iCON the Mic King - Catalyst of a Renaissance iCON the Mic King is not a movement. No one man is. Instead, he is the catalyst for a crusade much bigger than himself. A Renaissance is approaching. It’s a Renaissance linked to a culture that spans over a quarter century’s time. A generational art form, that rose to prominence in a well-documented creative surge in the late 80’s. A culture that achieved economic importance in the trend-minded upswing of hip hop’s popularity in the mid to late 90’s.