Joey Fatts Pays Homage to A$AP Yams in ‘Stevie World’ Video

It's been a couple of months now since A$AP Yams passed away, but his presence can still be felt reverberating throughout the hip-hop world. The Long Beach rapper, who was discovered by the enterprising New Yorker, dedicates his newest video, "Stevie World," to his friend, whom it was recently revealed succumbed to an accidental drug overdose. (Yams' real name was Steven Rodriguez.) The stark visual reminds how the larger-than-life figures who pass through timelines and RSS feeds and across television screens are the friends and relatives of real, living people.

Yams first became embedded in the rap world during high school, when he was taken on as Dipset's intern. He helped stuff envelopes with mixtapes and promotional materials, all the while soaking up the knowledge dispensed by industry veterans like Cam'ron and Jim Jones. From there, he forged a name for himself as a tastemaker and curator with his blog, "Real Nigga Tumblr." It was a platform Yams used to shine light on forgotten artists, groups and singles, and to break exciting new acts. He eventually used RNT to introduce A$AP Rocky to a national audience. Fatts was one of Yams' prized discoveries, a gritty, visceral rapper whose relationship with fellow Long Beach rapper Vince Staples has yielded some of the West coast's most gripping, naturalistic hip-hop.

Related: Joey Fatts Gives a Tour of His Neighborhood in “How We Livin’” Video
Joey Fatts Says There Are 30 Finished Tracks For A$AP Rocky’s New Album
Joey Fatts Says Freddie Gibbs Stopped Him From Killing Someone
Stream Joey Fatts’ ‘Ill Street Blues’ EP