Rap: A$AP Mob Founder A$AP Yams Dead at 26
Matthew Perez
Updated on March 16, 2026
The brains behind Harlem’s critically acclaimed rap collective A$AP Mob, Steve Rodriguez — who was popularly known as A$AP Yams — has died.
The circumstances around Rodriguez’s death have not yet been made public. He was 26.
Yams was the co-owner of the A$AP Worldwide label, which helped launch and promote the careers of fellow A$AP Mob members, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg.
“As one of the creative forces behind A$AP Worldwide, Yams’ vision, humor and dedication to the members of A$AP Mob will always be remembered. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends,” read a statement released by RCA Records.
The label executive kept a considerably lower profile than his peers in the collective, a position he appeared to enjoy.
“Rocky’s like Luke Skywalker, and I’m Yoda,” Yams told the New York Times during an interview published in 2013.
Members of the A$AP collective and fellow hip-hop stars aired their condolences via social media after news of Yam’s death surfaced on Sunday.
