A$AP Rocky
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A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Athelaston Mayers, 36, was found not guilty. Pretty Flacko was charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm aka firing a gun at his former friend and A$AP Mob member A$AP Relli.
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The jury began deliberating on Tuesday (Feb. 18) morning and reached their verdict by late afternoon. The jury consisted of seven women and five men and their decision was reportedly unanimous.
The prosecution alleged that Rocky fired two shots at Relli during a dispute on a street in Hollywood back in 2021. The trial featured dramatic testimony from Relli (Rocky passed on testifying) and bitter arguing between the prosecution and the defense (each side accused the other of perjury). Rocky’s longtime girlfriend attending the trial and occasionally bringing along their two baby sons added to the audacity of the proceedings.
The dutiful reporting of legal journalist Meghann Cuniff has given outside observers a direct look into the happenings of the trial as they occurred. Below, we’re sharing Cuniff’s YouTube channel that featured the verdict reading.
Social media followed this trial closely and is reacting to the verdict. See what’s happening in the gallery.
This story is developing.
Additional reporting by D.L. Chandler.
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A$AP Rocky is now in the final stages of his court case, with the whole family in tow for emotional support. Rihanna, his partner, made her first appearance in court with their two kids, 2-year-old RZA and 1-year-old Riot, just as the prosecutor was laying out the case against the rapper. The prosecution’s argument is simple: Rocky fired at his former friend, A$AP Relli, on a Hollywood street in 2021, and he should be guilty of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
However Rocky’s defense is pushing back. A$AP Twelvyy, a member of Rocky’s crew, testified that Relli was actually the one starting trouble. He claims the Harlem rapper fired the shots not to harm Relli, but to stop him from attacking another member of their crew. So, it’s not as clear as the prosecution wants to make it seem.
Rihanna’s presence in the courtroom, along with their kids, added a serious emotional layer to the proceedings, especially with the stakes so high for Rocky. The prosecution’s focus is on Relli’s testimony, but with Rocky’s defense painting a different picture, the situation is still up in the air. It’s clear that this case isn’t just about the law—it’s personal for Rocky, and with his family in the room, it’s a heavy moment.
More news to come as the story develops.
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If we’ve learned anything about 50 Cent over his illustrious career it’s that the man has no qualms about sharing his opinion on everything Hip-Hop related, so when A$AP Relli took the stand against A$AP Rocky in the long-awaited shooting trial of the rapper, y’all should’ve known 50 was going to throw his two cents in on the matter.
On Tuesday (Jan. 28), Relli got on the witness stand and told his side of the story in which he described how A$AP Rocky allegedly shot him during an argument in 2021. While on the stand Relli said Rocky pulled a gun on him and pointed it towards his body saying he was “looking for a spot to shoot.” Telling the court that he told Rocky “If you brought a gun, use it then,” Relli says that had it not been for a man named Elijah standing in between both of the men he didn’t know what would’ve happened.
According to A$AP Relli, Rocky did ultimately use the gun, which led to Relli getting a bullet graze on his hand.
Not one to bite his tongue, 50 Cent shared a clip of Relli’s testimony on his Instagram page and added a caption that read, “Man I hope Rockie alright this fool just want some money,💰 we seen this movie before 🎥it’s a re run, sucker ass 🥷🏾 smh @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi.”
You gotta love how that man will promote his alcohol brand while trolling other people.
Obviously not a fan of Relli dropping dime on Rocky, 50 is publicly backing Pretty Flacko as he fights this case in hopes of clearing his name and moving on with his life.
While Rocky had the chance to do so last week when he was offered a plea deal in the case, the “Riot” rapper rejected the deal and decided to take his chances in a court of law, which could prove to be costly if Relli is able to convince a jury that Rocky pulled the trigger.
During his testimony, Relli went on to say that his relationship with Rocky was broken at the time of the incident and that the meeting between the two was meant to be a settling of differences before things went left once they came face-to-face. For his part, A$AP Rocky is claiming that what he used to scare Relli was a prop gun that shot blanks, but has also stated that the gun has since been discarded.
We’re not sure how this is going to end for A$AP Rocky, but if he’s convicted of the allegation he faces up to 24 years in prison. If he rejected a plea deal in this matter he must be hella confident in his chances.
Check out A$AP Relli’s testimony below and let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section.
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A$AP Relli took the stand on Tuesday (Jan. 28) during former friend A$AP Rocky’s shooting trial, revealing more details about the 2021 incident. During his time on the stand, A$AP Relli claims he allegedly demanded that A$AP Rocky use the gun at the center of the matter in a show of bravado although Relli reportedly testified he never saw a firearm on Rocky’s person before their confrontation.
