Hollywood casting choices are increasingly influenced by social media metrics, but director Spike Lee has taken a decidedly more unconventional route for his upcoming A24 film, Highest 2 Lowest. Instead of follower counts, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker disclosed that he cast rapper A$AP Rocky after encountering a meme that drew a resemblance between the Grammy nominee and his co-actor Denzel Washington.

Speaking on the podcast 7PM in Brooklyn, Lee recounted his discovery: "What’s funny is that I was looking at Instagram four or five years ago and people were saying that A$AP looked like he’s Denzel’s son. I seen those memes and then in the film we used that."

Actor Rocky's role in Highest 2 Lowest, which is slated to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month, marks his latest on-screen appearance following his debut in the 2015 film Dope and a recent role in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The film also stars Ice Spice.

Lee expressed his enthusiasm for Rocky's performance, stating, “A$AP, man, he fire. I mean, there’s some scenes where him and D head to head – he ain’t backing up. Like, ‘I’m here too.’ So very, very happy with the way the film turned out and looking forward to sharing it with the world.”

Highest 2 Lowest is a reimagining of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. The film features Washington in the role of a prominent music mogul, renowned for his exceptional talent in identifying promising music, who becomes the target of a critical ransom plot. Lee had previously indicated to Deadline that Rocky plays a "main role" in the production.