ASAP Rocky is in serious trouble with the law, and it seems the chief instigator behind his latest confrontation with the United States penal system is a close friend from the ASAP Mob camp.
Why is ASAP Rocky facing assault charges?
Rihanna‘s baby daddy may have a hard time shaking off fresh assault charges laid by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, months after he was arrested at LAX International Airport.
Los Angeles DA George Gascón confirmed in a statement released on Monday that Rocky faces two counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon. Authorities are moving ahead with an attempt to prosecute the rapper for allegedly shooting a man after a heated confrontation in Hollywood back in November 2021.
ASAP Relli’s account of what happened
The man at the centre of accusations levelled against Rocky is none other than his former compatriot Terell Ephron, or as he’s renowned in Hip Hop, ASAP Relli. In a statement sent to Rolling Stone, Ephron’s lawyers are adamant that Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, allegedly lured their client to a dingy location “to discuss a disagreement between the two of them.”
“Unbeknownst to Mr Ephron, A$AP Rocky was not just planning for a conversation and came armed with a semi-automatic handgun. After arriving at the location, a conversation ensued whereby without provocation, warning, or any justification, A$AP Rocky produced the handgun and intentionally fired multiple shots at Mr Ephron,” Relli’s lawyers claim.
While Rocky had, until Monday, not been formally charged with a crime after the LAX arrest, Relli’s team claims it has strong evidence to support its assault case.
It’s understood Relli sustained injuries on his left hand from the alleged shooting, and the entire incident may have been caught on CCTV.
When does ASAP Rocky assault case start?
Rocky is currently out on $500 000 (est. R8.2 million) bond and is expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday, 17 August 2022.
While Rocky has not, as yet, addressed the matter publicly, his fellow ASAP Mob member ASAP Bari targeted Relli in a scathing Instagram post, where he accused Ephron of being a rat.
Relli’s team maintains it’s highly confident the civil suit lodged against Rocky will see its day in trial.