TMZ reports that A$AP Relli, real name Terell Ephron, took the stand and shared his side of the story regarding the alleged incident. Relli and Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, were childhood friends in New York and came up together as Rocky rose the ranks in music and fashion as part of the A$AP Mob collective. Relli says the issues began when a day before the November 6, 2021 shooting, he overheard a call between Rocky and A$AP Bari that was disparaging toward him and the longtime friendship fizzled from there.
The next day, Reli and Rocky planned to meet in Hollywood and the testimony from Relli claims that Rocky arrived with two other individuals with the idea of hashing out their differences in person. During the testimony, Relli claims he told Rocky, “You better use that sh*t, what the f*ck you got a gun for?” and added, “I was willing to die for my respect. If this is what you want to do, I still have my dignity.”
Relli claims he was grazed on the knuckle after Rocky fired at him. Rocky’s attorney says that the gun in the matter was a stage prop and therefore could not have fired a bullet nor were there casings found.
Rihanna, the mother of Rocky’s children, was in the gallery during the testimony in a show of support. Also taking the stand was an LAPD officer Tommy Zizzo, the son of Erika Jayne who starred in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills franchise.
A$AP Rocky is facing two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and faces a maximum of 24 years behind bars if the trial leads to a conviction. Rocky has previously rejected a plea deal.
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A$AP Rocky has elected to reject a plea deal in his ongoing assault case in Los Angeles which would have seen him serve 180 days behind bars for accepting one of the felony counts. Now, a jury selection process is underway and A$AP Rocky could face up to 24 years in prison.
The Associated Press reports that A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, declined to take the plea deal after initially pleading not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm back in 2022. Rocky, 36, is accused of opening fire on childhood friend Terell “A$AP Relli” Ephron in Hollywood back in 2021.
The terms of the deal were for Rocky to plead guilty to one of the aforementioned felony counts, with Los Angeles County prosecutors suggesting a seven-year suspended sentence, three-year probation, and a six-month jail sentence.
According to Rocky’s attorney, the defense will call on witnesses to take the stand in the trial and deliver testimony that the gun Rocky fired was a starter pistol used as a security measure and not a full-on semiautomatic weapon as the charges state.
Rocky is the husband of singer and fashion powerhouse Rihanna and the pair are parents to two toddler boys. Rocky was also preparing the release of his fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, via his ASAP Worldwide imprint alongside Polo Grounds/RCA.
The courts surveyed over 100 potential jurors in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom and as of Wednesday (Jan. 22), the full measure of 12 jurors have not been selected. Opening statements will be televised once the trial officially begins.
If found guilty, A$AP Rocky could face up to 24 years behind bars.
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A$AP Rocky has rejected a plea deal in his gun assault case against A$AP Relli, and his lawyer is confident he will be acquitted.
As per Newsweek, A$AP Rocky’s trial is set to get underway next week. While he has claimed innocence since news broke about the alleged shooting that struck former A$AP Mob member and collaborator A$AP Relli, Daily Mail reports that he was offered a plea deal Wednesday ( Jan. 15). According to his lawyer Joe Tacopina A$AP Rocky has “no interested” in a settlement. “Our client has indicated he’s willing to take anything but obviously I will listen to any offer and I have an obligation and duty to relay to my client,” Tacopina told the presiding judge during the recent hearing.
After the conference concluded Joe Tacopina spoke to reporters outside of the court. “There’s a reason that 10 police officers searched and didn’t find shell casings there,” the legal professional explained. “[It’s] not because they were blind or drunk or because they didn’t want to find it. It’s because they did a thorough job. Tacopina also confirmed that A$AP Rocky would testify if need be. “He’s confident and he’s ready to go. He believes in justice, and he believes this is going to work out for him.”
You can see footage from the latest hearing below.
Having recently wrapped up a successful year with the release of his critically-acclaimed Chromakopia album in late October, Tyler, The Creator now has more praise coming his way, this time from proto-punk veteran Iggy Pop.
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77-year-old Pop took the time to heap praise upon Tyler on his Iggy Confidential radio show for BBC Radio 6 Music. In his raspy voice, Pop recalled how he and Tyler had previously worked together on an ad campaign for Gucci alongside A$AP Rocky.
“I’ve always liked Tyler,” Pop began. “I did a day’s work with him once, and he would do what it takes to get attention. He’s also a genuine all-around song, dance, writer talent — a genuine old-school talent with a new-school approach.”
