Elliott Wilson says he’s apologized to Drake for his recent criticism about the Toronto rapper and who he chooses to do interviews with. He explained that he should’ve spoken with him behind the scenes before airing out his grievance in public. Regardless of the apology, Wilson says he still agrees with what he originally said.
As for that comment, Wilson complained about Drake’s interview choices after he spoke with Bobbi Althoff, earlier this month. “Moment of clarity: No disrespect to Lil Boat,” he wrote on Twitter at the time. “Yachty’s convo with The Boy was comfy and had some cool moments. I was more so clowning the comedy shenanigans with outsiders to our culture. It would be great to hear Drake speak to us again. Even if it ain’t me.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 23: Elliott Wilson attends the 4th Annual TIDAL X: Brooklyn at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 23, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for TIDAL)
Drake later responded to Wilson’s criticism in a comment on Instagram. “Lol man sh*ts on not coming to his platform for a second time and now Elliott 10 does doing Yes Julz run up interviews at Rolling Loud,” Drake wrote with several emojis. “[J]ust admit the youth took over big dog.”
When Wilson’s admission of an apology made its way to 2Cool2Blog’s Instagram page, many fans took Drake’s side in the discussion. One under argued: “I’m sick of this narrative about Drake not tapping in with the culture. Did Drake not sit with this man for over 2hrs? Like what more does he want? Now Drake is supporting other platforms. His fanbase is diverse, so it is important that the platforms he appears on are diverse as well. Why is this so hard to comprehend?” Another wrote: “I like Elliot but the fact is y’all want Drake and other A listers to do y’all shows for numbers reasons. You know it’ll get you views and that’s why you want it. It’s 2023 and Drake in particular is a veteran who has sat down with multiple Hip Hop interviewers over the course of his career, ya’ll being pissy about him sitting with that girl is petty and immature.”
Wilson’s comments come as Drake gears up for the release of his next studio album, For All The Dogs. During a recent stop on the It’s All A Blur Tour, Drake told fans it’ll be available in a matter of weeks.
Tyrese came at DJ Vlad on Instagram, earlier this week, after the founder of VladTV requested an interview with him over DMs. The posts began with Tyrese replying to an interview Vlad did with Boosie Badazz. Tyrese accused Vlad of exploiting peoples’ trauma and “leaching off of Black culture.” In doing so, he shared screenshots of a DM conversation between himself and Vlad.
“Haven’t you used BLACK PEOPLE ENOUGH??? What’s the dudes name who talks off camera who owns VLAD TV?? Can y’all pull his tax returns????????,” Tyrese wrote on Instagram. “How much is he leaching off of BLACK CULTURE???? This dude is already have four people on his show and he randomly keeps bringing MY NAME UP… laughing about my divorce traumas laughing about my crying video and trying to milk my traumas and pains in the Clickbait for his goofy ass show….”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 18: Tyrese Gibson attends Universal Pictures “F9” World Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 18, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
He continued: “Every time my name is bought up people are looking at him ‘Why you talking shit about my brother Ty’… he just keeps going… You corny AF dude…. 10k for what????? That ain’t even my daily Perdiem …”
Tyrese didn’t stop with that post either. After it started to gain traction online, he shared several media outlets’ articles covering it. He captioned the post: “I keep to myself I never bother nobody…. I’m from the hood…. I’m far from a bitch…. if you keep poking a bear you get your head knocked off……. No more free interviews for CULTURE VULTURES……. He’s worth 5 million and that 5 million came from MY CULTURE……. Since my divorce and traumas are funny…. Let’s keep laughing….. What more do you want from me?? I want EVERY RAPPER and singer who ever gets interviewed by this culture vulture to hit them pockets….. He offered me 10k I could of stuck him for 50k. I realized he’s with the feds and a lot of my people go to jail after they do interviews….” Check out Tyrese’s Instagram post here.
will.i.am has a vision for the future of creative collaboration. As a rapper, producer, tech mogul, and philanthropist, working with other creators has always been his source of inspiration — now he’s delivering a tool to help fuel the next wave of creative innovation. This past weekend in Miami — on the heels of premiering “The Formula” with Lil Wayne as F1’s new theme song during Miami race weekend — Will and his team took over Soho House’s Miami Pool House to debut FYI, “the world’s first AI Web 3.0 messenger geared towards creative collaboration.” The first-look event featured panel conversations, product demos, and an all-around vibe of celebrating creativity, collaboration, and peering into the future — hallmarks of will.i.am himself.
