In 2015, A$AP Rocky made headlines by recruiting a homeless street performer, Joe Fox, for his critically acclaimed album At. Long. Last. A$AP (A.L.L.A.).[1] The story of their chance meeting is as unconventional as the music they created together.
During an interview with Ebro in the Morning, Rocky recounted the early morning he encountered Fox in London around 4am after completing a session at producer Mike Dean’s Studio.[2] Exhausted and waiting for an Uber to take him to Starbucks, Rocky noticed a young man with a guitar—Joe Fox.[3]
“I met the man. He was a street performer,” Rocky shared. “He tried to give me a CD, and I was like, ‘I’m not about to listen to that, man. Play something. You got your guitar.’ He played it, and I was just like, ‘Stop man. Come on, let’s go.’ That’s where it started.”
Despite being unfamiliar with Rocky’s music, Fox’s raw talent earned him a spot on five tracks from A.L.L.A., including “Max B,” “Holy Ghost,” and “Jukebox Joints.”
Fox’s newfound exposure didn’t stop there. Through his connection with A$AP Rocky, he found himself at a party where he met Queenbridge legend Nas, which eventually led to a collaboration with the rapper on the 2017 track “What’s the Word.”[4]
[1]https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/who-is-joe-fox-asap-rocky/
[2]Ibid.
[3]Ibid.