When rap sensations Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE wanted to debut their joint album for fans, they turned to MATTE to lead creative, production, and promotion. With only three weeks before they embarked on a headline world tour, they asked us to find an NYC venue that captured the underground scene they both came up in. We landed on DROM, a subterranean East Village venue with a history of platforming emerging artists and unique subgenres.

Announced 24 hours prior, we quickly passed 5,000 rsvps and received coverage from Pitchfork and GQ. With a line of fans stretching several avenues, Earl and MIKE played to a packed house. What was supposed to be the first live performance of their new album turned into a retrospective of both artists’ biggest hits, as they fed off the crowds energy.