Any teenager or rap enthusiast growing up in the early 2010s remembers the moment they saw the cover for Live. Love. ASAP. You might have first peeped it while your homie was playing “Peso” on their iPhone 4. Or maybe you stumbled on it when someone sent you a DatPiff link through BlackBerry Messenger, urging you to download the tape immediately. Some of us came across it when our classmates came to school wearing a bootleg Gildan T-shirt with the mixtape’s cover on it. Or you saw a giant poster of Pretty Flacko blowing smoke out his mouth on the wall of your friend’s college dorm room. Whether you came across it on your Tumblr feed or had it as the screensaver of your laptop, the cover art for ASAP Rocky’s debut mixtape felt ubiquitous and was nothing short of iconic. Surprisingly, that iconic photo of ASAP Rocky wasn’t shot by a member of the ASAP Mob or by a professional photographer hired by a record label. It was shot by Brock Fetch, an untrained film photographer who was personally flown out by the Mob to shoot the cover and document the last recording sessions for ASAP Rocky’s groundbreaking debut, which is finally dropping on streaming services today to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Rocky will be performing the entire tape live as the headliner at ComplexCon, which hits Long Beach on November 6 and 7.
“It wasn’t just: ‘Fly out, here’s a photo studio, and let’s get this cover shot’ type of thing. It was very special,” remembers Fetch, who developed a close personal relationship with Rocky and ASAP Yams long before the cover shoot. “These kids were all staying in a huge unfurnished apartment where there were just two couches. People were sleeping on foldouts and blow-up mattresses but everybody was there. There were people playing Xbox in one corner and then people rapping in another corner with a producer. It was the beginning of this whole thing. I didn’t come in with a specific cover shot in mind nor was I just shooting photos until I nailed it. I was just a fly on the wall, as usual.”
Although Fetch’s most widely recognized works are the mixtape covers he photographed like Live. Love. ASAP or The Flatbush Zombies’ BetterOffDead, his work documenting the lives of some of our favorite artists runs deep. Aside from capturing the ASAP Mob, he has also taken candid shots of rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Mac Miller, Vince Staples, Tyler, The Creator, and more. And his YouTube channel is a goldmine with amazing footage of live performances in New York during the early 2010s, including Frank Ocean’s first performance in New York City and ASAP Mob shutting down Santos Party House before the fame.
We spoke to Fetch about the making of the Live. Love. ASAP cover, how he started photographing some of the biggest artists this past decade, his experience meeting the ASAP Mob before the fame, and learned how he took some of his most iconic photos. Read the full interview below and check out some rare photos Fetch took from the final days of recording Live. Love. ASAP.
It really feels like you landed in New York at the right place and the right time. Right in the early 2010s when groups like ASAP Mob, Pro Era, and The Flatbush Zombies were bubbling in the city. How did you connect with the rap scene here?
I decided to move to New York with my girl. And anyone who knows Jah Jah and Telli of Ninjasonik knows they’re a real treat to run into. Those two literally just said “Come to New York, we’ll take care of you.” I just ran around with photography being my job, learning how to shoot pictures and I guess network, which is very easy to do in New York. So I was very lucky to just constantly be available and be welcomed by different bands, DJs, and musicians. Those first couple of years, I was there just learning how to shoot and learning everything about being a photographer.
How old were you at the time?
I was 30.
How did you meet ASAP Rocky and the ASAP Mob way before the rest of the world even knew who Pretty Flacko was?
Smoke DZA. I love that man, like so much. I was working for him on a video shoot that he was doing and Rocky was a feature on that song. I didn’t know who they were. Even though my life was about music at that point, day at night, I had no idea who Rocky and Yams were when I met them. I was running around with DZA for a little bit, but I was totally green to who those two were. But they came hard, just talking about wanting some photos. So I shot a couple photos of Rocky that day and then they showed me the music video for “Peso” on this iPad Yams had. He said: “Yo we are about to drop this. I don’t know when, but you gotta check this out.”
Then I just randomly ran into him the next night and we just came into this agreement that we were going to share the film, share the usage of it and I think Yams really liked that. So they just kept me around and let me know when things were going on. It kind of just happened. I was just ready with the camera and that’s the best way to be.
How did the mixtape cover for Live. Love. ASAP come together? Was there any specific image you and Rocky were gunning for? How many shots did you take?
