Today in Hip-Hop: R.I.P. ASAP Yams (November 13, 1988 – January 18, 2015)
A$AP Mob founder A$AP Yams tragically died on Jan. 18, 2015.
Born and raised in Harlem, Steven “A$AP Yams” Rodriguez formed the rap collective A$AP Mob in 2006. He would go on to be the manager and executive producer for many Mob members including A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg. Yams became known as a budding mogul and overall New York tastemaker in the music scene. Yams executive produced all of the Mob’s major releases until 2015 including Lord$ Never Worry, A$AP Rocky’s LONG.LIVE.A$AP, and A$AP Ferg’s Trap Lord.
On Jan. 18, 2015, Yams was found dead in his bed. He was 26 years old. Members of the rap world, especially A$AP Mob members, shared their grief online and in interviews for months after. It was revealed in March that Yams’ cause of death was drug overdose mixed with intoxication. Rocky dedicated his sophomore album At.Long.Last.A$AP to the fallen founder of their crew later that year. In the cover art for ALLA, Rocky’s face is morphed with Yams’ and Yams’ signature face tattoo and birthmark are evident.
Though he’s gone, A$AP Mob has made sure Yamborghini’s legacy lives on. In December 2016, the Mob released a book of A$AP Yams’ best tweets. The Mob also honored A$AP Yams by releasing Cozy Tapes Vol. 1, a project their manager was working on before his untimely death. And for two years in a row now, A$AP Mob has made it a point to celebrate Yams with a concert in their hometown of New York City. The second annual Yams Day will take place today at the Theater at Madison Square Garden with the proceeds from he show going towards Yams’ mother. This year’s lineup includes the entire A$AP Mob, Joey Badass, Danny Brown, The Flatbush Zombies and more.
Rest easy, Yams.
via xxlmag.com
