MUMBAI: MTV and Viacom Velocity, the company's in-house creative agency, today announced it has named A$AP Rocky, backed by his own creative company AWGE, as Creative Director for MTV LABS, a creative incubator developed in partnership with the Harlem-born rapper and cultural trendsetter. In this role, Rocky and AWGE will have access to the company's cross-platform production capabilities to create original content; experiment with new formats and existing MTV IP; and develop branded content for advertisers in partnership with Viacom Velocity.

"MTV is a name we grew up with - everyone knows them as innovators and champions of building artists' careers. I'm honoured to have this opportunity and can't wait to show people what we have been working on," said A$AP Rocky.

"As a dominant platform for youth culture, MTV has always given voice to fans and tapped artists who can deeply connect to them," said Viacom Velocity EVP and chief creative officer Niels Schuurmans. "A$AP Rocky is a unique Millennial artist whose influence as an innovator and disruptor spans music, film, art, and fashion. What was so compelling to us is his authentic love for fans and the MTV brand, along with his desire to collaborate with us and our marketing partners to develop ideas that drive real cultural impact."

To celebrate the partnership, A$AP Rocky will give an exclusive performance of never-before-heard tracks from the forthcoming A$AP Mob album, Cozy Tapes Vol 1, in MTV's Times Square studio onFriday, September 30. The performance of the lead track, ‘Crazy Brazy’, featuring A$AP Rocky and Key!, will be broadcast on MTV at 6:25 p.m. ET and streamed across MTV platforms globally. Additional A$AP Mob members are slated to make special appearances.