RiFF RAFF - ACE OF SPACE

What this video is

Released January 2013, 'ACE OF SPACE' arrives at the apex of RiFF RAFF's mixtape-era cultural ascent, shortly after his signing to Diplo's Mad Decent label and the 'Hologram Panda' project with Dame Grease. The video encapsulates the post-internet rap moment when artists leveraged YouTube, SoundCloud, and social media virality as primary distribution infrastructure, bypassing traditional label machinery. RiFF…

Why it matters

A key artifact of early 2010s mixtape rap visual culture, demonstrating how independent hip-hop artists used low-to-mid budget HD video production to build viral brand identity. The video reflects the aesthetic language of post-internet Southern rap: kinetic editing, theatrical costume-driven…

The director

Philadelphia-born Latinx director and writer Dan Centrone began filmmaking before high school shooting skate videos, then transitioned into music video production through Philadelphia's underground hardcore punk scene. He founded Dan Centrone Films and…