs, and I want people to hear it! It’s hard times right now, so instead of saying ‘Buy my music,’ me and Souldiggaz decided this was the best approach.”
Clearly the concept is starting to pay off, as Izza’s career momentum is building steadily going into his debut album’s release (currently slated for 2010). He’s already worked with the likes of David Banner and Missy Elliott, had songs on So You Think You Can Dance and Madden NFL ’09, and appeared on a Paste magazine CD sampler, all without a record deal. The day of our interview, he was preparing to release yet another new single, “Runnin’,” for free via his website. So don’t expect Izza’s seemingly endless flow of ideas to stop anytime soon.
“I’m always creating and I’m gonna keep makin’ hot records, so why am I gonna try to hold onto a record?” he asks rhetorically. “People are harsh critics, but if I love what I’m puttin’ out I won’t worry what anybody else is gonna think about it. Because I love it! Let’s just put those hot records out and let people know we mean business.”
(originally appeared in Georgia Music Magazine)
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