We’re right in the middle of another golden age for hip-hop crews. Multi-member outfits like the Native Tongues and Murder Inc. held sway for the first two decades of the genre’s reign on the charts, but fell out of favor in the ’00s as the spotlight landed on oversized solo acts like Kanye, Jay-Z, and Missy Elliott. But this decade has seen the rise of new squads, from trap trio Migos to the Sailing Team, led by teen sensation Lil Yachty.
The crew that’s currently ruling the world is New York’s A$AP Mob. This absolutely sprawling outfit from Harlem is at the center of a loud hype storm, with A$AP Rocky appearing on the cover of GQ Style and brands like Converse and UK department store Selfridges knocking on their collective door.
The attention has been good for the Mob and its 15-plus members. Their collaborative Cozy Tapes albums have been star-studded, multi-varied affairs that truck in boom bap and trap productions, and their individual albums, particularly recent efforts from Rocky and A$AP Ferg, are some of the most thrilling hip-hop releases of the last five years.