Five years ago, if you’d have asked us to tell you who or what A$AP Rocky was, we’d have guessed it was a new straight-to-DVD take on Sly Stallone’s boxer saga.

In 2016, however, all eyes are on the 27-year-old rapper straight outta Harlem. From dealing drugs to major record deals, Rocky’s shot to fame both for his critically acclaimed verses and his much-aped personal style. Part-street Goth ninja, part-high fashion killa, his ability to mix cult streetwear garments with top-tier designer labels is as enviable as his knack for spitting bars.

Apart from that one dodgy collaboration attempt – for which we probably berated him a little too harshly – it’s been pretty much plain sailing for A$AP, who’s proved (with the help of stylist Matthew Henson) that he’s every inch the modern-day style icon.

Want to look fire? Take your cue from Harlem’s finest.

Get (The Right) Fit

We’ve come a long way from 1990s hip-hop’s more is more approach, which – although evident in mounds of chains and crosses that could double as murder weapons – also extended to rappers’ choice of fit. XXL sizing was as integral to being a credible MC as making bread. Vanilla Ice anyone?

A$AP Rocky’s clothes, however, fit, and they fit well. And so should yours. We’re all for a slightly roomier leg, a slouchy overcoat or a longline tee but there’s a line between laid-back cuts and drowning in fabric.

Take your cue from Flacko and dress for your body shape. That means no mile-long swathes of fabric if you’re slight, and no skintight, postage stamp-sized T-shirts if you’re carry a few too many pounds.

(Related: How to dress for your body shape)

Accessories Are Everything

Look past A$AP’s more blindingly obvious (yes, those diamond grills) methods of self-adornment and you’ll find a couple of universally valuable accessorising lessons worth heeding.