The key differentiator for FYI — outside of being co-founded and developed by a global music icon — is putting all the tools for creative collaboration in one place and then further fueling efficiencies by utilizing AI to streamline workflow and make the most of everyone’s time and creative energy. But this isn’t a case of “humans vs. machines,” instead will.i.am wants to empower creatives to reach their full potential.
“My vision for FYI is to help creatives organize, collaborate, and communicate in one place,” he says, “rather than have all their communications and digital assets spread across five different products. Starting there will ease how creatives collaborate, network, and strategize. Having AI baked in the core of the product will give them the ability to supercharge their creativity and their strategizing with AI and their team flow.”
“Me and my crew pointed out a futurism,” he says. “In the future, back then, we said this little box — this AI box — is going to sing, produce, and do everything. You can type in the lyrics, but this machine right here is going to do it all. We said that in a video back in 2010.”
“And the reason I had a glimpse of that futurism is because of the work I was doing with one of the world’s greatest — Professor Patrick Winston, who taught at MIT in the AI lab. He’s since then passed away but he was an amazing force in the AI field. He inspired me to even go down this path of AI. I’ve been working in and around AI since 2009.”
FYI’s initial AI implementation is aimed at practical usability — like asking FYI to summarize a long project thread the user has spent time away from for that user personally, catching them up on the conversation and their place in it without having to scroll and decipher which parts are meaningful to them and where they owe responses.
“We’re starting with collaboration, strategizing, and communication. Because right now the creatives — me being the creative — I needed that solved. Conversations and your intellectual property, the things you care so much about and work for, the conversations around that stuff, are all over the place.”
AJ Woomer / FYI / Soho House
The FYI launch wasn’t just intellectual conversation and product specifics. It was also a party, complete with cocktails, laughter, an impeccable playlist, and Miami’s most influential creatives hanging poolside, taking it all in — truly a summation of will.i.am’s ethos and ability to combine fun with important critical thinking and a vision of the future. Special guests for the panels included Chris Lyons (President Web3 Media, a16z), Julie Pilat (Chief Growth Officer, FYI), Trevor McFedries (DJ, Artist, and Technologist), Jesse Kirshbaum (CEO, NUE Agency), and Jesus Mantas (Global Managing Partner, IBM), discussing everything from how FYI works to their own experiences in business, technology, music, and creative endeavors.
AI-Powered Idea Generation: FYI’s AI-powered system offers users creative suggestions and intelligent insights to help generate new ideas and explore new directions.
Centralized File Management: FYI offers users an all-in-one platform to store, organize, and access files quickly and easily, eliminating the need for multiple tools and systems.
Interactive Workspaces: The platform provides interactive layouts that allow users to present their work to clients, stakeholders, or team members, using both predefined and customized layouts.
Advanced Communication: FYI’s integrated voice and video calling platform, with its AI assistant and built-in transcription service, ensures reliable and efficient communication across teams.
Enhanced Security: FYI employs top-of-the-range encryption and security measures, allowing users to protect intellectual property and keep sensitive information confidential.
User-Friendly Interface: FYI’s sleek and intuitive interface is easy to use and customize, helping users focus on work and increasing productivity.
Collaborative Features: FYI’s platform features comprehensive collaboration tools like team assignments, task management, progress reporting, and milestone tracking. The platform ensures all critical team activity happens in a secure, centralized workspace for increased productivity, efficiency, and transparency.
Here’s a glimpse into the FYI launch in Miami during race weekend…
After only just emerging back into the public eye as the spokesperson for Pepsi’s questionable concoction of milk and cola with the questionable nickname “Pilk,” Lindsay Lohan is in hot water with the SEC over pitching crypto without disclosing that she was paid for the endorsements. She’s also not alone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lohan, Jake Paul, Kendra Lust, Soulja Boy, Ne-Yo, Lil Yachty, Akon, and Austin Mahone are all being charged in connection with their endorsements for TRON founder Justin Sun’s crypto companies.
