A$AP Rocky’s lawyers are preparing to defend him in his trial in Los Angeles on Friday, where he faces charges for allegedly shooting at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.
They plan to call A$AP Twelvyy, another rapper from the A$AP Mob, the same group Rocky and the man he’s accused of shooting were a part of. Twelvyy was with Rocky when they met A$AP Relli, with whom Rocky had a long-standing argument that eventually led to the shooting.
Twelvyy is expected to testify that Rocky used a starter pistol, a type of gun that only fires blanks, not real bullets. Rocky is known to carry the gun as a prop for protection. The defense claims that this explains why Relli only had minor injuries, like grazed knuckles, and no serious harm.
The trial has been full of confusion due to the similar names of the people involved, especially since A$AP Twelvyy, A$AP Rocky, and A$AP Relli are all part of the same group. Relli’s testimony has already taken up most of the last three days in court.
Rocky has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of assault with a firearm, and if convicted, he could face up to 24 years in prison.
Rihanna, Rocky’s long-time partner and mother to their young son, returned to the courtroom on Thursday after being absent for a few days. She wore a tan trench coat and glasses as she sat quietly with Rocky’s team.
The defense has not said if Rocky will testify in his own defense, though it’s not required. He already turned down a plea deal from the prosecution, which would have sentenced him to 180 days in jail and other minor penalties in exchange for a guilty plea.
Rocky, who grew up in Harlem, rose to fame with his first album, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2013. Since then, his career in fashion has become almost as big as his music. He is even set to be a co-host at the Met Gala, one of fashion’s most important events, this May.
Rocky’s outfits have sparked plenty of attention. People have even commented on the designer clothes he wears in court. One publicist for Yves Saint Laurent sent out a press release about the stylish jacket, shirt, and pants Rocky wore during a day in court.
His fashion also came up during a phone recording played in court, in which Relli allegedly said that Rocky was “not a real gangster” and that the case was really about money and fashion.
The defense has already brought in one key witness, an internet branding consultant who worked with both Rocky and Relli. This person recorded phone calls where Relli supposedly admitted that he was more interested in getting money from Rocky than in the criminal case itself. However, Relli denied that the recordings were real.
Despite Relli’s denials, the prosecution pointed out that his statements in the recordings matched what he said in court.
