- Rapper A$AP Rocky arrived in court in a black suit and a flower brooch
- A judge will decide whether he will face trial in a November 2021 shooting
- He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he fired a gun at an old friend
Rapper A$AP Rocky arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse Monday where a judge will decide whether he will go to trial for allegedly firing a gun at a friend outside a hotel.
A$AP Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, faces up to eight years in prison if convicted of two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
He arrived in court Monday wearing a black suit, a matching black face mask, a black tie with white polka dots and a flower brooch.
The 35-year-old rap star and father of two with Rihanna has pleaded not guilty to charges that he fired a gun at a former friend and co-worker.
Prosecutors allege Mayers pointed a gun at Terell Ephron, once known as A$AP Relli, on Nov. 6, 2021, then shot Ephron in a confrontation, leaving him slightly injured.
A$AP Rocky appeared in court on Monday wearing a black suit, matching black face mask, black tie with white polka dots and a flower brooch
A judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to move forward with the rapper’s trial over a November 2021 shooting
At an earlier hearing, Ephron testified that Mayers held the gun to his stomach and said, “I’m going to kill you right now,” before firing shots and leaving the room.
Ephron said he and the “F*****g Problems” rapper were teenage friends and members of the A$AP Collective, a group of New York City high school students who wanted to make music and pursue other art forms.
He said their friendship continued as Mayer’s fame grew, but began to falter when he began withdrawing from business ventures.
Prosecutors played surveillance video that appeared to show Mayers brandishing and possibly firing a gun, which his lawyers have disputed.
The father of Rihanna’s two children was first arrested in April last year as he returned to LAX airport from Barbados, where he had been on vacation with his then-pregnant girlfriend.
He was later released on $550,000 bail. Officers were seen outside his LA home hitting the gate with a battering ram before apparently raiding the property. Investigators seized several boxes of evidence from the home.
Four months after his arrest, the charge was upgraded to felony status rather than misdemeanor, which would have meant only a year in prison for each count.
At this preliminary hearing, a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the trial.
The rapper is represented by the same attorney who represented former President Donald Trump in his New York criminal case: Joe Tacopina.
Terell Ephron (pictured) told the court at an earlier hearing that Mayers shot him after calling him to meet in Hollywood
Rapper A$AP Rocky appeared in court last week to begin hearings before a judge to decide whether he should stand trial
Superstar Rihanna’s boyfriend and father of her children could face up to eight years in prison if convicted of two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm
In 2019, Trump took a particular interest in Mayers after he was arrested on assault charges in Sweden.
He was arrested after a fight broke out between his entourage and two men on the street.
Mayers was convicted of assault, sentenced to probation and ordered to pay more than $1,000 in restitution. He reportedly served a month in prison before his sentence was announced.
Before Monday’s hearing, the successful duo were in Las Vegas to promote their collaboration with Puma at the F1 races.
In an interview with Complex Magazine, the Fashion Killa rapper beamed as he talked about the successes he and Rihanna have already achieved.
“If my lady and I worked together, what could we do to team up and just go crazy and go crazy?” “I think we do a really great job of working together to raise kids,” the musician said. “I think this is our best creation yet.”