A$AP Yams, a founding member of successful New York hip hop collective A$AP Mob, has died at the age of 26, according to Billboard. The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
RCA Records, which has signed members of the Mob, issued a statement about his passing.
"All of us at RCA Records are shocked and saddened to hear of the death of A$AP Yams. As one of the creative forces behind A$AP Worldwide, Yam's vision, humor and dedication to the members of A$AP Mob will always be remembered. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends," the statement said.
A$AP Mob official Twitter account posted the message "RIP @ASAPYams" following his death.
A$AP Yams, whose real name is Steven Rodriguez, is credited with helping launch to stardom fellow Mob members A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg.
In a 2013 New York Times profile, Rodriguez, who has been called a visionary, described his relationship with A$AP Rocky.
"Rocky's like Luke Skywalker and I'm Yoda," he said. "We wanted to become big, but we didn't want to do it by hopping on somebody else's wave. We wanted come in the game with our own game."
The Mob co-founder grew up in Harlem and formed the collective with fellow New Yorkers and A$AP Bari and A$AP Illz in 2007, according to Mirror. The trio met A$Ap Rocky in 2008 and had secured major-label deals by 2011.
Polo Ground Music, A$AP Rocky's label, also issued a statement about Rodriguez's death.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend A$AP Yams. A true visionary, Yams was a driving force in A$AP Mob. Our condolences go out to his family. He will be truly missed," the statement read.
Hip hop stars, including Drake, Mac Miller and 2 Chainz, have also offered their condolences.
Rodriguez's had been known to have fought with drug addiction and went to rehab last year.
"I got to chill. It's not a good look up there in the office. They're not gonna have any faith," he said in 2012 about his drug use.