RIP Yamborghini
Yesterday, November 13, would have been A$AP Yams‘ 28th birthday. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to live to see the day. Many of his friends, associates and fans will remember him throughout the course of the day but nobody may feel the sadness more than his own mother.
Tatianna Paulino wrote a letter in remembrance, which talked about the horrific night of January 18, 2015 when she got the call that Steven Rodriguez passed away due to a drug overdose. Considering the fact she knew nothing about his drug of choice, since his death, she has tried to learn everything she could about codeine and “syrup.”
In her letter, she talks about some of the reasons why he may have been using, paying for his rehab through her employee insurance, memories she had of him and what she wants to do through the A$AP Foundation. It’s a very heartfelt and heartbreaking letter.
“My son was under a tremendous amount of pressure to keep the A$AP Mob collective striving together, successful and producing hit recordings. At the same time, he told me he felt as if he was being squeezed out of the group of creative friends he had spent so much time and energy putting and keeping together. For Steven, money was tight; he never had much. In fact, I had to pay for his drug treatment through my employee benefits plan. This was not missed on Steven. Over time, he grew less comfortable with his role and place with A$AP. The business began to weigh on him mentally and physically. He often felt uneasy in having to make the transition from a fun collective of friends, to a business partner in A$AP Worldwide, the business. In my mind, his drug use was a strategy to decompress and release.
Sure enough, Steven’s toxicology report revealed that he had not only taken codeine, but he also had taken oxycodone (an opioid) and alprazolam (a benzodiazepine). Was he aware of the potential dangers of mixing opioids with other sedatives? I certainly wasn’t. Even if it makes us uncomfortable, I wish public health messages about drugs were more clear and simple in emphasizing real concerns as oppose to hyping less likely outcomes. I wish such messages simply stated, “Don’t combine opioids with other sedatives!” If they did, perhaps my son would be alive today.”
Read the full thing HERE.