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The pair’s previous collaboration came about in February 2020, with Gucci seeing them team up with A$AP Rocky to promote their menswear collection which served as an ode to the archetypical rockstar.
“Male elegance can be unpredictable and strange,” Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele told Forbes of the campaign’s idea. “The result is a group campaign with three men who I believe had fun too.
“There is always this image of eccentricity, because they are in fact eccentric themselves,” he continued. “A certain type of fun is also portrayed and the idea of how one’s obsession with appearances can create a kind of common ground that can become a sort of brotherhood. It was beautiful to see these three men together, seemingly different but very similar.”
Pop’s description of Tyler – “a genuine old-school talent with a new-school approach” – seems to be apt, with the younger musician recently seeing some of his biggest successes to date with the release of the soul, jazz, and hip-hop blending Chromakopia.
Tyler’s eighth album, it became his third consecutive record to top the Billboard 200, while opening track “St. Chroma” became his first to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart.
Previously, his top-performing songs on Streaming Songs, which began in 2013, had been “Earfquake” and “Wusyaname” (the latter featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla $ign), both of which peaked at No. 3 in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Notably, this latest success was accompanied by the single “Noid” being found in the No. 2 position.
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A$AP Rocky will indeed be taking his main character energy to Hollywood. Spike Lee has confirmed he will have the main role in his new upcoming film.
As reported by Hype Beast the legendary movie marker recently conducted an interview with Deadline. During the Q&A the Brooklyn, NY native discussed reuniting with his longtime collaborator Denzel Washington on his forthcoming film Highest 2 Lowest. The project is inspired by the 1963 crime thriller High and Low. “This is not a remake, this is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s great film” Spike says. The original follows a high profile executive who is extorted after his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for payment.
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“In Kurosawa’s film, Toshiro Mifune is a shoemaker,” said Lee. “In our film Denzel Washington is a music mogul with his own label and his reputation as the best ears in the business. So, this is the fifth film with the dynamic duo.” The two have worked on several iconic movies including Malcolm X, Inside Man, He Got Game and Mo’ Better Blues. When asked for further details on the plot Spike Lee didn’t elaborate further but did share that A$AP Rocky has the “the main role” in the film. Fellow rapper Ice Spice also has a part in Highest To Lowest.
You can see Spike Lee discuss the project below.
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A$AP Rocky will have to fight for his freedom one more time. He is set to stand trail next year for allegedly shooting at A$AP Relli.
As reported by The Associated Press, the Harlem native will have to clear his name in a court of law. This week, it was confirmed his trial for allegedly shooting at his former collaborator and group member will start in 2025. A judge slotted Jan. 21 as to when the jury selection will commence. The proceedings were originally scheduled to start next month, but A$AP Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina had requested it be postponed so the “Praise The Lord” rapper can perform at the Rolling Loud festival in Thailand. Judge Mark S. Arnold has also confirmed that the proceedings will be recorded by video cameras saying, “I believe that the public deserves to see what goes on in the courtroom.”
On Nov. 6, 2021 it is alleged that A$AP Rocky fired shots at Terell Ephron, aka A$AP Relli, in Hollywood, Calif. According to TMZ, Relli took the stand during a preliminary hearing regarding the alleged assault. He revealed the two were childhood friends, but their relationship started to strain once A$AP Rocky gained global popularity. He went on to admit that he started resenting the rapper after some broken promises were made to help his family. On the fateful day of Nov. 6, 2021, he says Rocky called him and asked to meet at a Los Angeles hotel. Relli thought the meet-up was a chance for them to put their differences behind them, but instead he says Pretty Flacko pulled up with several men and put a gun to his stomach saying, “I’ll kill you right now.” After separating Relli says several gunshots were fired his way with one of them striking his hand.
A$AP Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a firearm. You can watch surveillance footage from the incident below.
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One of the biggest evenings in the fashion industry will highlight Black men’s style. Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams have been tapped as the celebrity co-chairs for the 2025 Met Gala.
As spotted on the New York Times, the theme for the 2025 Met Gala has been formally announced. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is directly inspired by Monica L. Miller’s, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Originally released in 2009, the book details the history and cultural importance of the Black Dandy. She describes Black Dandyism to Vogue as “a strategy and a tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context. To really push a boundary – especially during the time of enslavement, to really push a boundary on who and what counts as human, even.”
To ensure the theme is properly brought to life the Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour as the co-chairs for the 2025 edition. LeBron James will also serve as an honorary chairman. The exhibit is slated to feature artwork, antique garments and other items that will explore the history of Black Dandy.
The 2025 Met Gala will take place on May 5 followed by the launch of the Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit on May 10.