Izza Kizza

These days, talent isn’t hard to come by. It’s finding good talent that’s rare. But lack of talent isn’t an issue for Georgia-based rapper Izza Kizza who’s been fostering his skills since childhood.

Kizza, whose real name is Terry Davis, grew up performing with family members before taking the solo route under the MC name Izza Kizza. His significantly large fan-base gained him the attention of bigger name artists, led to a collaboration with Missy Elliot, and resulted in his signing with Timbaland’s record label Mosley Music under Interscope Records.

The Wizard of Iz, Kizza’s follow-up to 2008’s Kizzaland EP, is an all-out party record featuring cameos from industry heavyweights like Li’l Wayne, David Banner, and Birdman, among others.

Wizard of Iz combines Kizza’s fondness for humor and fun with old-school hip-hop sensibilities. His playfulness lies not only in his hand-clap-filled marching band style beats but in his lyrics, which include references to all things old and new, as well as delightful wordplay and unexpected metaphors.

“Bump” is a fun-filled track, with Kizza incorporating words from the well-known Fresh Prince theme (“Now this is a story all about how/ my life got flip-turned upside-down”) over a rollicking, percussion-heavy beat and features the lyrics, “Now make way for the gap-toothed bandit/ I pull out my atlas and map through madness.”

“It’s Goin’ Down” sounds like the perfect B-side to any house party mix-tape.

“Cocaine Dreams” sounds smooth and summery on the surface but, upon deeper examining, is actually a social commentary on the pervasiveness of crack cocaine in lower-income neighborhoods and its effects on the children growing up in them.

If the talent Kizza exhibits in his music and the caliber of artists with whom he works is any indication, this self-proclaimed “gap-toothed bandit” can expect some good years in the rap game before the Wizard of Iz sends him back to Kansas.