I mean, I had left New York at that point because I ran out of money and it just wasn’t happening. I was driving a U-Haul back to Washington state and I stopped in Colorado. Chace [Infinite] hit me up and said, ‘Yo, Rocky and Yams want you to come back because they need you to shoot this photo. Can you get on a plane now?’ So I parked the truck, my girl went to hang out with her family, and I flew out to New York. I just bought a bag and there was no real direction. I was just told to be there. So I brought all my stuff and went to the apartment the label rented out for them by the corner of Central Park. I had borrowed an American flag for some reason from one of my friends because I wanted to shoot Polaroids of them against it. I wasn’t really intending to do anything other than that, but that’s why the flag was around and behind them on the couch. There weren’t a lot of photos, it was just one [film] roll for the cover and there’s really only one of that specific photo. Then there’s this one of him and Yams where they’re sitting on the couch next to each other, which is right after that frame. I was trying to shoot just what’s needed, not being in everybody’s way. I always felt like I was the odd man out, always carrying a camera and trying to document everything. So I tried to get what they would give me and they always seemed to be very happy with that.
Even though there weren’t a ton of photos shot, especially of that cover image. Yams immediately liked it. He’s the one that really saw the rest of the layout on that front. A lot has been said about Yams and I really can’t say anything about him that hasn’t. But in my workings with him, he just knew everything. He knew what to do. He’ll just see it, give you his opinion on something, and tell you how things should be laid out. I was just like, “All right, that sounds pretty good.” And that’s what we went with. The back cover, with the hockey mask I’m not really sure what that was about. I still don’t know, but they wanted that. That was really the only thing that I was told was something they wanted. The flag just happened to be there and Rocky was just sitting on the back of the couch where we were planning to do that group shot. It just happened.
I love that photo of him and Yams next to each other, even more because Yams wasn’t having his picture taken that weekend. He told me that he hadn’t been to the barber and said “When we sign that deal, I’ll let you take my picture.” So I don’t have a lot of pictures of him from those couple days I was there. So that one of him and Rocky is one of very few.
Do you remember what camera and film you used to shoot those photos?
It was a black and white roll from Kodak. I believe it’s called “Black and White CN400.” At the time, I could have still bought it at Walgreens or CVS. Then it was a color development. So instead of having a black and white lab process it, I could have just dropped it off at a Target and they could process it for me in an hour. It’s not necessarily what I would have shot on if I had the chance again, But you know, budgets and time constraints. The camera was a very basic Canon Kiss body. It was just something I found at a thrift store.
That’s so nuts. You just shot one roll and it was done.
I look back on those two days so much because it was one of the biggest things that I’ve done as a photographer. I’ve always wished there was more, but I always want to be asked to come back so I’m never trying to overshoot. It wasn’t just ‘Fly out, here’s a photo studio, and let’s get this cover shot’ type of thing. It was very special. These kids were all staying in a huge unfurnished apartment where there were just two couches. People were sleeping on foldouts and blow-up mattresses but everybody was there. There were people playing Xbox in one corner and then people rapping in another corner with a producer. It was the beginning of this whole thing. I didn’t come in with a specific cover shot in mind or was just shooting photos until I nailed it. I was just a fly on the wall, as usual.
It’s crazy because the image is so perfect. That smoke frozen in his mouth.
Rocky shoots incredibly well, which has been proven many, many, times since I photographed him for that. You don’t need a lot of photos of that man to get what you need. He knows how to take a picture. Like I said, something that we were going to get was going to be it. It always works that way with him. He’s still one of my favorite people in the world to work with. And that magic between him and Yams is awesome. Rocky is just as an amazing person as Yams. He’s just a different part of that Voltron. It was this really awesome thing to shoot and document because it wasn’t just a cover. It was this thing that was going on that I got to hang out in for a couple of days and it was really cool to see.
I saw that later on, you also took pictures of Rocky when he was recording A.L.L.A. What can you share about Rocky’s creative process as an artist? Like what do you remember the most about his demeanor from those recording sessions for Live. Love. ASAP?
Rocky is just Rocky. He is just very good at the things he does. He’s got great people around him and that’s just because he’s a great person who is incredibly talented. That draws other talent. The creative process is just like the photo process, it just happens. It’s not like one thing or another. Sometimes he’s doing this and sometimes he’s doing that with his life. But the bottom line is, I never hear anyone saying he didn’t really do what he needed to do. Rocky is always on.
