Izza Kizza

Photographed for

Spin in Brooklyn, New York, June 2, 2008

Down-home dawg-walkin’ MC busts bonkers raps

Given that it’s late afternoon on an early spring day, it makes sense that a rural Southern boy like Izza Kizza would prefer hanging out on New York City’s Gansevoort Plaza—the meatpacking district’s cobblestone version of a front porch—rather than on one of the luxe rooftop lounges nearby.

“I might make this my spot!” he says with a grin, our bench providing a panoramic view of the urban fashion show. Despite recently signing to Timbaland’s label, Mosley Music Group, this Valdosta, Georgia native retains a low-key charm, underscored by tales of a youth spent “spider-hunting, catching bugs and putting them in jars,” and eating “peaches, pears, and pecans that grow in your backyard.”

Born Terry Davis 27 years ago, Izza Kizza was an enterprising performer from the jump. “Me, my brother, and two godbrothers started this group singing Boyz II Men,” he says. “Then Kris Kross came out with their pants backwards, and they were a big influence. I wrote my first rap when I was 12 years old; it was called ‘Can’t Handle the Stress.’” His childlike impishness attracted the attention of Timbaland and Missy Elliott, resulting in the futuristic-juke-joint radio hit “Walk the Dawg.”

But before Kizza was spitting lyrics over Timbo’s beats, he was rhyming over the phone for production team the Soul Diggaz, who loved his kinetic drawl and brought him to New Jersey, where he now lives. (They also brought him into the

FAST FACTS

> Kizza has posted videos of his songs using Family Guy footage: “I’m a [Family Guy] fanatic, and I got a friend who does impersonations of the characters. My boy Hectah [did the videos], and I was like, ‘Wow.’”

> He grew up a Jehovah’s Witness. “It was going to the Kingdom Hall all week—Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Bible study, you going to them meetings!”

21st century. “I didn’t even have an e-mail address back then,” he admits.) His debut, featuring tracks by Timbaland and the Soul Diggaz, is scheduled for early 2009.

With influences ranging from the Ohio Players to OutKast, Kizza combines the cozy vibe of an old-school “Saturday afternoon jam” with a visionary spaciness. He likens his music to “flying cross-country, but on the wing of the airplane,” and his rhymes seemingly indulge every goofy thought that pops into his head: “I swear I see my wallet on the sofa doing sit-ups,” he playfully raps on “Here I Izz!” Sounds like he’s ready to rock a front porch in any millennium.

B Y PETE L’OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN BRAHMS

S T YLING BY ERICA BLUMEN TAL ON KIZZA: LE JEAN DE S WEATSHIR T AND JEANS, LEJEANDE.COM; 2089 FOR DKN Y JEANS T-SHIR T, DKNYJEANS. COM; CLAW MONE Y SUNGLASSES, CLAWMONE Y.COM