A$AP Rocky’s felony assault trial began on Friday. The rapper (legal name Rakim Mayers) is in court for charges that stem back to a 2021 shooting in Los Angeles. Prosecutors claim that Rocky shot at an old friend, while Rocky’s lawyer says that the friend is trying to make some money. Here’s what you need to know.
Why is A$AP Rocky on trial?
Rocky has been charged with two counts of felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm. A$AP Relli (legal name Terell Ephron), a former friend and collaborator, accused Rocky of firing a gun at him near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
At a hearing in 2023, Relli recounted what led up to the alleged shooting. The two went to high school together in New York City, and Relli claims that he brought Rocky into the A$AP group. (A$AP has several members and stands for “Always Strive and Prosper.”) Over the years, they remained close, but Rocky’s career skyrocketed while Relli and other members of A$AP felt that they were left behind.
In October 2021, a member of the group named A$AP Josh died, and Rocky said he would help Josh’s mother with funeral costs. Relli fell under the impression that Rocky hadn’t followed through, and sent him a text message that read, “You so fucking fake it’s sad.” Relli testified that he later learned that Rocky had actually paid for the funeral.
That November, Relli agreed to meet with Rocky at the W Hotel in Hollywood. Rocky was allegedly joined by A$AP Illz (Illijah Ulanga) and A$AP Twelvyy (Jamel Phillips). Relli claimed that once they met up, Rocky pulled out a gun and pressed it to his chest. Rocky then began to walk away, and Relli began offloading his feelings toward the rapper. He said in court that he was “letting him know how everybody feel — because nobody’s brave enough to say how they feel about this man.”
At that point, according to Relli, “Rocky turned around and shot me.” In court, Relli’s lawyer showed a photo of Relli’s injured knuckles, which he claims came from the shooting. While part of this interaction was caught on security cameras, there is no footage of Rocky actually firing a gun. Prosecutors are banking on Relli as their star witness, while Rocky’s lawyer is hoping to cast him as a liar trying to get money. (Relli has also sued Rocky for damages related to the shooting in civil court.)
What has A$AP Rocky said about the charges?
While he has not spoken publicly about the charges, Rocky made a big statement when he opted not to take a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for six months. If he is found guilty at trial, Rocky could face up to 24 years in prison.
Will Rihanna be involved?
While she is Rocky’s partner and mother of his two children, Rihanna probably won’t physically be there. But she is sort of looming over the proceedings. TMZ reported that potential jurors were asked if they had “heard of A$AP or Rihanna, listened to their music, or downloaded any of their songs” and if they owned any of Rihanna’s products, such as Fenty Beauty. Prosecutors also wanted to know if jurors would be able to render a fair verdict if Rihanna was in the room. Fair question.
When asked earlier this month if we could expect to see Rihanna in the courtroom, Rocky’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, made it seem like that wasn’t going to happen. “He’s very protective of Rihanna and doesn’t want her anywhere near this proceeding. But that’s a family decision they’ll make,” he told reporters outside of the courthouse.