LIVE.LOVE.A$AP

A$AP Rocky stands in front of an American flag in black and white on the cover of his first mixtape, in a plaid shirt and a cap, looking straight into the camera with the title running down the side.

The Harlem rapper mixed New York swagger with the slowed-down, syrupy sound of Houston and the hazy production of Clams Casino on songs like "Peso" and "Purple Swag." Released for free on 31 October 2011, the mixtape helped Rocky sign a major-label deal and made A$AP Mob one of the most talked-about crews in rap.

The colourless flag gives the patriotic symbol a cooler, darker edge, a fitting image for a rapper who blended regional styles into something new and helped turn rap fashion into high fashion in the 2010s.