Model and Rapper Chynna Rogers Has Passed Away at the Age of 25
Updated April 10 2020, 3:16 p.m. ET
The music community is mourning one of their own, as it was revealed that rapper Chynna (full name Chynna Rogers) has passed away at the age of 25. She originally got her start in the public eye with a modeling career, and she later transitioned to music.
Eerily, the artist released an EP entitled "In Case I Die First" in December of 2019, just four months before her death.
What happened to Chynna? Read on to find out all that is known about her passing, her struggles with addiction, and to learn more about who Chynna was as an artist.
What happened to Chynna Rogers?
The Philadelphia-based rapper's death was confirmed by her representative, John Miller, in an email statement. "I can regrettably confirm Chynna passed away today," he wrote to both The Wrap and Hollywood Life on April 8, 2020. John did not confirm any cause of death or further details about his client's passing.
According to reports, Chynna was found dead in her Philadelphia apartment on April 8. Her family subsequently released a statement about her legacy.
"Chynna was deeply loved and will be sorely missed," the family said, per People.
In her music and in interviews, Chynna was often candid about her struggles with past opioid addiction, and the passing of her mother.
In a January of 2018 interview with Pitchfork, Chynna discussed how she used opiates to fill a void caused by her depression.
She went to rehab in 2016, and she released the mixtape "Ninety" on her 22nd birthday in August of that year, which also marked three months of sobriety. But, she only opened up about her issues with prescription drugs after she went to rehab.
"I didn't tell people that I was a drug addict until I got out of rehab," she said to Pitchfork. "I see a lot of artists decide they want to go through s--t with their fans, and that's cool because it gives your fans something to hold onto. But I need to handle it myself first, and then, when I've figured out how I want to word it, we can talk about it — y'all not about to go through it with me."
Sadly, one year after she went to rehab, Chynna's mother passed away. While her mother's death could have caused a relapse, Chynna remarked that her mother wouldn't want her to fall back into old ways.
"My mom would be really tight with me if I used her as excuse to fall off. It's just more reason to work and get all this s--t done," she said to Pitchfork.
Chynna Rogers originally signed with the late rapper A$AP Yams.
At the age of 14, Chynna was scouted by Ford Models when she was at the Six Flags Great Adventure Park in Jackson, N.J. She went on to walk in several shows at New York Fashion Week. While she was still in high school, she contacted A$AP Yams (Steven Rodriguez) who was the founder of A$AP Mobs. Chynna offered to be his intern, and he eventually took her under his wing with music.
After getting connected with A$AP Yams, Chynna released her first song "Selfie" in 2013. She followed up the single with the Mean Girls-inspired track "Glen Coco," which got noticed by Chris Brown.
Unfortunately, A$AP Yams passed away in 2015 at the age of 26 from an alleged overdose.
His death partly inspired Chynna to open up about her addiction struggles, she said to Pitchfork.
"It was partially because of the s--t that happened with Yams, or just how many friends I have lost to different stuff," she said about choosing to come clean about her past drug issues. "And I just — I didn’t want to lie."
Our thoughts are with Chynna's family during this time.