Rocky and his collective brought a high fashion, high energy, and fresh energetic perspective that didn’t fit the boxes created by previous New York groups such as Mobb Deep and the Wu-Tang Clan. The mixtape’s release as an independent freely-downloadable project is what would get Rocky his record deal with Sony, and set off a chain of events bringing the ASAP and NYC subcultures into the eye of the public. Thanks to Rocky’s distinctive style and swagger on, listeners couldn’t get enough.
Upon its initial release, the now widely beloved mixtape offered the world its first look at the ASAP mob, a hip hop collective five years in the making. This project rocketed Rocky and his unique style into the mainstream, and is chock-full of his signature pitched-down vocals, diverse instrumentals, and lyrics about his rockstar lifestyle-all stylistic components that Rocky continues to use today. “Recognize that sh** ASAP … A-fu*****-SAP.” This is how A$AP Rocky introduces his now-iconic track, “Bass,” and it is a fitting lyric to sum up the classic mixtape.
