LOS ANGELES — A$AP Rocky’s longtime buddy and collaborator testified at his Los Angeles trial Friday that the hip-hop star fired a starter pistol that he carried as a prop throughout a scuffle with a former buddy on a Hollywood road in 2021.
The testimony from the person who goes by A$AP Twelvyy is crucial to Rocky’s protection towards two felony prices of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a possible sentence of as much as 24 years in jail with a conviction.
“He walked around with a prop, like a starter pistol,” Twelvyy mentioned, wanting on the jury. “I seen it on several occasions.”
And his testimony recommended the accuser, their mutual buddy who goes by A$AP Relli, knew the pistol wasn’t actual when Rocky first pulled it out.
“He told him to shoot that fake-ass gun,” Twelvyy mentioned below questioning from the protection.
All three males and a fourth who was on the scene, A$AP Illz, had been members of the A$AP Mob, a crew of musicians and different creators that shaped at a New York highschool practically 20 years in the past.
However simply one in every of them, Rocky, grew to become a serious mainstream success beginning within the early 2010s with a pair of No. 1 albums. He has since been nominated for 3 Grammys, however has change into often known as a lot for his dealings in trend as his music, and for his relationship with singing celebrity Rihanna, with whom he has two toddler sons.
She was not in court docket Friday. She made an look within the viewers Thursday afternoon after an absence of a number of days.
Twelvyy, a rapper whose authorized identify is Jamel Phillips, has acted as an on-stage hype man for Rocky and has appeared in his music movies. He testified that Rocky had cause to worry for his life within the 2021 struggle, since each of them had been stabbed in a brawl at a New York membership in 2018.
He mentioned that he noticed Rocky with the starter pistol 3 times, first on a New York music video shoot in July 2021, then at a Harlem block get together in September of that yr, after which in Los Angeles shortly earlier than the Nov. 6 incident.
“This is still like COVID era so he didn’t have security,” Twelvyy mentioned. “And that was basically his line of defense.”
Rocky and Relli’s relationship had been rising more and more hostile, and so they met up on the street the night after Rocky had carried out. Twelvyy and Illz accompanied Rocky.
Throughout his three days of testimony, Relli, whose authorized identify is Terell Ephron, mentioned Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, had grabbed him moments after they met up. However Twelvyy testified Relli had been the aggressor from the beginning, and instigated the struggle, which was partly caught on surveillance video.
Relli testified that Twelvyy pulled out a knife, however Twelvyy tesified he wasn’t carrying one. Relli additionally testified that Rocky pointed the gun at his head and abdomen after pulling it out within the preliminary confrontation. However Twelvyy mentioned Rocky solely pulled it out, didn’t level it at him.
Either side agree Rocky and his two companions walked away and Relli adopted them.
Twelvyy testified that Rocky fired the gun to interrupt it up solely after Relli started attacking and punching their buddy Illz. Relli had testified that he solely grabbed Illz to cover behind him when Rocky started firing.
Over a number of days, Relli testified that his knuckles had been grazed within the capturing, however he was in any other case not bodily harm.
The concept Rocky had fired a pretend gun was solely revealed — together with to the decide and prosecution — on the day jury choice started within the trial two weeks in the past.
Authorities didn’t get better the pistol they allege Rocky used. The protection mentioned it doesn’t have the prop gun, neither is there any bodily proof of the capturing.
Twelvvy was the primary protection witness known as after the prosecution rested its case Thursday.
Deputy District Lawyer John Lewin included point out of Rihanna in the beginning of his cross-examination of Twelvyy. Lewin requested if the couple may smash him for not telling the story the way in which they wished.
“It’s your testimony that even if the defendant and his significant other Rihanna were upset with you, they would have no ability to impact your career whatsoever?” Lewin requested.
Twelvyy replied, “I’m an artist, I could start a new career tomorrow. I could be a painter.”
The prosecutor resumes his questioning later Friday.
