How does rapper Ice Spice appear in Highest 2 Lowest? Cameo explained

Spike Lee’s neo-noir Highest 2 Lowest is finally here in theaters, with an Apple TV+ drop right behind it. Denzel Washington runs the show, A$AP Rocky heats up the soundtrack, and then Ice Spice sneaks in with the kind of cameo that makes the whole crowd go wild. She makes her film debut as Marisol Cepeda, a small role with big energy, and yes, it is actually in the movie even if the trailers hid it.

Cepeda is an aspiring musician who steps into the story’s final act. Earlier in the film, Denzel Washington's character, David King’s son Trey, frequently mentions a young artist he believes has real star potential. That thread pays off in the closing scene, when David, having left behind his massive record empire to create a smaller, more personal label, agrees to let Trey bring Marisol in as their first audition.

Marisol’s performance of her song may only take up a small portion of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, but it lands as one of the most powerful moments of the entire film. Her soulful voice reminds him of why he fell in love with music in the first place, and why building something more personal matters more than chasing endless power.

The contrast between Marisol and Yung Felon makes this ending resonate even more. Yung Felon’s music, while flashy and full of bravado, lacks the raw emotion that Marisol brings. His final track feels overproduced, while hers, with only a simple piano backing, hits with sincerity and vulnerability. It mirrors David’s growth: moving away from shallow success toward authentic artistry.

More details about Highest 2 Lowest

Highest 2 Lowest takes Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, itself born from Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, and recasts it as a sleek American neo-noir set in the cutthroat world of the music industry. Directed by Lee from Alan Fox’s screenplay, the film weaves themes of power, morality, and survival with the pulse of New York City, where ambition can make or break not just careers but families.

At its center is Denzel Washington as David King, a powerful executive whose ambitions and compromises test his relationships and integrity. It’s Washington’s first collaboration with Lee in nearly two decades, since Inside Man, and their reunion sets the tone for the film’s gravitas. Alongside him are Ilfenesh Hadera as his wife Pam, Jeffrey Wright as trusted ally Paul Christopher, and ASAP Rocky as Yung Felon, a hungry rapper whose rise threatens to unravel King’s world. Making her acting debut, Ice Spice appears as Marisol Cepeda, a young singer whose quiet but emotional performance becomes the story’s final heartbeat.

Shot over three months in New York with cinematographer Matthew Libatique, the film balances noir grit with modern sheen. Its Cannes premiere in May 2025 drew headlines before its U.S. theatrical release by A24 on August 15 and streaming debut on Apple TV+ September 5.