The Truth About Rapper Chynna Rogers' Death
Rapper and model Chynna Rogers, 25, was found dead in her Philadelphia home on April 8, 2020. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health confirmed that she died from an accidental drug overdose, according to NBC News.
"Chynna was deeply loved and will be sorely missed," her family said in a statement provided to The New York Times. Her management team at True Panther also posted an Instagram statement: "Rest In Peace Chynna. Heartbroken. All the love to those she left behind. Goodbye angel."
Rogers' modeling and music career began at an early age. She reportedly signed with Ford Models when she was 14 years old, and at 15, she contacted A$AP Mob founder A$AP Yams on Twitter and asked him if she could be his intern. They eventually became friends, and he mentored her as she wrote her own music and performed with A$AP Mob. Rogers told Billboard that she went to A$AP Rocky's first stop in Philly when she was just 10 years old. "I tweeted them pictures I took at the show. I wanted to A&R and I was inspired by the way [A$AP Yams] went about molding Rocky's career," she said. (Yams died in 2015 of an accidental overdose.)
Chynna Rogers was open about addiction
Chynna Rogers enjoyed viral success with her 2013 song "Selfie" and 2014's "Glen Coco." She then released a handful of EPs, including I'm Not Here, This Isn't Happening, and Music 2 Die 2. On her 22nd birthday in 2016, she released a mixtape called Ninety that addressed her opiate addiction and celebrated hitting 90 days of sobriety. She told Fader that the project summed up the previous two years. "They got pretty dark and still amazingly spiritual. I tapped into parts of myself I otherwise would never have seen. Not to say you should hang out in that part of yourself often, but get familiar with it," she said.
Rogers didn't shy away from discussing the darker sides of life. In a 2018 interview with Pitchfork, she said her music was for "angry people with too much pride to show how angry they are." She added, "If you're not depressed right now, you might be getting high. Everyday I wake up with new s**t to be mad about. It's too much."
Her last EP, in case i die first, was released in December 2019.
Celebs are paying tribute to Chynna Rogers
Fellow artists and celebs paid tribute to Chynna Rogers on social media. Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack retweeted an interaction she and Rogers had online and added, "we can't even go to funerals," referring to the nationwide social distancing efforts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Whack also retweeted a 2016 tweet from Rogers that read: "I may never get that big but Imma die knowing I rap better than a lotta u n*ggas n that's all I wanted."
A$AP Mob tweeted: "REST EASY CHYNNA. WE GON MISS U SIS." Artist Khelani tweeted: "chynna you were f*ckin hilarious bro... today was our last exchange of jokes & those i will miss the most. i can't believe it."
Rogers' death comes in the wake of other young rappers who have died in 2020, including Lexii Alijai and Pop Smoke. She is survived by her father, Michael, her two brothers, Jeremy and Michael, and her sister, Nala.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health, please contact SAMHSA's 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).