TGIF FEATURE: IZZY Man extolls his roots through hip-hop

Izzy Man, center, and his crew

IZZY MAN (Manoloto) has been making a name for himself in the world of hiphop. Based in NYC, he and his crew have been making it out to the West Coast and the Philippines to widen his fan base.

IZZY's championship performance (see video below) with his band and dancers at Kollaboration New York 8 on Sept. 28, 2013 at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts had the crowd on their feet. I love that he incorporates his heritage into his music. They start out with traditional Filipino rondalla with the dancers pairing up doing the 1, 2, 3 waltz step and then flip it into contemporary rap and hiphop moves. 

A native of Queens, NYC, 25-year old IZZY, paid homage to the city of New York by rapping about the being "at the top", and carrying around a businessman's staple accessory: a briefcase. 

IZZY is a Renaissance man: not only is he a rapper, but a producer, photographer, videographer, and businessman as well; he is the co-founder and creative director of DynastyStyle, a clothing company. "I think art is universal," he said, "and I want to be able to create all the time and in many different ways."

For more performances, click here ... and here, or just go to YouTube and type in his name.