“As alleged in the complaint, Sun and others used an age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors by first offering securities without complying with registration and disclosure requirements and then manipulating the market for those very securities,” said director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement Gurbir S. Grewal. “At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation. This is the very conduct that the federal securities laws were designed to protect against regardless of the labels Sun and others used.”
The celebrities charged, except Soulja Boy and Mahone, have agreed to pay $400,000 and effectively plead no contest to avoid admitting wrongdoing. This isn’t legal advice, but they should all probably fire whoever gave them the legal advice that it’s cool to do paid crypto promotion without telling people (and the SEC) that you got paid.
These cases are different than other celebrity-endorsed-crypto cases in the recent past, including the FTX investors suing their celebrity endorsers for allegedly making crypto investments seem safer than they are. For now, most involved in this crypto flim-flam can chug a warm glass of pilk and be glad it’s all over.
The Black Music Collective officially kicked off Grammy weekend last night with its annual Global Impact Award gala, an event that saw prominent Black creators and professionals from the music industry gather for a celebration of music and representation. This year’s event, which was held at the Hollywood Palladium, was particularly special as it marked the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. As such, the gala honored some of the biggest icons of the genre including Missy Elliot, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, and music industry executive Sylvia Rhone.
To celebrate the mission of the BMC, which seeks to highlight the inclusion, recognition, and advancement of Black music and its creators and professionals in the industry, Uproxx linked up with two of LA’s buzziest streetwear designers, Corey Populus of Circulate and Kacey Lynch of Bricks & Wood for a special t-shirt capsule collection that highlighted hip-hop’s 50th as well as this year’s Grammy theme, ‘Love Music.’
Uproxx
“The main inspiration behind this collaboration was definitely music,” says Populus, “Design and music to me go hand and hand… One of my favorite designers, Reid Miles, gained a lot of notoriety for creating the blueprint for how jazz records looked having done all of the Blue Note Records covers.”
The five t-shirt collection consisted of graphic designs that played off of the Grammy’s annual theme, made reference to the BMC gala, and recalled the iconic jazz album covers of the past filtered through a contemporary lens. One of the highlights of the collection also makes reference to a now-famous photo of Tyler the Creator receiving his first Grammy for Best Rap Album, which he took in home in 2019 for IGOR.
Uproxx
“I thought it would be cool to create this fake Jazz band called the Circulate Trio and pretty much this was a jazz love record by the Circulations, which was then presented by Uproxx and Circulate Records. I also chose purple/gold to represent LA,” says Populus, showing the deep attention to detail and affection for storytelling through visual design that makes Circulate such a vital brand in our contemporary streetwear scene.
The shirts were gifted at the gala to VIP attendees, making them officially some of the rarest designs to ever come out of Circulate and Bricks & Wood. Consider each of these shirts a grail!
The 65th Grammy Awards show will air live this Sunday, February 5th. Take a look at each design as well as highlights from last night’s BMC event below.
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Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, and record executive Sylvia Rhone each took home the BMC’s Global Impact Award last night while attendees were treated to performances from frequent collaborators and friends associated with the honorees including Ciara, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, 2 Chains, Chlöe Bailey, Tweet, Tyga, Ty Dolla $ign and Korupt.
Lil Baby says that the city of Atlanta is currently the “ruler of the culture” with regard to the state of hip-hop. Baby spoke about the influence of his hometown with Billboard during the LA3C festival in Los Angeles.
“Definitely, before I start, I will definitely give a big, big shout-out to Atlanta,” Lil Baby began. “The whole city. I definitely appreciate them for giving me recognition like that.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 17: Lil Baby performs onstage during Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash 25 at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium at Georgia State University on July 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
He continued: “As far as culture, I feel like I been feeling. Atlanta is like the ruler of the culture as far as Hip Hop… It hasn’t been a new artist in like the last two or three years that really just emerged. But for the most part, I feel like Atlanta is still the ruler of Hip Hop’s core of culture.”
