When Harlem meets Queensbridge, it’s never just fashion. It’s legacy.
A$AP Rocky, now fully stepping into his lane as Creative Director, tapped none other than Nas to help unveil his new Metal Collection with Ray-Ban and the rollout isn’t subtle. The two New York icons recreated a cinematic moment straight out of Belly, channeling that glossy, slow motion, street luxury aesthetic that helped define an era.
For those who remember Hype Williams’ 1998 cult classic, Belly wasn’t just a film. It was a visual blueprint. The lighting, the framing, the attitude. Nas played Sincere, the introspective hustler trying to evolve beyond the chaos. Now decades later, he and Rocky are reimagining that same energy through a different lens: style, design and generational influence.
Rocky’s Metal Collection marks a new chapter for him creatively, including his first ever optical designs for the brand. Sleek frames, sharp silhouettes, chrome accents; it’s luxury with edge. The collection feels industrial but elevated, minimalist but loud in its confidence. It speaks to the same duality Rocky has always embodied: fashion forward but street rooted.
Bringing Nas into the campaign isn’t just a co sign. It’s a bridge. Rocky has long cited the Queensbridge legend as one of his early inspirations, and visually recreating a Belly moment feels intentional. It’s New York storytelling in motion. The elder statesman who helped shape the culture standing alongside the modern creative pushing it forward.
The imagery captures that evolution perfectly. Two eras. Two perspectives. One city. There’s no forced nostalgia here. It feels organic, almost like a passing of energy rather than a passing of the torch.
Rocky has always blurred the lines between rapper and designer, curator and disruptor. This Metal Collection campaign reinforces that he’s not just participating in culture. He’s shaping it. And by aligning himself with Nas in such an iconic visual callback, he’s reminding everyone that innovation works best when it respects the foundation.
From Belly to high fashion, from Queensbridge to Harlem, this collaboration is more than a lookbook moment. It’s a statement.
New York never stops reinventing itself.