The following contains spoilers for Highest 2 LowestHighest 2 Lowest‘s Ice Spice scene is one of the best moments in the Spike Lee film. Highest 2 Lowest is largely focused on David King and the people in his orbit. David is a powerful music mogul whose plans to splinter off and form his own company are upended when someone attempts to kidnap his son (but instead captures the son of his beloved chauffeur, Paul). Much of the film is focused on the moral conflict David faces and the immediate fallout, with Highest 2 Lowest‘s ending building to an intense chase and fight on a moving train.
Ice Spice makes her cinematic debut in Highest 2 Lowest after all of that action, with her scene coming at the very end of the film. The chart-topping rapper and songwriter appears as Marisol, an aspiring musician whom David’s son Trey, introduces to his father. Her scene, including a song she performs with the help of a pianist, speaks to the central themes and overall arc of the movie. While it’s only a brief scene in the film, Ice Spice’s appearance is a highlight of Spike Lee’s acclaimed new film.
Ice Spice’s Surprisingly Low-Key Cameo In Highest 2 Lowest Explained
Ice Spice appears as Marisol Cepeda in the final scene of Highest 2 Lowest, with her appearance serving as the coda to the film’s themes about music and artistry. Early in Highest 2 Lowest, David King’s son Trey keeps bringing up a musician he’s been talking to.
Trey explains that it’s because he believes she has real star potential. By the end of the film, David has finally left his mᴀssive music company to start a smaller one that is more catered to the kind of artists he finds interesting and pᴀssionate. Describing it as a family business, David allows Trey to bring in Marisol as their first audition.
Delivering a soulful performance of her song “Highest 2 Lowest,” Marisol’s singing is exactly what David was looking for. It’s a small moment in the film, but an emotionally powerful one. It serves as the happy ending for David and his family.
The song ends up reaffirming their bonds and highlighting how they’ll likely continue to be successes. David tells Marisol about the challenges of fame and the hardships that come with success, something she (and he) are still willing to chase for their pᴀssion.
Why Ice Spice’s Song Is So Important To Highest 2 Lowest
Ice Spice’s performance in Highest 2 Lowest is the culmination of the movie’s arc for David. Early in the film, David admits that he wants to open a smaller boutique music company. It appears initially that he wants full control for the sake of power, but it’s also driven by his need to reconnect with the music he loves.
Marisol’s song speaks to David at the end of the film, affirming that “the best ears in the business” have rediscovered the power of music that he’s been missing lately. It also allows Trey and David’s wife Pam to be involved, a clear showcase for how the family is stronger now after having endured the ordeal with Yung Felon.
Yung Felon makes for an interesting contrast to Marisol, especially in terms of their music. Yung Felon had a dream to become a star, sending many of his songs to David. Although the music is good, it’s braggadocious in a basic way that lacks the vulnerability of Marisol’s song.
Yung Felon’s final song is heavily produced and edited, contrasted against “Highest 2 Lowest” being scored with a simple but beautiful piano performance. Marisol is only in the final scene of Highest 2 Lowest, but she serves as a sign that the film’s characters get a happy ending.
The substance of the song, uplifting and bittersweet all at the same time, speaks to the themes and arcs of the Spike Lee film. Ice Spice may only be in Highest 2 Lowest for a few minutes at the end of the movie, but it’s one of the best moments in the entire film.