Atlanta is home to dozens of the biggest artists in hip-hop at the moment. In addition to Baby, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Playboi Carti, and many more hail from the city.
Baby’s comments come after the city recognized him with his own day last month. November 13th will now be known as Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones Day in Atlanta.
Baby released his latest album, It’s Only Me, back in October. The project features guest appearances from Nardo Wick, Young Thug, Fridayy, Future, Rylo Rodriguez, Jeremih, EST Gee, and Pooh Shiesty. It debuted atop the US Billboard 200 while moving 216,000 album-equivalent units. At the time, he was able to chart 25 songs simultaneously, giving him control of one-fourth of the entire Billboard Hot 100.
Cannabis and music festivals should exist in a blissful state of symbiosis. But in reality, festivals are late to the weed party. Even at fests in legal states, cannabis is not available for purchase, nor do they designate official cannabis consumption gardens in the way they present and sell alcohol. Security can confiscate weed if they find it on you, or worse, make you throw it away in front of them — a crime committed against thousands of hallucinating young scholars each summer. (RIP our fallen nugs.)
The industry behind festivals, as well as the cities these fests take place in, have been wildly averse to the concept of merging the legal cannabis market and the festival experience by allowing weed to be sold or consumed openly at these events. While this is probably due to the fact that most fests are backed by billionaires and occur in conservative places like Indio, it’s still a missed revenue opportunity. And beyond that, it’s downright silly. Festivals and weed have gone hand and hand since the days of Dionysus.
At this point, you almost have to be stoned to attend one. Especially in California.
Thankfully, Northern Nights, a raging electronic fest along the Eel River, deep in the Redwoods of Humboldt, is leading the charge (with this year’s Outside Lands following suit). This year, they became the first music festival to feature onsite dispensaries, a weedy lounge area, and the open consumption of cannabis.
“Northern Nights has been leading the way in cannabis activations and music festival integration since the festival started in 2012,” said Chelsea Lucich, the Cannabis Vendor Coordinator for Northern Nights. “Even back in 2015, we had a 215 area where medicinal patients could consume.” [215 refers to Prop 215 which was the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which allowed medicinal patients access to cannabis.]
“This year was special for many reasons,” Luchich continues. “It was the first year back since the pandemic started, so everyone was ready to experience the way cannabis and music give way to connection. But the real spark was the heart-focused curation of the Craft Cannabis Farmers Market.”
“Inspired by the small farmer initiative our friends at the Emerald Cup started, we gifted 20 booths for free to the craft farmers from our region. We wanted not only to pay respect to the area where our festival resides but to help preserve and bring awareness to the culture of craft cannabis that is currently on the brink of extinction.”
Speaking personally, I found the super vibey consumption and dispensary area, dubbed The Tree Lounge, to be a welcome respite from the rage of the main fest. Within this otherworldly collection of pillowed teepees and farmer booths slinging some of the best weed in the world, there was a full range of weedy activities like medicated dining, cannabis cocktail hours, weed yoga, stoned sound baths, and more canna-wellness programming.
We were lucky enough to attend Northern Nights this year, and sample a ton of the incredible offerings from small Humboldt-area farms. Here are some of our favs.
Sour Diesel by Sol Spirit Farm
Sol Spirit
Near the crystal winding waters of Willow Creek, along the border of Humboldt and Trinity County, is where you’ll find Sol Spirit Farm, home to some of the happiest and most eco-conscious flower on the market. Everything about this regenerative sungrown farm, as well as the farmers themselves, is high vibe. When you consume their flower, the magical energy they put into these plants transfers to you, making you shine like never before. Nowhere is this effect more apparent than in their classic cut of Sour Diesel, which has become one of my favorite iterations of the iconic strain.
Sol Spirit
Fluffy, sativa nugs move from ruddy to light green, with burnt orange hairs. The smell is heavy on the gas, with a sour, earthy finish. This is a classic cut of Sour Diesel, the kind that’s hard to find today, as the strain has been watered down over time, backcrossed into infinity in its common form.
The taste is gassy, earthy, with a lemon tea finish on the exhale. It immediately gets you high behind the eyes, with a marked head change. Then, suddenly, without warning, you spring into action. It’s like when you’re at the beach before noon and the layer of fog clears — the sun shines hot and bright and boom! The fun begins.
