Troy Ave is so Brooklyn that he named himself after a block in the Crown Heights area he came up in. The late-'00s saw him enter the New York City mixtape circuit with a run of releases that showcased his street-hardened flow over production that kept it gritty and rugged. 2013 saw the emergence of his debut studio project New York City: The Album. True to the LP's title it underscored Troy's commitment to creating classic Big Apple rap, while guest spots from hometown heroes like Raekwon, N.O.R.E. and Prodigy cosigned his status in the scene.