While A$AP Mob continues to mourn the loss of A$AP Yams, A$AP Rocky is speaking out for the first time about his fallen friend in an in-depth interview with Billboard.

Rocky was at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah over the weekend to premiere his coming-of-age movie Dope, in which he makes his acting debut. During the film’s after-party, he cut his set short and dedicated the final song to the A$AP Mob founder, who passed away on Jan. 18. He was scheduled to attend Yams’ memorial just hours later.

“That performance—that was just going to stop me from crying,” said Rocky. “I had to address it, because the whole time I was rapping and I wasn’t into it, which is sad, but I just gotta keep it real. I can’t front. It’s even harder knowing that I gotta fly out in less than an hour just to go bury him. That’s the part that eats at me.”

He also refuted rumors that the 26-year-old died from a drug overdose. “People were saying that Yams overdosed on drugs—he didn’t overdose on any drugs,” said Rocky, who declined to reveal the real cause of death. “I feel like people feel that way because that’s all he’s in pictures doing. When you see A$AP Yams you see Hennessy or purple drink, you see some type of controlled substance or illegal narcotic.”

Despite the sad circumstances, he remains optimistic. “I’m a happy spirit, man, and I feel like time heals,” said Rocky. “It’s all about good people with good energy, and the universe keeps producing them to me. I’ll be fine. God is good and I keep all hope and faith.”

Rocky’s sophomore album is “basically done,” and will feature Danger Mouse and Yams as co-executive producers.

“Danger Mouse and Yams—I’m really intrigued for people to hear how that combination sounds,” he said. “Yams manifested his powers into it.”

[Rap-Up]