Instead of beach fog, this flower evaporates mental fog and springs you into productivity. I felt excited, elevated, and 2/3x more capable than before. Waves of excitement course in the absence of anxiety. The last note I had was “like putting a glitter filter on your life,” and I stand by that.
Bottom line: Perfect for obliterating to-do lists and transforming daily life into the rainbow level of Mario Kart 64.
Magu’s Fruit by Sunroots Farm is a unique cultivar that’s fit for a goddess and named after one, too. Magu is a legendary Taoist xian associated with the elixir of life and a symbolic protector of women in Chinese mythology. Also referred to as the Hemp Lady, she’s portrayed with long fingernails in an apron of leaves, carrying a basket of mushrooms and peaches with a container of fungus wine. Just like every other baddie at Northern Nights.
Her nugs are luscious and dark, mysterious, and covered in crystals. Cascading hues of purple with hints of white sage, bright green leaves, and dark orange hairs. The smell is a fruity, berry wonderland of cherries and plums, blackberries and currants.
Uproxx
Berry lemon on the exhale with a spicy, pepper kick, this flower immediately elevates you to a heightened space of clarity. It takes you soaring like an eagle, high enough to observe the minutia in everything below.
Colors seem brighter, vision is enhanced. Overall, this flower leaves me feeling uplifted and in tune with the world around me. While your mind is active, your body is soothed and melty. It’s a really beautiful dichotomy, the cerebral head high, piercing with clarity in thought and expression, paired with a euphoric body high that makes it feels like you’re flying.
Bottom line: Great for doing yoga, creating art, meditating, and other goddess activities.
Esensia Gardens produces some of the most beautiful weed in the world, regularly sweeping award shows with their meticulous sun-grown flower from Mendocino. Their proprietary Pixie Dust strain is no expectation, having won the Emerald Cup the past three years in a row.
Pixie Dust deserved every one of those coveted awards — it truly is that special. A cross between Blueberry and Magic Wand (another proprietary strain by Esensia), the nugs look like little velveteen rabbits, bright green, coated with crystals, sparkling in the sun.
Esensia Gardens
The smell conjures peach ice cream, a garden in the summer, bees buzzing in the blackberries, and citrus blossoms in the heat. There’s a sumptuous sweetness to the smell that feels nostalgic in some way, with a little kick of lemon zest at the end.
The high is euphoric and relaxing and hits like a perfectly sweetened glass of iced tea. Everything about this high is tingly, soft, and kind. You can feel the physical stress release, making it perfect for taking the edge off a long day. Mentally, you’re lucid and bright, but your body is on a beach somewhere relaxing with a cocktail.
Bottom line: This magical strain is perfect for hot days, hot springs, and watching the sun set.
This cut of Cherry Pie by Trinitrees Farm (available through Redwood Roots), is as fun as it is potent. Cherry Pie is another iconic strain from the years of yore, a cross between Granddaddy Purple and Durban Poison that kicks your ass in the best way possible. Like Sour Diesel, this is a great stain that you never see shining anymore — making this one all the more exciting.
Trinitrees Farm
This Cherry Pie makes you say WOW. The nugs are olive green and orange. The scent is fucking crazy, like whiskey, leather and bay leaves, pine and dark chocolate, cedar, fresh wood, and sap. It’s a romantic, complex scent, that translates to a similar profile on the exhale.
The high hits hard and fast. Immediately, everything is more intense, raising the saturation of the photo edit of your reality. I smoked a bong rip and completely forgot to write anything about the experience, instead rolling around on the couch, alternating between giggling and bouts of outer space. This flower also has a mildly sedative effect, allowing you to fully check out of existence if you want to, but not sending you straight to sleep if you don’t.
Bottom line: This is a great heavy hitter for daytime use if you’re that girl (I’m that girl), and nighttime/weekend use for everybody else.
Last but certainly not least, we have an incredible cut of Gelonade from one of my favorite farms in existence, Moon Made Farms. Moon Made is a woman-owned farm up in the hills of Humboldt near where the festival took place. This regenerative sun-grown farm also implements Indigenous practices of planting seeds by the moon cycles, resulting in some truly beautiful flower.
