With the bulk of the hip-hop industry being based in New York City, the East Coast had a cultural stronghold on the genre from its inception. The self-proclaimed ‘pretty motherfuckers’ braggadociousness matched with a hedonistic approach to moral decay, a considered respect for fashion, and a new kind of inclusivity that, aided by the far reaching climbs of the internet, blew apart of hip-hop tribalism and favoured experimentation – towing the line of appreciation over appropriation.Įxplaining the success of the mixtape requires looking at the years leading up to its release. The discovery of Rocky, (previously, he was “self-employed, a street pharmacist” – a wink and a nod to his drug-dealing past) provided a vessel in which a generation of kids could find their own unique form of expression.
In parts it’s gauche and luxurious too, as Rocky name checks high-end and up and coming fashion brands with a flamboyance of New York greats like Dipset and Dapper Dan. Released on 31 st October 2011, it embraced post-geographical internet culture, pulling different sounds and styles to create a new innovative one Southern rap subgenres, entwined with a grittiness that harkened back to Rocky’s Harlem heroes, including his namesake Rakim. $AP, the debut mixtape from then unknown 23-year-old Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky, was the product of a mini musical revolution.
