Yams Day Brought the Hip-Hop Community Together Again
Velour suits, limbs relaxed, mad cozy, my G. That was the mood for ASAP Mob and friends’ second annual Yams Day concert. Steven Rodriguez—better known to the world as ASAP Yams—passed onto the next life two years ago and left family, friends, fans, and a city with a huge void to fill. Him not being here anymore to make us laugh, show us new music, or simply put his positive energy on display is still (and will probably forever be) tough to understand. I’m fighting back tears just writing about this shit.
The rap world turned the loss into a positive experience last night, celebrating by packing out the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Not everyone billed got a chance to perform—Cam’ron, T-Pain, Lil Uzi Vert, and Joey Badass didn’t make it out—but a few special guests (led by The Weeknd) sure enough made up for it. “The Weeknd came out, Young Thug. It was like Summer Jam for the kids. Everybody came out, it was like a fundraiser. That’s what Yams Day is about,” ASAP Ant said after a long night. The Cozy Boy movement was in full effect as songs from ASAP Mob’s recent Cozy Boys, Vol. 1 tape were performed live in front an NYC crowd for the first time. Yams’ mom even came out to address the crowd in a very cozy royal blue robe. It was a family affair.
Like Yams’ wide-ranging musical taste, the show featured artists from various regions. Playboi Carti, Key!, and Young Thug showed out for Atlanta, while Tyler, the Creator, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and Ab-Soul repped the West, the Weeknd came through for our neighbors north of the border, Danny Brown had Detroit on his back, Retch & Dash put on for Jersey, Maxo Kream had some much needed Texas flavor (shouts to UGK), and French Montana and Dave East added some Uptown NYC flavor to the mix. The diversity made for a fun night.
There was no beef, no drama; just people having a good time, like Yams would’ve wanted. It’s a lesson in keeping an open mind when it comes to various forms of rap music. Steven recognized movements and waves earlier than anyone, and cultivated relationships with a lot of the rappers he was a fan of. That’s why people loved him when he was here, and why they still feel indebted to him now that he’s gone. The hip-hop community mourned his death, and last night they celebrated his life. Yams was always a bright light—may his legacy live on forever.