Moonmade Farms
This Gelonade is a great get-up-and-go strain with a psychedelic bend. Frosty and bright green with hints of orange, these dense nugs pop with a sharp and spicy lemon explosion. You can get a sense of the high by smelling the flower, which is a sign of extremely good cannabis. High in caryophyllene, limonene and linalool, the flavor is lush lemon and pepper spice with a fruity twist at the end.
I love this strain because it’s not just upbeat and capable, it’s also flirty and fun. I smoke it before parties, meetings, and pretty much any time I have to converse with anyone, ever. It’s great for getting shit done but has a quirky flare that makes everything a little more interesting.
Bottom line: Perfect for spending time with others, silver linings, and finding joy in the mundane.
Summer is officially here and we hope you haven’t made too many plans yet. Why? Because after you hear about all of the music festivals, blockbuster movies, streaming TV shows, and Pride celebrations, you’re going to want to update that social calendar.
Culture Quick Biteshost Irene Walton is here to break down the biggest headliners, series, parades, and vacation destinations that should be on your radar this season. So yes, that means we’re still hyped over the latest installment of Stranger Things and the newest drop from Amazon Prime Video’s superhero drama, The Boys. We’re also looking forward to a slate of Summer movies set to rock the box office, one that includes the final entry in the Jurassic World trilogy, a Buzz Lightyear flick, and that wild Elvis biopic from Baz Luhrmann.
But, if your goal is to enjoy the warmer weather this summer by spending some more time outdoors we’ve got something for that too. From music festival headlined by artists like Halsey, Justin Bieber, and Kid Cudi to Pride celebrations happening in Vegas and the return of Summer travel, there’s a lot to be excited for this month.
Steven “A$AP Yams” Rodriguez was a powerful element in the rise of the A$AP Mob. His music helped usher in a new wave of East Coast rap that took the planet by storm. To get a sense of his lasting impact at the time of this article, his single “Yamborghini High feat Juicy J” currently has more than 141 million views on YouTube. But in the middle of the truly meteoric rise of the A$AP Mob, tragedy struck. A$AP Yams died suddenly on January 18, 2015, after an accidental fentanyl overdose. The hip-hop world was shaken to its core at the death of this 26-year-old rising star. Yam’s death was part of a growing trend inside the entertainment world and mainstream America, where fentanyl overdoses were fast on the rise.
Taking a broader view, fentanyl overdoses have spiked in the country at an alarming rate over the past decade. Musicians, college kids, and even cops are not safe from the rapid death toll the drug has claimed across all American demographics. According to the DEA website, as little as 2 milligrams can kill you. The death rate increases when those small amounts are mixed with other drugs. Rolling Stone recently did a feature on how many celebrities — Prince, Tom Petty, Lil Peep, etc. — have fallen victim to having very small doses of fentanyl laced with other drugs. Two students at Ohio State University just died after an accidental overdose from buying fake Adderall pills. San Jose State University football star turned Police Officer, Dejon Packer recently died in his home from “fentanyl toxicity.”
No one is safe from this drug. Full stop.
In response to the devasting toll caused by fentanyl, A$AP Yams’ mother, Tatianna Paulino founded the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation (It follows the A$AP moniker, the acronym created by Yams). Darryl Phillips joined her in actualizing her vision. Serving as Executive Director in the non-profit they spread awareness to the streets on how to avoid the deadly impact of drugs, focusing on fentanyl. We spoke with Tatiana and Darryl about Yams’ music, A$AP Yams Day, and their mission to heal the hood.
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Can you tell me why the Always Strive And Prosper Foundation was created and what your goals are with it for young people?
Darryl Phillips: The foundation was created really as a a commemorative, but also a meaningful mission brought together by Tatiana Paulino, A$AP Yams, mom. She wanted to be able to help one family or, you know, an individual person, whoever. If we could kind of help in any way to not experience some of the mourning that she was going through. It kind of started as something that we just were talking about. Then we got together in a community room up in Riverdale, in the Bronx and just started discussing what we saw as issues.