Your YouTube channel is a great time capsule. You have rare footage of one of Frank Ocean’s first live performances in New York City, ASAP Rocky performing at Santos, and even King Krule performing at Alife. But I think the craziest video I found there was that 10-Part ASAP Mob x Raider Klan freestyle you filmed. I mean that footage you captured is really special.
I mean to me all of that footage is so important. All these kids I shot were all major to me. It was everything, but I never know how major it is to other people. So it’s cool hearing that time and that era was important to you and other people. Because I have personal relationships with a lot of those people and it makes me very happy to know that they’ve succeeded at that level. I mean, it’s really cool. We’ll have the Flatbush Zombies here at Red Rocks in a couple days and Earl Sweatshirt is playing with them. I mean that’s an insane venue that people would kill to play at. Now, Rocky is doing ComplexCon with Turnstile. Like everyone, I’m a huge music fan. But to get to be there? On the side of the stage or in a recording studio? What a blessing to be there with some of the most talented people of this era.
I noticed that you were much older than a lot of these artists you shot back then. It’s really fascinating to see how much access you got and you weren’t even from New York or the East Coast either. Why do you think these young artists vibed with you so much?
I don’t know, man it gives me goosebumps thinking about them because I love these kids. I feel like I downplay the personal relationship I actually have with some of them. They had photographers that shot the glossy stuff. I was the one that was just hanging out with them. I got a lot of time to spend with these kids and it could have been anybody. So I keep saying I’m forever grateful to all of them for allowing me to access that I’ve got, because I don’t just show up, shoot, and leave. I like to hang out. It’s like the family photos I shot before. It’s about documenting real things that are going on and that takes time and you gotta be able to stand me.
I have to be low impact enough so that you can stand me. I got to produce something after all those hours that makes it worth it. It began with cosigns from artists like Ninjasonik and Matt and Kim, who were at the the real heart of the Brooklyn music scene that was going on at the time. And then Smoke DZA, who co-signed me with Rocky by just being there. I mean Yams had a lot of pull. When he said something was going to happen or wanted to help somebody out, it usually happened. And I was usually the one he asked to go shoot that person. So I always had people vouching for me and putting their neck out for me. I was always very conscious about the way I was acting and the way I was handling myself and other people’s images when I worked with them. I hope that’s what gained their trust and that access, which you hopefully see in photos that I shot.
You also shot the photos used for that classic Beast Coast-era mixtape BetterOffDead. I also peeped the work you did for Steve Lacy’s Demo. Aside from Live. Love. ASAP, what were some of your favorite album covers to work on?
You know, I haven’t done a lot, so I’m grateful for the ones I’ve got, like the ones you listed. Steve Lacy is an incredible talent. To get to work with him on anything, and on that, was a huge opportunity. I love Steve. Bass Drum Of Death is another band that I work with a lot and I’ve done a couple of album covers and singles for them. Although I was there to shoot that photo for Steve, he knew exactly what he wanted. “Shoot this photo of me against this wall. Perfect. Now text me that photo.” 10 minutes later he’s like, ‘Yo, what do you think about this cover’ off his phone. He is such a genius. But usually, my photos that get used for stuff are something that I’ve taken while documenting. So it’s, it’s always cool when that kind of a photo makes a cover for me because it wasn’t supposed to. It’s cool, I hope a couple more covers can happen. As my photos get older, I hope the kind of photos I take, the nostalgia and the emotional connection to them increases. Because I really just tried to shoot what people were doing, what happened and what’s real.
Was that how BetterOffDead came together?
Their manager at the time, Phil Annad of Madbury Club, called and said that I needed to do this. So we just met in East New York and jumped into a cemetery. I mean, it was quick because we were worried that people were going to call the cops on us cause we had to use a flash. So there’s only like five of those photos too. So then we ran out and I think I shot a Polaroid of each of them while we’re standing on the side of the street before I jumped back on my train and they all walked back home.
You have one of those Instagram accounts that I can honestly scroll endlessly. What artists or subjects do you enjoy photographing the most like just nowadays, too?
Really, I have a kid now so that’s what I do. I got this little person but I still shoot when I can. But we moved to Denver to have a kid and do that. I still try to stay in touch with everybody that I used to shoot. I love them and a lot of them are rockstars. And I still do any commercial work out of town when I can. But it’s kind of the same deal as always. I’m just trying to find the kids that are coming up to shoot them when I can. I feel like I have a lot less time now to be doing it, but it’s for the right reasons. I try to learn a lot more now because I really just moved to New York and started taking pictures. I didn’t really put any time into studying or learning anything about photography. So I take my slow time now and I try to do that. I still try to be a better photographer every day, but I’m not shooting the next ASAP Rocky every other Friday, that’s for sure.
