A$AP Rocky’s friend testifies that rapper fired prop gun, not real firearm, in 2021 shooting

Rapper A$AP Rocky arrives at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES — A$AP Rocky’s longtime friend and collaborator testified at his Los Angeles trial Friday that the hip-hop star fired a starter pistol that he carried as a prop during a scuffle with a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.

The testimony from the man who goes by A$AP Twelvyy is essential to Rocky’s defense against two felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a potential sentence of up to 24 years in prison with a conviction.

“He walked around with a prop, like a starter pistol,” Twelvyy said, looking at the jury. “I seen it on several occasions.”

And his testimony suggested the accuser, their mutual friend who goes by A$AP Relli, knew the pistol wasn’t real when Rocky first pulled it out.

“He told him to shoot that fake-ass gun,” Twelvyy said under questioning from the defense.

All three men and a fourth who was at the scene, A$AP Illz, were members of the A$AP Mob, a crew of musicians and other creators that formed at a New York high school nearly 20 years ago.

But just one of them, Rocky, became a major mainstream success starting in the early 2010s with a pair of No. 1 albums. He has since been nominated for three Grammys, but has become known as much for his dealings in fashion as his music, and for his relationship with singing superstar Rihanna, with whom he has two toddler sons.

She was not in court Friday. She made an appearance in the audience Thursday afternoon after an absence of several days.

Twelvyy, a rapper whose legal name is Jamel Phillips, has acted as an on-stage hype man for Rocky and has appeared in his music videos. He testified that Rocky had reason to fear for his life in the 2021 fight, since both of them were stabbed in a brawl at a New York club in 2018.

He said that he saw Rocky with the starter pistol three times, first on a New York music video shoot in July 2021, then at a Harlem block party in September of that year, and then in Los Angeles shortly before the Nov. 6 incident.

“This is still like COVID era so he didn’t have security,” Twelvyy said. “And that was basically his line of defense.”

Rocky and Relli’s relationship had been growing increasingly hostile, and they met up in the street the evening after Rocky had performed. Twelvyy and Illz accompanied Rocky.

During his three days of testimony, Relli, whose legal name is Terell Ephron, said Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, had grabbed him moments after they met up. But Twelvyy testified Relli had been the aggressor from the start, and instigated the fight, which was partly caught on surveillance video.

Relli testified that Twelvyy pulled out a knife, but Twelvyy tesified he wasn’t carrying one. Relli also testified that Rocky pointed the gun at his head and stomach after pulling it out in the initial confrontation. But Twelvyy said Rocky only pulled it out, didn’t point it at him.

Both sides agree Rocky and his two companions walked away and Relli followed them.

Twelvyy testified that Rocky fired the gun to break it up only after Relli began attacking and punching their friend Illz. Relli had testified that he only grabbed Illz to hide behind him when Rocky began firing.

Over several days, Relli testified that his knuckles were grazed in the shooting, but he was otherwise not physically hurt.

The idea that Rocky had fired a fake gun was only revealed — including to the judge and prosecution — on the day jury selection began in the trial two weeks ago.

Authorities did not recover the pistol they allege Rocky used. The defense said it does not have the prop gun, nor is there any physical evidence of the shooting.

Twelvvy was the first defense witness called after the prosecution rested its case Thursday.

Deputy District Attorney John Lewin included mention of Rihanna at the beginning of his cross-examination of Twelvyy. Lewin asked if the couple could ruin him for not telling the story the way they wanted.

“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 asked.

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.

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press