From there we tried to figure out we could deal with substance abuse.. But really it was just about this woman here [Yam’s mom] wanting to be able to help other families and other people to not go through the same pain.
Sometimes when a rapper dies, in the expansion of public awareness, the humanity of the individual can be lost. Can you tell us who he was to you before the rest of the world got to know him?
Tatianna Paulino: Well, I don’t even know how to describe that. It’s like, he was my kid. He was my friend. He was my son and he was everything for me before he was A$AP. He was my kid.
He made a lot of jokes. So for me in the house, it was like having a comedian around all of the time. You know, having a great time, having dinner with him. He was hilarious. So I miss all the family time that we had together.
Now, do you remember the day or even the moment you decided you were gonna create a foundation?
Paulino: The same time he passed away. I wanted to do something to help other parents and other families with the problem that I’m going through at the moment. Because it’s really hard. He was helping a lot of people in the music business, we can help another family. I said, “We have to do the foundation. We have to keep his legacy alive.”
ASAP Yams Foundation
Do either of you have advice for parents who may be concerned about their kids abusing drugs or being exposed to these environments? What is your advice to them?
Phillips: I think the advice is to try and have a conversation [with your kids]. To always be able to instill something about truth with your children, with your kids, your brothers, your family members. Speak to each other in a way that involves care and some kind of trust.
I had a conversation at a friend’s house once and you know, we’re talking about drug use and just how it was impacting community lives. He’s like “Well, you know, my son is not really around friends that are into that.” The son chimed in and said, “No, actually they are.” The dad was shocked.
Then provide extracurricular things. Like “Hey, do you know, what is it that you wanna do? And how can I help you do that with art, basketball, chess- you know? Ask how you can support their personal vision of themselves.
Paulino: I think as parents, we have to be open-minded. Try to get information, to see what’s really going out there. Because sometimes we are behind, because of our age.
Can you talk about A$AP Yams Day? What happens at those events?
Phillips: It was something where we were asking the mob, can we do something? A$AP Rocky was kind of always carrying a flag for that, as well. He wanted to make sure it was something that was really commemorative. It’s a concert that involves not really random artists, but up-and-coming artists.
The first year [Jan 18, 2019] seemed to be the coldest day of the year. It was marking the day that he passed. It was a who’s who of artists. But we also had up and comers take the stage as well.
The Weeknd, Kendrick, Tyler [the Creator], there has been such a host of people that have come to support it. And now we can incubate programs to do little events that we could outside the concert to develop the community. You know, I think every day is A$AP Yams Day.
ASAP Yams Foundation
Do you have any messages for the artists that promote, you know, the high drug lifestyle these days? They really do seem to have the ears of the teens and kids.
Phillips: We can’t blame the kids ever. Us being old school, we always understood that even when it was in NWA was a reflection of what we were going through in our community. We were experiencing every day going outside, the injustice that was over us. We had a generation of kids that grew up living with their grandparents. Not even their parents. So I think we have to look at the overall larger picture, which is the drug war. We have to look at the pharmaceutical companies that are really pushing the agenda [of how these drugs are made so available to teenagers]. From Purdue [an international pharmaceutical company responsible for many opioid deaths] and many others.
Follow the money on all that.I can’t blame the artists. We have to try and see what we can do to counter it or to figure out how to abate it in some way.
Tatianna, can you tell me some of the other upcoming events, your organization will be hosting?
Paulino: So we have a back-to-school event usually involving a basketball tournament. We have a show in Harlem and it’s going on in the lower east side. We have a toy and coat drive that we do as well. That’s around the Christmas holidays. It was just really us giving them scarves, brand new toys, and other people coming to donate stuff for the kids. We try and keep these quarterly events alive as well. We are always working to figure out other ways to support other people doing other events also.
Phillips: So Michael K. Williams was a friend of mine. He knew of our organization as well. And when he passed, you know, we were able to contribute. We’d like to do something, I think a little bit outta state. I’m going to talk to some people about A$AP Yams events in LA and on the west coast.
For more information and support on upcoming events, issues with fentanyl, and other addiction issues please contact the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation and on IG @asapfoundation.
