A$AP Yams, Member Of Rap Collective A$AP Mob, Dies

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A$AP Yams, a member of the New York-based rap collective A$AP Mob, has died.

RCA Records and Polo Grounds Music confirmed the death of A$AP Yams, whose real name is Steven Rodriguez. Circumstances of his death were unavailable.

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RCA Records said the 26-year-old from Harlem would be remembered for his "vision, humor and dedication'' to the members of the A$AP Mob collective. Polo Grounds Music said Yams was "a driving force'' in the group and would be missed.

A$AP Yams was the owner of A$AP Worldwide Records and the brains behind the label's biggest star, A$AP Rocky, 1010 WINS' Derricke Dennis reported.

"If he's the mastermind behind A$AP Rocky, I don't know what A$AP Rocky is gonna do," said Wolf Cooper, an aspiring rapper from Harlem.

A$AP Rocky and fellow member A$AP Ferg are both Grammy-nominated performers.

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