In today’s Hollywood, while follower counts often influence casting choices, acclaimed director Spike Lee is taking a different approach—he’s looking to memes.

As he prepares for the Cannes premiere of his A24 film Highest 2 Lowest next month, the Oscar-winning director shared that he cast A$AP Rocky after encountering a meme that humorously compared the Grammy-nominated artist to his co-star, Denzel Washington.

“It’s amusing because I was scrolling through Instagram four or five years ago, and people were saying A$AP looked like he could be Denzel’s son,” Lee recounted on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “I saw those memes, and we incorporated that into the film.”

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Rocky’s upcoming role alongside Washington and Ice Spice marks a significant moment in his career, following his debut in 2015’s Dope and his recent performance in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

“A$AP is incredible,” Lee praised. “In some scenes, he and Denzel are going head-to-head—he’s not backing down. He’s asserting his presence. I’m extremely pleased with how the film turned out and can’t wait to share it with audiences.”

Lee’s latest project is a fresh take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. In this film, Washington portrays a powerful music mogul renowned for having the “best ears in the business,” who becomes embroiled in a perilous ransom scheme.

Previously, Lee mentioned to Deadline that Rocky plays “the main role” in this compelling narrative.