Kansas City-based Nomada may be a startup, but it already has worked on sizable projects, including the latest music video for two-time Grammy-nominated artist and serial entrepreneur A$AP Rocky.

The video, along with a Beats by Dr. Dre commercial featuring Rocky, were shot in Kansas City’s West Bottoms.

Rapper A$AP Rocky worked with Kansas City startup Nomada to film his latest music video in the West Bottoms.
Rapper A$AP Rocky worked with Kansas City startup Nomada to film his latest music video in the West Bottoms. (Art credit and copyright by Dante Walton)

You can thank Nomada for putting Kansas City on Rocky’s radar. And it all began with a 64-foot-long vintage military tent.

Rocky didn’t have a connection to Kansas City, other than his chance encounter with Nomada at an Amazon Live Music event in Hollywood. He “rolled the dice” on both the startup and the city, Nomada co-founder Austin Goldberg said.

“There was so much energy and people feeling like they were a part of something larger than life,” he said of the music video. “It’s amazing for the city, and it feels like it’s catapulting it to the next phase of what it’s going to become.”

Nomada co-produced the “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)” music video with creative agency AWGE, which Rocky founded. In February or March, Apple’s Beats contacted Rocky about shooting a commercial with him, and he suggested shooting it in Kansas City, thanks to his music video connection to Nomada.

Nomada played a role in both projects and gave Rocky the grand tour when he visited in March, including taking him to local retailers and restaurants. During a stop at the West Bottoms’ Blip Roasters, Rocky discovered several female motorcyclists and asked them to be in his video.

Read more in the Kansas City Business Journal.