ASAP Yams' Mother Reflects On His Legacy and Advocates for Opiate Awareness

On what would have been ASAP Yams' 28th birthday, Ms. Tatianna Paulino offers a heartfelt editorial about her son.

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Complex Original

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On what would have been Steven “ASAP Yams” Rodriguez’s 28th birthday, his mother Tatianna Paulino reflected on the circumstances leading to his untimely death and how she hopes to honor her son’s memory.

“Even if it makes us uncomfortable, I wish public health messages about drugs were more clear and simple in emphasizing real concerns as opposed to hyping less likely outcomes,” Paulino wrote in an editorial for Noisey. “I wish such messages simply stated, ‘Don't combine opioids with other sedatives!’ If they did, perhaps my son would be alive today.”

Paulino wrote she got the call from ASAP Lou informing her of Yams’ condition at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2015. She added she and her brother in law were unable to make it to Brooklyn’s Woodhull Medical Center until after her son had already been pronounced dead.

Toxicology reports confirmed Yams had codeine, oxycodone and alprazolam (commonly referred to by the trade name Xanax) in his system. Ms. Paulino also hints at possible tension within the ASAP Mob in addition to her late son’s fondness for “lean.”

“For Steven, money was tight; he never had much,” Paulino added. “In fact, I had to pay for his drug treatment through my employee benefits plan. This was not missed on Steven. Over time, he grew less comfortable with his role and place with ASAP. The business began to weigh on him mentally and physically.”

When news of his death in Jan. 2015 became public, numerous members within the music community sent their condolences and spoke highly of Yams. Steven “ASAP Yams” Rodriguez is listed as a co-executive producer on 2013’s Long.Live.A$AP, and he is credited as a featured artist on 2015’s At.Long.Last.A$AP’s “Back Home.”

You can read Ms. Paulino’s full editorial piece at Noisey.

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