Mama Yams Interview with Complex

“I get nervous to see so many people,” says Tatianna Paulino, mother of ASAP Yams. “I see so many people that really love my son and who were inspired by my son.”

Paulino is backstage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the site of Yams Day 2020, preparing to give a speech just one day before the fifth anniversary of her son’s death. There is a crew of people standing around her, tinkering with her outfit—a customized denim jumpsuit with “Yams Day” emblazoned on it in pink lettering. The jumpsuit’s arms are peeled down, revealing a T-shirt that memorializes her son, as well as Fredo Santana, Nipsey Hussle, Mac Miller, Juice WRLD, and XXXTentacion.

It makes sense that Paulino (who is often referred to as Tati) has some pre-concert jitters. Yams Day has evolved and grown significantly since its first year at Manhattan’s Terminal 5 venue in 2016. After events at Madison Square Garden and the New York Expo Center, Yams Day planted roots at the Barclays in 2018. But no matter the venue or size, the concert has stayed true to its mission: to honor the legacy of ASAP Mob’s co-founder and remain distinctly New York. 

Continue reading on Complex Magazine.