Although there are many photographers who have become recognized for shooting candid portraits of celebs, I feel like it’s a dream for many young image makers to get these types of shots. What advice do you have for the next generation of photographers who want to shoot the next generation of up and coming kids?
I mean you should be ready. You have to be at the right place at the right time. It’s like making it in anything, it’s really hard. But it’s even harder if your camera’s broken or you don’t know how to focus it. So being a good person, having a good product, and being where you need to be, is everything in every field.
Were you ever inspired by the work of other hip-hop photographers like Chi Modu? Or was this all you?
You know, I wasn’t hip to him until late, but I mean, what an amazing man and body of work. I love Jamel Shabazz. Ricky Powell is a very interesting person, and I loved him. I got to meet with him in New York when I first moved there and before he passed. He had a lot of very interesting things to say. He had a big heart but not the best business sense. The talent and the heart was there, which is unfortunate because those types of people get ripped off. He had a very long talk with me and put me on a lot of stuff that prevented me from kind of doing the same things. So I was very lucky to meet him and get schooled on that for sure. I honestly didn’t really follow a lot of people when I moved to New York. It was pre-Instagram and I didn’t have any background in photography. I knew about Shabazz earlier and Ricky because of the Beastie Boys. I guess I knew about Estevan Oriol, who is so dope too. But I really didn’t know what I was doing when I got into it. I wasn’t going into it knowing how I was going to document these people. I was just trying to read the meter right on a camera.
When do you know which film to use for certain situations? When would you go with a Polaroid versus some black and white Kodak film? Or is it completely random.
It’s not random or usually not just because it’s the only film that I had. I’ve always had a lot of cameras. I would carry a digital camera, a little point and shoot film camera, then I would screw around with a Polaroid or something else. I’ve always carried a lot of things and my backpack kept growing. I got a few more cameras and when I had a little more budget I added more kinds of film. It’s all really determined just by what I see happening and what I think I have in my bag that’s best to do it. That’s because I don’t know that person. This is going to be an interaction that’s going to be 15 seconds and they’re gone. I don’t have any way of getting to them after that. But I have to wow them. So I got to shoot a Polaroid so I can give it to them. Instagram is secondary. One photo is whatever and I want to be able to shoot people again. So I’m always trying to build with every photo I take of somebody. Or sometimes, you know that a certain kind of film works well with their skin. Whereas certain color films will make them look too red. So I grab the black and white camera. It’s never necessarily planned ahead. I just always try to have enough to have these options.
I got certain stuff I would use with Rocky. I got certain stuff I would use with Vince Staples. But that’s because I’ve been shooting them for a long time. So I kind of know what I’d like to have. But I’ll take a photo of them with my iPhone if that’s all I got. My photos are not fancy. They are just of the moment and you pick what you have that is best for the job, but you still got to do that job with no matter what you have.
I saw you had a gallery exhibition in Denver recently. Any word of releasing a book in the future?
I have stacks of photo books in my closets with negatives. They’ve all been scanned poorly in Target or by myself with a horrible scanner that I could afford at the time. So to do something proper, I really need to be able to rescan things and invest a lot of time and money into doing it. I just have to put the work out in a way that is flattering to my subjects in the best way possible. Because they gave me something and my half is not done. I got a quarter of it done by shooting and saving the shit for however long I need to save it for. But I still need to present it in the right way. And since it’s film, not just digital, it takes a lot more time to do that which I feel like I haven’t been able to invest in yet. But I’ve got it all.
I’ve been dying to release a book and people ask me all the time. But I don’t have any other job and this is what I still do. I don’t make a ton of money. So for me to take two months off and make a book. Unless somebody is giving me an advance, it’s really hard for me to dedicate time to re-scan everything and then go through everything with the publisher. A book is a huge goal, but I want it to be awesome and not just okay.
What’s the big takeaway you want fans of your work to get when they look through it? Whether it’s through an Instagram page or an exhibit at a gallery in Denver?
I just want people to feel the love that I have for the people that are in my photos and what I do. I mean, that’s corny, but I don’t necessarily take pretty photos. I take photos of people that I really care about. And I think that’s what I would want people to resonate with the most when they look at my photos.
