On Wednesday (April 8), Philadelphia model-turned-rapper Chynna Rogers, best known as Chynna, died at the tender age of 25. NBC News now reports that her cause of death has been determined as an accidental drug overdose, citing the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
Chynna’s family confirmed her death yesterday via the rapper’s management. “Chynna was deeply loved and will be sorely missed,” the family wrote in a statement. Following the news of her passing, artists such as Vince Staples, Kehlani, Saba, Tierra Whack, Chynna’s crew A$AP Mob, and more took to social media to pour out their condolences.
Rogers had previously spoken about her struggles with opiate addiction. During an interview, amid a period of sobriety, she shared her sentiments in regards to drug use. “It got to the point where I had to do something just to be able to get onstage and do my job. I didn’t like that.”
The Philadelphia native began her modeling career at the agency Ford Models at age 14 after being discovered at the Six Flags Great Adventure park in New Jersey, according to Pitchfork magazine. But she always had goals of being a recording artist.
Her dreams soon became a reality when in high school she teamed up with the late producer A$AP Yams (who sadly died of an accidental drug overdose in 2015), who formed the hip-hop group A$AP Mob.
In the 2013, she enjoyed viral success with “Selfie,” followed by 2014’s “Glen Coco” and her I’m Not Here. This Isn’t Happening EP (a Radiohead reference), in July 2015. Rogers talked openly about her struggles with substance abuse and addressed her addiction with on the 2016 mixtape Ninety.
In 2018, Rogers opened up about her music career, her struggles with drug addiction and the death of her mother, which she said she refused to let derail her sobriety.
“My mom would be really tight with me if I used her as an excuse to fall off,” she said. “It’s just more reason to work and get this s— done.”
“I felt crazy. I didn’t want to be a statistic. I didn’t want to go out that way and people be like: ‘I told you so,” or glamorize it [drugs], because I don’t feel like that,” she told VIBE . “It was nerve-wracking to be open, but when you see how many more people who are dealing with the same thing, it’s good to have some kind of example of someone you didn’t expect to be going through it.”
Today, we painfully say goodbye to a rising star, charismatic personality, and beautiful icon.
