Yams Day 2019 was a night to remember for the A$AP Mob faithful. After last year’s event was cut short due to a backstage brawl, A$AP Rocky and his band of brothers made it their mission to provide fans with a proper celebration for the fallen A$AP Yams, who passed away in 2015 from a drug overdose.
The Barclays Center set the scene for the fourth annual event, as droves of fans trekked to Brooklyn to commemorate the life of the late visionary. The Mob enlisted a number of their friends to join the party, and fans were treated to five hours of nonstop music and vibes, with a bill that featured an extensive list of artists who knew Yams.
A slew of popular rappers were scheduled to perform including Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, Tyler, The Creator, and more, but for some reason, they were missing from the show. The Mob more than made up for these absences, though, with performances by Key!, Ashton Matthews, Flatbush Zombies, Joey Bada$$, NAV, Metro Boomin’, Lil Yachty and more. The spirit of A$AP Yams radiated throughout the Barclays Center as everyone — artists included — got loose in a way that the late A$AP founder would have appreciated.
Check out our top five moments from the exhilarating show below.
Ski Mask The Slump God Brings XXXTENTACION’s Energy To Yams Day
As the crowd partied the night away to the sounds of A$AP Lou Banga on the turntables, Ski Mask The Slump God made a frenetic entrance on the stage asking the crowd if it was he whom they wanted. “I got one favor to ask you,” Ski Mask asked the rabid Brooklyn crowd. “I came here to make sure you had a good time. So let’s turn up!” Ski Mask then instructed the crowd to throw an X in the air for his late friend XXXTENTACION. “If you didn’t fuck with him, at least he tried to make people’s lives better,” he yelled. The crowd cheered as the ticking hi-hats of Ski Mask’s collaborative song with X “Take a Step Back” crept on to the arena's speakers.
As soon as the fiery record dropped, the crowd went on a wild ride through Ski Mask’s music catalog. “BabyWipe,” “LaLa,” and “Catch Me Outside” rang through the arena while Ski Mask jumped into several mosh pits, even asking the crowd to carry him to the two different stages.
A$AP Mob Highlights A$AP Yam’s Love for Professional Wrestling
A$AP Yams always had a sweet spot for professional wrestling, mainly WWE. In honor of one of his many passions, the A$AP Mob had a wrestling theme throughout the night with clips of old matches between Kurt Angle, Booker T, Triple H and more displayed on the screens. A wrestling ring was stationed in the middle of the arena for the Mob and their friends to get lost in the lively vibes. At one point during the night, the Mob had two professional wrestlers battle in an actual wrestling match. Suplexes and leg drops were dished out as the sounds of some of the biggest hits in hip-hop flowed through the venue.
That moment when @asaprocky shows his wrestling skills at #yamsday in Brooklyn. — pic.twitter.com/C75FFDIOzX
— HOT 97 (@HOT97) January 18, 2019
The gentlemen of Subway Mania also got on stage to turn up with the artists as they dished out their own moves in the middle of the main stage. A$AP Rocky joined in on the fun handing out two Stone Cold Stunners to the wrestlers and jumping off the turnbuckle into the wild crowd surrounding the wrestling ring.
ASAP Rocky got #YamsDay looking like Monday Night Raw. He went off the turnbuckle. — pic.twitter.com/BZDacFbrKM
— HypeHub Music (@HypeHubMusic) January 18, 2019
Soulja Boy Surprises the Barclays Center to Honor A$AP Yams
The fans got a huge treat when Soulja Boy touched the stage at the Barclays Center. After his Breakfast Club interview went viral earlier in the week, Soulja has had one hell of a resurgence becoming the talk of social media. When he made his appearance Thursday night, Draco chants were hurled at the Atlanta rapper. He not only name-dropped Drake and Kanye West — much to the delight of fans — but he performed “Crank Dat” and “Pretty Boy Swag.” Before making his exit, Soulja made it a note to remind the Barclays Center that he had the biggest comeback of 2018.
.@SouljaBoy at Yams Day — pic.twitter.com/Cd25yHudFp
— Eric Skelton (@ericskelton) January 18, 2019
Momma Yams Thanks Brooklyn and Yells “A F—-in SAP”
During Metro Boomin’s electrifying set, the A$AP Mob took the time to bring out A$AP Yams' mother, Tatianna Paulino. Draped in a custom A$AP Yams-jeweled scarf, Momma Yams looked out into the audience and raised her arms in triumph, knowing her son was responsible for this entire night. “Thank you to all the members of A$AP Mob, all the artists, and you the fans for joining us tonight,” said Paulino in front of an applauding crowd.
“Four years ago, I lost my son Steven, who you all got to know as A$AP Yams. He is the reason we are all here tonight,” she continued. “When I lost my son, I gained a whole new family, which includes all of you!” The crowd filled the Barclays Center with boisterous cheers following her brief speech, and Paulino added to the moment by belting out the Mob’s infamous chant “It’s A F—in’ SAP!” The crowd roared and followed her call out with chants of “ASAP! ASAP! ASAP!”
A$AP Mob Concludes The Party With A Thrilling Closing Set
After five hours of music and partying, the A$AP Mob finally took the stage to close out the celebration for A$AP Yams. There wasn’t a tired soul in sight, as the crowd saved their loudest cheers for the hip-hop collective that A$AP Yams built. A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, A$AP Twelvyy, and YG Addie all performed their respective hits while also performing their posse cuts like “Walk on Water” and “Yamborghini High.” The Mob brought out a few more special guests to join in on the fun and the crowd loved every minute of it: Twelvvy brought out Brooklyn’s own Young MA to perform “OOOUUU” and “Quiet Storm” while Flacko brought out Meek Mill to perform “Going Bad,” “Uptown Vibes,” and “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro).”
This one is for Yams — @ASAPMOB #YamborghiniHigh #YamsDay pic.twitter.com/i6QU7HNTYa
— Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) January 18, 2019
dreams and nightmares #YamsDay pic.twitter.com/Lz42u15EvA
— damien (@7ootrill) January 18, 2019