Malik Yoba
Yoba made a strong impression as the level-headed cop in the Fox series, New York Undercover, (1994-1998). Yoba began his career as a member of CityKids, an organization that fosters cultural pluralism and youth empowerment. He made his singing debut with the group in 1991 and the following year he composed the theme and additional songs for an ABC Saturday morning series called CityKids, produced by Henson Productions.
Yoba moved in front of the cameras and displayed his facility with accents when he was cast as 'Yul Brenner', one of the Jamaican bobsledders under the tutelage of John Candy in Cool Runnings (1993). Other feature work has included portraying a neighborhood figure known only as The Creeper in Smoke and its sequel, Blue in the Face (both 1995) as well as the little seen Ride (1998). In 1994, Yoba guest-starred on an episode of the NBC series Law & Order. Executive producer Dick Wolf liked what he saw and cast Yoba in New York Undercover. Taking his position as a TV series star and role model seriously, the actor has appeared in Diamonds in the Rough, a Black Entertainment Television (BET) special about kids in housing projects, and also on a BET panel, Black Family: Today's Values, Tomorrow's Vision. He has also continued his involvement with CityKids, serving as a vice president of the organization.