What Was A$AP Rocky on Trial For? Everything We Know About the Case

By now, you likely know A$AP Rocky for his catalogue of classic hip hop releases, his many fashion contracts and brand deals, or from his relationship with pop superstar and beauty mogul Rihanna. What you may not know, however, is that the Harlem native has been facing a trial that could potentially derail his career for the last several years. A guilty verdict in this case could have landed the Grammy award winner in prison for decades to come. News surrounding A$AP Rocky’s trial has been mostly sparse since it kicked off back in January, though fans began buzzing about the affair this week when the jury first began their deliberation. To understand exactly what the rapper was accused of, what the consequence could have been in the case, and what happens next, we’ll first have to run through the details surrounding the trial, which date back to an alleged assault incident which took place in 2021.

What Was A$AP Being Charged With?

A$AP Rocky, whose government name is Rakim Mayers, faced two felony assault charges for an alleged shooting in the city of Los Angeles. According to his accuser, Terell Ephron, Rocky pulled out a firearm and shot multiple rounds after shouting “I’ll kill you right now.” Ephron is a former childhood friend of Mayers, who was even involved with Rocky’s A$AP Mob hip hop collective under the moniker A$AP Relli. Relli appeared on the witness stand multiple times over the course of the trial, and has alleged that bullets grazed him on the knuckles, leaving behind light scarring. For his vocal role in the trial, some music fans have derisively taken to nicknaming the accuser A$AP Telli, signaling an overall lack of faith in the rapper’s claims.

As the full story goes, per Ephron’s testimony, he and Rocky were once close friends who had a falling out during the early days of the latter’s major success within the music industry. In the years since, the pair have grown apart, though they reconnected in late 2021, and had something of a heated confrontation. After arguing with one another during a November 6 meeting, the pair became entangled in a physical scuffle, just a block away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. From there, prosecutors claim that Rocky removed a gun from his waistband and threatened to shoot his former high school classmate, before lowering the gun and walking away. Relli says that he then followed Rocky across the street, antagonizing him further, resulting in Rocky opening fire and fleeing the scene.

Was There Any Evidence Supporting The Prosecution?

Though A$AP Rocky plead not guilty to both assault charges, and maintained his full innocence throughout the trial, prosecutors did have some evidence to suggest the shooting occurred as described by Ephron. For starters, portions of their interaction were captured via security camera footage, though no gun can be seen. One video, which was played in the courtroom, includes audio which may in fact be gunfire. Police were not able to locate any evidence of a shooting at the scene of the incident, though Ephron personally handed in two shell casings which he claims to have found in the area in the aftermath of the skirmish. Police arrested Rocky months after the incident took place, as he was returning home from an overseas trip. Upon his April 2022 arrest, his bail was set at over half a million dollars.

On the flip side, A$AP Rocky’s defense seemed relatively certain that the rapper and fashion influencer would escape the charges, citing numerous holes in the prosecution’s argument. For starters, investigators have testified that Ephron took multiple days to report the incident, and sought no formal medical treatment while in Los Angeles. Rocky’s defense has admitted that the “Tailor Swif” vocalist carries a prop gun known as a starter pistol, though the weapon is only suitable to fire blanks, which are incompatible with the shell casings presented into evidence. Some have theorized that Relli picked up the casings from a nearby firing range, which would be a major legal violation of its own if proven. Over the course of the trial, Rocky refused to take the stand, and even turned down a very lenient plea offer which consisted of only six months jail time and three years of probation.

Hiccups In The Trial

Though both sides of the argument seemed fairly straightforward, the trial had its fair share of issues since first kicking off on January 24. At one point, Relli was reprimanded by the judge for making derisive remarks about Rocky’s attorney while on the witness stand. Likewise, Rocky has been censured for multiple emotional outbursts, including one instance when another of his A$AP brethren addressed the court. The incident occurred when rapper A$AP Twelvyy was asked what the letters “AWGE” stand for. Before he could respond, Rocky shouted “don’t say!” Twelvyy then proceeded to explain that he didn’t know the true nature of the acronym, angering Ephron’s attorney. AWGE is the title of A$AP Rocky’s creative agency, though the rapper is notoriously cagey about what these letters stand for. The agency’s own official website states “Rules – #1 never reveal what AWGE means. #2 When in doubt always refer to rule #1.”

A$AP Rocky’s defense attorneys have argued that Terell Ephron’s entire case was actually built on extortion, and have even suggested that the plaintiff has pursued financial compensation behind the scenes in exchange for dropping the criminal charges. Needless to say, Rihanna has also turned a number of heads, as she was present in the courtroom throughout the entire saga, appearing in support of her husband. Early reports indicated that Rocky didn’t want her to be in the courtroom during the trial, though the pop icon remained steadfast in her commitment to providing emotional support. Still, Rihanna made her best efforts to avoid the cameras and not detract from the seriousness of the case when possible. Jurors from nearby courtrooms have apparently stated their excitement at the possibility of meeting her, though she hasn’t taken much of the spotlight away from Rocky’s case in particular. Anti-fur activists also accosted the “Umbrella” singer for wearing animal products in the courtroom, including a mink coat.

Was A$AP Rocky Found Guilty?

The jurors in A$AP Rocky’s case reached their agreement during the early hours of Wednesday morning. Luckily for the multi-platinum selling record producer, Rocky was found not guilty on both counts of assault. This means that he is 100 percent free to return to his life with no prison time, no probation, and no marks on his criminal record. As you can imagine, the verdict was a massive relief to Rocky, as he was facing up to 24 years in prison- a far cry from the six months he’d have seen with the previously mentioned plea deal. When the verdict was read in court, Rocky celebrated with cheers and hugs, and leapt past some members of his legal council into an embrace with his spouse and children.

While the notion of a 24-year prison sentence was surely terrifying for the rapper and his fans alike, Rocky is now free to pursue legal action against his accuser if he so chooses. Some legal scholars have suggested trying A$AP Relli for perjury, fraud, and defamation of character, among other things. For now, there’s no word on whether Rocky will attempt a civil suit for any of these claims, or if he’ll simply elect to leave the entire situation behind him. No matter what the future holds, it is surely tragic that this pair of childhood friends have found themselves in this life-altering predicament. Hopefully this is the last we’ll hear of A$AP on A$AP crime.

Who Is A$AP Rocky’s Lawyer?

Another figure who has come out on top in the A$AP Rocky case is lawyer to the stars Joe Tacopina. Tacopina was invaluable to Rocky’s defense, and addressed the public numerous times over the course of the legal battle. He even drew favorable comparisons to Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel, who led the Atlanta native through his tumultuous RICO case in 2023 and 2024. According to an interview with Billboard, Tacopina explained that he had a very close connection to his client from the start of their working relationship, which only grew stronger with time. Rocky specifically deemed his lawyer “A$AP Joe” following his landmark acquittal, and claimed that he and Rihanna would name their next child after the defense attorney.